For anyone who wasn’t satisfied with the result of their primary rhinoplasty or who may have sustained a nasal injury after having had rhinoplasty earlier in life, revision rhinoplasty can change your life. That doesn’t always mean that a revision is a simple or straightforward procedure. You need to find a surgeon who is a true rhinoplasty expert when you’re seeking a revision.
Luckily, the East Coast has some excellent plastic surgeons and many within a reasonable distance of Westchester County, NY. It’s important that you make your choice based on qualifications primarily, however, and place the exact location far down on your revision rhinoplasty expert checklist.
Finding that Rare Rhinoplasty Surgeon near Westchester
The reason that looking for your revision rhinoplasty surgeon only within Westchester may not work out is that not just any plastic surgeon will do to perform a revision rhinoplasty. When any part of the body is re-operated, there are more possible complications than there were during the primary procedure. Your second surgeon has less to work with than your original surgeon.
In short, you are looking for a relatively rare individual, a plastic surgeon truly dedicated to complicated rhinoplasty procedures. It’s wise to look for a surgeon with advanced skills, such as facial and nasal reconstructive experience, to make sure your surgeon has the deepest possible experience to handle your revision.
Challenges in Correcting a Bad Nose Job
Revision rhinoplasty quite often involves rebuilding part of the nose. The nose is a delicate and complex structure and if that were not enough, it is also very visible in the center of your face. Your revision rhinoplasty surgeon may need to deal with a lack of bone or cartilage with which to reshape your nose. It’s quite common for corrective nose jobs to require cartilage grafts from the ear, septum or rib, for example.
In that case, the surgeon must harvest and sculpt the piece (or pieces) of cartilage into the shape needed to repair your nasal bridge or tip, or to shore up the weakened nasal structure. The surgeon must pay attention to the appearance of your “new” nose, ensure that the skin and soft tissues remain healthy and also ensure that your breathing will be unobstructed.
Your Westchester area revision rhinoplasty surgeon must use precise and efficient surgical techniques to ensure a good outcome. He or she must also handle the delicate nasal tissues gently throughout the process to help avoid a lengthy or complicated healing process.
First Things First: Surgical Qualifications and Background
Start with your surgeon’s bio or CV on their website. This should tell you about their education, residency, additional fellowships and years of experience. A well-known medical school and residency hospital in the US is ideal.
Verify state licensure to practice medicine. Your chosen surgeon must be currently licensed in the state of NJ (or NY if your surgeon is located in Westchester).
Check for Board Certification as a Plastic Surgeon. Certification should be from the American Board of Plastic Surgery specifically. This ensures that an in-depth, lengthy education and training has prepared your surgeon to perform rhinoplasty. There are other sound-alike boards that have sprung up, which only require a physician (dermatologist, oral surgeon, gynecologist, etc.) to attend a short course in cosmetic surgery. Since rhinoplasty is one of the most complex plastic surgery procedures, a thorough medical, surgical education and the right board certification is required.
Focus on rhinoplasty. Avoid the Jack-of-all-trades plastic surgeon for rhinoplasty. Instead, choose a surgeon who is devoted to the rhinoplasty procedure and spends the majority of his or her time focused on nose jobs. This indicates a keen level of interest and enthusiasm, which is a great bonus, showing that the surgeon is very comfortable with nose reshaping surgery. This focused practice also tells you that the surgeon’s years of experience are even more valuable for the rhinoplasty patient. (Studies have shown that the more experienced the rhinoplasty specialist, the better his or her track record for successful nose surgeries. This helps ensure that you will never need to seek a revision or corrective rhinoplasty. The surgeon who focuses on rhinoplasty, almost exclusively, typically has a track record of doing the procedure right the first time.) You can ask your surgeon about their focus, or learn it from their website.
Thought leadership. Choose a surgeon who has a leadership position in a local hospital or medical association. This is the sign of an innovator and someone who is up to date with current procedures and techniques in rhinoplasty.
Reputation. Recommendations from friends or family are valuable if they are rhinoplasty recommendations. A breast implant patient recommendation of a plastic surgeon doesn’t tell you about his or her ability to perform a superior rhinoplasty. Top Westchester, NY, rhinoplasty surgeons, (as well as NJ rhinoplasty experts) are generally well known in the regional medical community. You can ask a trusted family doctor or your dermatologist, for example, to recommend a talented surgeon for rhinoplasty.
