Surgeons are typically very confident, decisive people. So, many will claim to be the best rhinoplasty surgeon—and many will seem like it, too. How can you cut through the runners-up to find the real thing? First of all, know that like many choices in life, there’s no one right answer.
And it doesn’t really matter who we say is best or who your friend says is best. (A friend’s recommendations can be valuable in helping you start your search for the best rhinoplasty surgeon in NJ, of course.) Ultimately, this is a decision you must make for yourself. That’s because, beyond certain important hallmarks of surgical expertise, the rest of your selection process is subjective and personal to you.
Starting your search for the best rhinoplasty surgeon: go straight to the top
To get started, look for the objective evidence of surgical skill and experience. Look for great credentials. (We’ll fill you in on medical and surgical credentials of top rhinoplasty surgeons. That should help you to identify and verify excellence and experience.) For the most successful rhinoplasty outcome, don’t accept less than the most highly qualified surgeons in the field. Get a top NJ rhinoplasty surgeon working for you, because this can make all the difference.
Finding the right rhinoplasty surgeon: narrowing the field
After the facts comes the subjective decision-making. We’ll outline some important “soft skills” that the best rhinoplasty surgeons possess. These are not so cut and dry, but we can tell you about some of the beliefs and values of our northern NJ rhinoplasty practice, some of which that make us unique among top plastic and reconstructive surgeons. But we can’t (and would never) dictate to you what combination of characteristics add up to make a surgeon right for you. This part is all you.
Must-have qualifications of top rhinoplasty surgeons
Proper board certification
Not every framed certificate on the wall counts as board certification. Proper certification is granted by the ABPS (American Board of Plastic Surgery) specifically in plastic surgery. This board is recognized by the ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties) and upholds their high standards for the medical profession.
Some dubious qualifications include weekend (or very short) seminar completion certificates, from short courses given to non-surgeons. Some of these forms use the term “cosmetic surgery” or “cosmetic doctor”. In general conversation, those terms can mean about the same thing, but on official certifications, plastic and cosmetic are very different. Consider only a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Focus on rhinoplasty
The best rhinoplasty surgeons in NJ got where they are through daily practice. This is crucial to gain the wide-ranging experience needed to deal with all types of noses and all sorts of nasal problems. Choose a surgeon who focuses much of their practice on complex rhinoplasty cases.
This allows the surgeon to work on patients who had noses broken in accidents years ago (sometimes more than once), patients who want to correct a bad prior nose job (sometimes more than once), patients who have hooked noses, broad noses, various ethnic noses and also patients who have nasal abnormalities present at birth. A surgeon who can do this will have no problem with your nasal surgery.
Volume
The best rhinoplsty surgeons not only focus on learning rhinoplasty, but also dedicate time to actually doing a lot of these surgeries. If you choose a surgeon who doesn’t perform rhinoplasty surgery routinely, almost daily, you’re not getting a top-flight nose job. If your chosen surgeon spends much of his or her time teaching, speaking or in research—they’re likely very intelligent, but are probably out of practice.
Top rhinoplasty specialists develop precise surgical technique and manual dexterity. These surgeons are meticulous in handling every detail of your nasal surgery expertly. Even tiny mistakes are obvious in rhinoplasty, so you need these elite skills in your best rhinoplasty surgeon.
Five-plus years of experience
We mean experience in active rhinoplasty practice: This is not counting the plastic surgery residency, general surgery training and other advanced training that occurred in the years before the surgeon enters practice. It takes at least 5 years for a surgeon to develop the best surgical judgment. This is necessary to plan your surgery properly to attain your goal—the look you want—from almost any starting point.
Judgment crucially comes into play during surgery. Superior surgical judgment means your surgeon knows just what to do if a complication occurs during surgery. Quick thinking and problem-solving help ensure your outcome is not affected and your nose comes out looking and functioning just as planned.
Reconstructive expertise
The most complex rhinoplasty cases are actually reconstructions of the nasal structure, not just nose reshaping. This requires a high skill level and deep anatomical knowledge. For the best result, even if your rhinoplasty is relatively straightforward, this specific experience is a must-have.
Finding the one: who’s the best plastic surgeon for you?
There are lots of NJ surgeons that might look good on paper, but now comes the final decision phase. Where are is the best rhinoplasty surgeon for you? In this, you must trust your intuition and gut feeling after meeting with your surgeon. All of the above being equal in the surgeons that made your short list, your consultation will help you get to the bottom line. Here are some signposts that will help you choose:
- Check the books: To qualify as your best rhinoplasty surgeon, your surgeon should have notebooks and/or an online gallery of prior rhinoplasties. Flip through and:
- Look to see if most of the faces look appealing in those after shots. We say “faces”, because that’s what a good nose job does. It actually brings out the beauty of your other features—and imparts visual harmony to your whole face. So the faces should look good.
- Now for the noses. Do they all seem to fit in with the faces? Do they all look sort of “samey”? For instance, are they all curled up at the tip or all very narrow from the front? This can be a bad sign, because you don’t want an assembly line nose. Your new nose should be planned around your desires and be unique to you. If you’re looking with your surgeon not in the room, bookmark a few to ask him or her about. Listening to your surgeon discuss specifics about the individual’s nasal problems and how they were corrected will help you get a sense of the NJ surgeon’s aesthetic judgment. Does it seem to mesh with your idea of attractiveness?
- Are they real? Do the photos look touched up, photoshopped or altered? Do they include all angles? Telltale signs of touchups include blurriness on some parts of the photo, cropping to show the nose only in all shots, excluding other parts of the face, photos all taken from the front or all from the side. Also, there should be lots of cases in the photo gallery, because anyone can cheery pick a few great noses. Your surgeon should have hundreds of patient before and after photos!
- Understand the plan: How will your surgeon correct your nose? What will the surgical process entail? What type of anesthesia will be used? Do I have options? Will there be a scar? Will the procedure be open or closed? What is the reasoning for this? What are the risks? How would a complication be handled? How long to recover? How long off work? What are the costs?
- Evaluate: Does your NJ surgeon understand what you want from your nose job? Has your surgeon asked questions to ensure understanding? Does the surgeon agree that the your desired outcome is achievable? Has he or she explained the surgical plan in a way you can understand? Has the surgeon taken sufficient time with you in your consultation? Is the surgeon making you uncomfortable with a sales pitch? Does your surgeon seem invested in your outcome? Do you trust the surgeon?
At Cohen/Winters, we advise our patients as we would our family members. When you come to see us, we will answer your questions and determine how rhinoplasty might benefit you. Not every patient and every surgeon make a great team, so we never pressure patients to make a decision about surgery or surgeon in a rush.
If we (both patient and surgeon) feel that we’re the best rhinoplasty surgeons for you, we will partner with you for an outstanding rhinoplasty result. To learn more, contact our Bergen County offices for a consultation.
