The Potential Pitfalls and Additional Costs of Rhinoplasty

As you are no doubt aware, when we speak of the cost of rhinoplasty in Northern NJ, there is more involved than just the sticker price. There are emotional costs to every decision we make in life and also convenience costs (time spent recovering), physical/health costs (discomfort or pain or complications) and more. I think we can all agree that the highest “cost” a person could pay for any decision is regret. Let’s look at ways to avoid excess costs of rhinoplasty that go beyond money or price. Keep in mind that the vast majority of patients, in our experience at Cohen/Winters, come away feeling that their rhinoplasty experience and results were well worth all of the costs involved.

When Is the Cost of Rhinoplasty Too High?

Major potential pitfalls of rhinoplasty:

1.) Regret

Regret comes about primarily from unrealistic expectations. It’s a good idea to think about the chances of each type of regret and prepare, so that you can avoid paying this too-high price for your rhinoplasty surgery. You can also use the potential for regret to help ensure that you are making the right decision at this point in your life. Avoiding regret is simple, provided you have made a well-thought-out decision prior to going forward with any surgery, including rhinoplasty. Your Bergen County plastic surgeon will help you with that, as they are trained to pay attention to your motivation and goals for plastic surgery. (Certain surgeons might encourage you to go forward immediately no matter what, just to do the surgery for their own purposes. This is rare, but you should never rush into your decision.) How a dedicated plastic surgeon will help you avoid regret, an excessive cost of rhinoplasty: Your surgeon will discourage you from having rhinoplasty if you seem to be doing it for someone else or from outside pressure. If you’re interested in a nose job because your boyfriend or girlfriend wants you to have it or you want to look just like all your peers, it’s a bad idea. If you are looking to rhinoplasty to ensure others will treat you differently, to become popular or accepted or to get a promotion at work—these are also not good reasons. Your Bergen County plastic surgeon and you should examine your reasons for going forward with surgery and ensure you share the same goals.

2.) Health risks and surgical complications

We talked about emotional health risks above which can come from having unrealistic expectations. Another pitfall that a good plastic surgeon can help you to avoid is physical health risks, such as surgical complications or the potential need for revisions. Your surgeon can help with this by making sure:

1. That you are a good candidate prior to surgery.
2. That he or she understands your goals.
3. That the goals are realistic.
4. Your surgeon will explain the basic risks of surgery plus any additional risks that have to do with your case specifically.
5. Your surgeon will be there for you and provide compete support to ensure your complete recovery and successful rhinoplasty outcome, if you both decide to go forward.

Here’s how your Northern NJ surgeon can help you avoid health risks:

1. Your plastic surgeon should get details of your health history as one step toward ensuring that you are a good surgical candidate for rhinoplasty.
2. Next, your surgeon will find out what your goals are for your final look after surgery. He or she should take a deep interest in understanding exactly what you’re looking for. (If you consult a surgeon who rushes you or shows little interest in what you want, choose another surgeon.)
3. Your surgeon will describe to you what can be achieved through rhinoplasty and outline how this will be done. If your goals match what is achievable, and your health and motivation are good, your surgeon will likely declare you a good candidate.
4. Your surgeon will also describe for you any specific risks that have to do with your medical condition or history. For instance, if you have been a smoker in the past, have a minor medical condition or have a prior rhinoplasty that requires revision, you could have additional risks. Your surgeon will answer any further questions you may have and will not rush your decision. Based upon all this information, and after you’ve had time to think it all over, you can opt to go forward with your rhinoplasty surgery, provided you are comfortable with the risks.

3.) Need for revision rhinoplasty

We specialize in revision rhinoplasty here at Cohen/Winters. We meet with and treat many patients who have had unsatisfactory rhinoplasty surgery elsewhere. Revision rhinoplasty patients seek us out through word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied patients and other physicians. Many Bergen County patients come to us due to our credentials and experience, especially our reconstructive surgery experience. Reconstructive plastic surgeons have in-depth knowledge of the form and function of the nose. These plastic surgeons are in a position to achieve a successful outcome even in the most challenging revision rhinoplasty cases. How we perform revisions to correct poor results from surgeries done elsewhere — and prevent future revisions to lower the cost of rhinoplasty: The key to preventing the need for revision is careful planning, patient selection and meticulous surgical technique. At Cohen/Winters, we use all our skills to ensure our patients are satisfied whether we have just completed their primary rhinoplasty or a performed a revision from a surgery done elsewhere.

4.) Stress on family, friend and work relationships, missing work, etc.

You may find friends, work colleagues or family members that don’t approve of your decision to have rhinoplasty. Although plastic surgery, and nasal surgeries in particular, are becoming more and more accepted, you could still be met with resistance. Even when your surgery is being done for an unequivocally valid medical reason, there are those colleagues, friends or family who may voice their negative opinions. Some will tell you what they think, without even being asked. This is why it is so important, with any surgery, to make sure you are doing it for your own reasons. If your nasal surgery or “nose job” will make you feel better, breathe better or feel more confident–that is the main thing–for most people who undergo rhinoplasty.

• The importance of being prepared for unsolicited good and bad feedback: If you are lucky enough to have supportive people in your life, who respect your decisions, you won’t encounter any negativity. Still, it is a good idea to be prepared for the potential comments, good and bad, from others. If you’re mentally prepared for negativity and have made a carefully considered decision before proceeding with surgery, you will not be overly bothered by negative opinions.
• To tell or not to tell: You may opt to prepare others in advance by telling them of your plans. For those individuals that you are not close to, you may opt not to make an advance announcement. If you truly want to have the change go unnoticed among casual friends, you might want to consider taking 2 weeks off from work or school. If absence from work/school troubles you, you should be okay taking just one week off, depending upon the details of your surgical case.
• Will everyone notice? You may actually be surprised at the number of causal observers who don’t notice, depending on the amount of change to your overall look. Some may ask if you changed your hair or have new glasses. Be prepared for any eventuality by being secure in your decision and making your decision about rhinoplasty for your happiness only.

How You Can Prevent Regret and Unreasonable Costs from Rhinoplasty

• Gather general information, research the procedure and your Bergen County rhinoplasty surgeon.
• Think through everything you’ve learned about the procedure, including the cost of rhinoplasty. (Keep all of the costs we have discussed in mind.)
• Meet with an expert plastic surgeon and ask questions specific to your case.
• Be honest with your surgeon about what you want.
• Think through everything you’ve learned from your surgeon, including specific surgical risks and complications. Make sure you look at the entire potential cost of rhinoplasty.
• If you decide to go forward, choose your surgeon wisely and go forward confidently.

Learn More About the Total Cost of Rhinoplasty

In this post, we have pointed out some important potential risks, pitfalls and unacceptable costs of rhinoplasty surgery that you may not hear as much about from others in the medical profession. We’ve also presented the best ways we have found, in our experience, to prevent these high costs. The bottom line when considering rhinoplasty is to put your needs and health first. You can rest assured that we always will. In our 15+ years of performing rhinoplasty surgeries, we have found them to be extremely safe. We have been gratified that our patients overwhelmingly rate their rhinoplasty outcome as worth the cost of rhinoplasty surgery. At Cohen/Winters, we hope that this information is useful to you. We are happy to meet with you at no charge to determine if you are a good candidate for rhinoplasty and answer any questions about your specific case, including the cost of rhinoplasty.