You may need to contact/visit your surgeon’s office to get the following information:
Portfolio. Look at your surgeon’s work, if photos are posted online. You will be able to see more photos when you go for your consultation, too. See if you like the results you see. Do they all look similar? Or does each nose seem to suit the individual in the “after” photo? That’s what you want.
Surgical privileges. Even though your nasal surgery will not likely take place in the hospital, make sure your plastic surgeon is affiliated with a nearby, well-known hospital or university medical center. A surgeon must have an excellent safety record in order to maintain privileges, so you’ll have even more assurance of quality care from your surgeon.
Make sure the surgical facility is accredited. You can ask your NJ area rhinoplasty surgeon about this if it is not noted on the website. Then get the name of the accrediting body and look them up online. Accreditation is typically renewed with a yearly inspection and tells you that the safety record of the facility is up to par. Vanguard Surgery Center, which is adjacent to our offices in Bergen County, NJ, is fully accredited.
Know your anesthesiologist. Ask your plastic surgeon about the anesthesiologist’s qualifications. This should be an MD who is board certified. Top Westchester, NY, rhinoplasty surgeons should work with a top crew of colleagues, but it’s best to check.
Take a list of your additional questions. That way, you won’t forget to ask something crucial.
Elite Revision Rhinoplasty Surgeons in Westchester
In order to access the above-mentioned skills, your chosen rhinoplasty surgeon must be in the elite category. He or she must be a surgeon who spends the majority of his or her time on nasal surgery. A plastic surgeon focused on the body (rather than the face) won’t do. Even some rhinoplasty specialists may decline to perform revisions, due to the inherent complexity of the surgery.
Surgical experience is a reliable predictor of success in revision rhinoplasty, as you might expect. For consistently successful revision rhinoplasty outcomes, you should choose a top rhinoplasty surgeon with 10 or more years in the field. When you find the elite level of expertise described here, whether in Westchester County, NY or northern NJ, put this plastic surgeon at the top of your list.
The Role of Surgical Strategy and Planning
For the best revision rhinoplasty experience, the importance of planning cannot be overstated. Among the elite surgeons you have identified in your research, choose the one in whom you’re most confident. This is the surgeon who has photos of past work that appeal to you, and who is interested in pinpointing what went wrong in the first surgery, along with understanding just what you want as the result from your revision.
Your surgeon should explain the details to you of how he or she plans to achieve your result. Having this type of detailed discussion will also let you know whether you and your surgeon are on the same page; whether your surgeon understands your goal and whether your goal is realistic.
After this discussion, you should feel confident in the surgeon’s abilities and in the plan. When you trust your surgeon to partner with you for the very best possible result from your revision rhinoplasty (in Westchester or here in Bergen County), you have found your ideal surgeon.
You Deserve the Very Best Care
Don’t settle for less. Although you are understandably anxious to have your botched rhinoplasty corrected as quickly as possible, don’t go forward with your revision until you find the right surgeon. Choose a surgeon who fulfills all the qualifications discussed here. Your patience and research efforts will be rewarded with a great outcome.
I don’t wish revision rhinoplasty on anyone, because no patient should have to go through a nasal surgery the second time. I focus on revision cases in my practice because it’s so gratifying to be able to help improve lives of patients through plastic surgery. The results can be amazing. If you’re in despair over a disappointing rhinoplasty result, or even if you’re bothered by something relatively minor from that first procedure, don’t hesitate. I can often provide a dramatic improvement to your first result.
Deciding if a Rhinoplasty Surgeon is Right for You
In order to decide if the Westchester area plastic surgeon is right for you, think about your meeting. Did the surgeon ask questions about your goals and history? Did he or she answer your questions clearly?
Did your surgeon explain the risks of rhinoplasty surgery? Does the surgical plan make sense to you? Are you confident in the surgeon’s ability and comfortable with the surgeon performing your rhinoplasty?
If you’re not certain that you want to go forward, take the time to think about it. You can also consult another expert rhinoplasty surgeon to get a different perspective.
Learn About Your Options for Revision Rhinoplasty in Westchester, NY
Find out if you’re a good candidate to benefit from revision rhinoplasty, just about 40 minutes from Westchester. Here in Bergen County, at Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery, I’m happy to offer you a personalized consultation and discuss your options for revision rhinoplasty.
