All you want is your nose fixed! That shouldn’t be so hard, right? Over 200,000* people do so every year, after all. The thing is, a lot of those people end up getting an additional nose job to fix the first one. You will understand part of the reason why that happens, the moment you begin looking for the right rhinoplasty surgeon to do your nose, here in NJ or elsewhere. When you see the bewildering amount of medical websites, ads, TV series, Groupons and other media, it can be daunting to wade through all that confusing info to find a true rhinoplasty specialist. We’d like to help you understand the process.
*Overall rhinoplasty numbers are decreasing in recent years, as more patients become aware of the need to choose their surgeon wisely and research gets easier online.
Why be so Choosy about a NJ Rhinoplasty Surgeon?
Your choice of surgeon is so important because, with a complex, high-stakes plastic surgery procedure like rhinoplasty, making the right choice is the number one predictor of rhinoplasty success. Rhinoplasty in general has a good success rate, but that’s because the average stat among all surgeons consists the good and the bad.
Completely reliable stats are hard to come by, because most surgeons don’t really want to share that info in a survey. (Although, the best surgeons will – or they should – be honest with you in person at your consultation. Ask about satisfaction rate and revision rate among your surgeon’s rhinoplasty patients. A one-hundred percent satisfaction rate is suspect, but the rate should be low.)
Why is Rhinoplasty so Complex?
The complexity of rhinoplasty surgery comes from the fact that the nose is a delicate, life-sustaining structure right in the middle of your face. You need that nose to breathe comfortably. It also happens to stick out from your face in super 3D. So the nose can’t be hidden. That’s why we mentioned high stakes above. There are high stakes for a NJ plastic surgeon who wants to produce consistently good results for all patients—because mistakes in rhinoplasty cannot be hidden.
Some examples of rhinoplasty details and complexity:
- Choosing the right type of rhinoplasty surgery, such as open or closed, is important to a nice-looking nose job. Your surgeon should have experience with both techniques to make the best choice. Choose a surgeon with advanced surgical planning skills, which come from years in practice with a focus on rhinoplasty. You will get a sense of this skill when your rhinoplasty surgeon explains the particulars of your proposed surgery.
- Avoiding even tiny technical errors by a rhinoplasty surgeon, (involving only a millimeter or so), will be obvious to you and perhaps the general public. To achieve such precision, you need a New Jersey rhinoplasty surgeon who has at least 10 years in practice, doing this surgery.
- Using advanced techniques in rhinoplasty: In some cases, you may need a graft to complete your nose job, taken from the earlobe or rib. Your rhinoplasty surgeon must know how to best place the graft (or rarely, an implant in reconstructive rhinoplasty) for longevity and a natural look. Your surgeon must also ensure that the grafted area has sufficient circulation and blood vessels to keep the skin and tissues healthy. If this is needed in your surgery, ask your surgeon to point out patient photos with similar cases and also get an idea of this skill from talking to the surgeon.
Why Some Surgeons Skip Rhinoplasty and Why More Really Should
Due to the time and skill required for a good result, many plastic surgeons avoid rhinoplasty altogether. Rhinoplasty requires a lot of individualized planning, patient communication and unique surgical techniques tailored to each patient. If a surgeon is concerned with completing a high volume of surgeries per day, he or she might leave rhinoplasty off their list. If a surgeon has only a couple of years experience in plastic surgery, he or she also might not offer nasal surgery.
The surgeons you should be most wary of are those who don’t have the necessary experience, but think they don’t need it. A few are overconfident and under-qualified and maybe not completely up-front. Here’s why being careful in research is crucial: Any licensed physician, an M.D. (it does not even have to be a surgeon, technically) is legally allowed to perform plastic surgery or any surgery they like.
That frightening fact is why you must check the experience of any surgeon you’re considering! Those unqualified practitioners would not have surgical privileges at a hospital, however. Careful research and choosing wisely can be the difference between a good rhinoplasty result—and an awful one. Protect yourself by selecting your northern NJ rhinoplasty surgeon carefully—and use our suggestions to weed out the inexperienced surgeons. Our tips will also help you save time in your search.
Where Are the Top Rhinoplasty Surgeons Hiding?
Here we’ll talk about how to find them:
- Separate the different types of doctors and surgeons, and avoid: “board certified” cosmetic surgeons (no recognized board exists to certify “cosmetic surgery”). Also avoid gynecologists, dermatologists or vascular surgeons (vein doctors) with a framed certificate on the wall (from a short weekend seminar in plastic surgery).
- Verify medical license and learn basic facts, like medical schools attended, years of graduation, sanctions if any and specializations and certifications. You can find much of this on a surgeon’s own website, but verify with NJ Consumer Affairs Dept. to be sure.
- Give extra points to additional advanced rhinoplasty skills (found on your surgeon’s website—and ask in person as well) such as: revision rhinoplasty experience, microsurgery and reconstructive surgery background, hospital affiliation, great before and after photos and more.
- Evaluate the trust factor. Schedule a consultation with an experienced rhinoplasty specialist that you’ve checked out. You might start with a surgeon who offers a no-charge consultation.
- Combine your impressions and findings from all your research outlines above. Now you can choose the surgeon you trust to leave you with an attractive, natural-looking nose, in balance with your facial features. You deserve a “new nose” that fulfills your expectations and functions properly. Did you feel your surgeon was upfront, honest, clear, unhurried, professional and dedicated? Are you confident this person can and will do the best for you? That’s how you know you’ve just met the right surgeon.
Need guidance to make an informed decision about rhinoplasty? The surgeons of Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery can help. Contact our offices in Bergen County for a free consultation.
