Is Rhinoplasty Surgery the Correct Procedure For You?

Rhinoplasty surgery is a cosmetic procedure designed to enhance and change the appearance of your nose. It can also help improve breathing abnormalities in the nose. If you decide you want to change the shape of your nose you will need to make sure you find a plastic surgeon who is ASPS certified. This means your surgeon has at least five years of surgical training and experience and at least two years of doing plastic surgery.

You will also want to verify that the doctor you ultimately select is experienced in rhinoplasty surgery. Many plastic surgeons tend to specialize in the many areas of plastic surgery and a doctor who is skilled at breast augmentation surgery for example may not perform enough rhinoplasty surgery to be as skilled in that arena. Ask your doctor how many nose jobs they have performed and how many the generally do a week. You should also ask to see before and after photos of past patients so you can judge the workmanship itself.

During your initial consultation with the surgeon you select, your doctor will go over why you want the surgery- what your expectations are and what your ultimate outcome looks like. Most patients who are unhappy with plastic surgery cite unrealistic expectations of having the surgery as the source of their unhappiness more than the surgical results. Patients who expect their lives to change dramatically by having cosmetic surgery have unrealistic expectations that are generally unobtainable. Your doctor will want to ensure you are having the surgery for you- not to please a mate for example and that you fully understand the surgical results will not change who you are as a person or alter your life circumstances.

Your doctor will also want to go over your medical history and any past surgeries to make sure you are a good candidate for surgery. Finally of course your doctor will measure your face, take photos for your medical chart and go over your procedure options.
You should ask before your surgery what to expect after surgery, but normally you should expect to have the surgery performed as an outpatient at the surgeon’s surgical center. You will likely have your nose packed with gauze and a drainage tube and a splint. Your doctor will likely remove the packing gauze and drainage tube in a day and check your stitches and nose against infection.

Your new nose won’t magically be visible, it can take months for the swelling to fully dissipate and it can take up to a year for the surgical results to really show. This is why it’s important to discuss the whole process, especially the long healing process with your doctor so you understand before your surgery that the results of your rhinoplasty won’t be a quick fix but will eventually your surgical results will show.