You’ll be surprised at a couple of things when you begin your search for an expert plastic surgeon for revision rhinoplasty. The first thing you’ll find is that many plastic surgeons won’t perform revision rhinoplasty surgery due to the inherent complexity. (In some cases, your primary rhinoplasty surgeon is one of those who refuses to do your revision.)
The second thing you may find is that some surgeons may overestimate their abilities. There are likely to be only one or two real rhinoplasty experts in your area. Once you find the right surgeon, however, you have every opportunity to achieve an attractive, natural-looking nose that is a huge improvement on your “old” nose.
Revision Rhinoplasty: Some Surgeons Will Pass
The first group (surgeons who don’t perform revision rhinoplasty) is not really a problem, although it may be frustrating to cross several plastic surgeons off your list at the beginning of your search.
That second group, the overconfident surgeons (who may not have enough experience to perform your revision in the best way, for the optimal outcome), is the one you need to navigate carefully.
It is imperative that you choose only an NJ rhinoplasty surgeon with the very best qualifications, advanced training, the right kind of experience and many examples of stellar results from prior complex corrective nasal surgery. Make sure you have plenty of evidence that your plastic surgeon has the expertise required for your surgery. You should look into this before you agree to meet with a surgeon.
Only True Specialists Offer Consistently Happy Outcomes
It takes training, experience and enthusiasm to produce a great outcome in most endeavors. That’s definitely true in medicine, so the NJ plastic surgeon you choose should be very focused on reconstructive facial plastic surgery and rhinoplasty in particular.
That means that he or she should devote most of their practice to complex rhinoplasty and revisions. One reason that you should choose only a top rhinoplasty surgeon in NJ: you need someone who can offer the best surgical option to fix your prior nose job.
There is often more than one way to correct a bad nose job, but you want the best way and the most efficient, effective and dependable method. Surgeons with less experience may know only one method to achieve a specific result – and that may not be the ideal method for your case. You want access to the best method, performed by the best surgeon.
Since you’ve endured disappointment once, with your primary rhinoplasty, you don’t want to end up with another poor rhinoplasty result that needs to be revised. You want your revision done right the first (and only) time. Give yourself the gift of working with an NJ revision rhinoplasty expert who has:
- ABPS board certification: Look for Board Certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Recently, sound-alike certification organizations have sprung up, perhaps trying to level the playing field between doctors with a short seminar in plastic surgery and career plastic surgeons with many years of preparation and experience. Obviously, you need the career plastic surgeon with a concentration on revision or reconstructive rhinoplasty. Look for ABPS certification and accept no substitutes.
- Rhinoplasty concentration: Be certain that your chosen NJ plastic surgeon devotes most of his or her time to rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty. This makes a big difference in the results you can expect from a plastic surgeon who does rhinoplasty daily and any other plastic surgeon. Ask your plastic surgeon if s/he does rhinoplasty and revision almost constantly. The surgeon should have at least 5 years in practice, not including the 6+ years of training.
- Own surgical practice: An independent plastic surgeon who has his or her name on the practice is likely operating at a higher level than a member of a large corporate medical group.
- Reconstructive knowledge: As mentioned above, a reconstructive surgeon has more experience to pull from in making any needed changes to your nose or even rebuilding the structure.
- Surgical privileges: This is another great way to ensure your revision rhinoplasty surgeon has an excellent track record of success. Your surgeon should have authority to perform rhinoplasty in a locally renowned hospital or NJ medical center. Even if your surgery will take place in an outpatient surgical center, knowing the hospital administration trusts your surgeon gives you another level of confidence in his or her abilities.
- Thought leadership position in the NJ medical/surgical community: Seek out a plastic surgeon whose resume or biography reflects a high-level role at a medical institution, such as head of facial reconstructive surgery or facial plastic surgery. If your surgeon is in a position to mentor other surgeons, this is another sign that s/he is at the top of the profession. Membership in other prominent medical organizations is also a good sign, including the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery and American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
The Better the Preparation, The Better the Outcome
That is, provided the surgical expertise is there. When you’ve eliminated surgeons with little experience, any not board certified by the ABPS and those not focused on revision rhinoplasty—all that’s left to do is choose the surgeon with whom you can communicate best.
Once you find an NJ plastic surgeon or two with top qualifications, make sure they understand everything that is wrong with (and everything that bothers you about) your first rhinoplasty surgery’s outcome.
Make sure to select the surgeon who spends time with you, examines your nose and facial structure carefully and listens to your desires. Choose the surgeon that has a detailed plan for achieving your goals and can clearly explain the strategy to achieve them.
Don’t despair if the first part of your search for your ideal revision rhinoplasty specialist seems to begin slowly. Keep in mind that the right skilled, experienced and board-certified NJ rhinoplasty surgeon is out there. You just have to devote a bit of time and research. With the right expert at your side, you can expect to improve the look of your nose dramatically and correct any breathing problems at the same time.
Talk to a Local Revision Rhinoplasty Expert in Bergen County
At Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery here in northern NJ, we specialize in revision rhinoplasty. If you’re a good candidate for revision rhinoplasty, we will design a solution that provides you with the naturally attractive and functional nose you really want. We’re happy to answer all your questions about revision rhinoplasty.
