Rhinoplasty Surgeon: A Research How-To

Finding the right rhinoplasty surgeon to perform your nose job is probably the most important factor in having this type of plastic surgery. It is the surgeon who does the work and who will help you achieve your goals. Face it: No surgeon equals no surgery. But going through the process of finding a skilled plastic surgeon to perform your procedure can be confusing and time consuming.

We are going to give you some of the tools you need to find the right doctor for you. We will cover the things you need to look for in a surgeon so that you are well armed in making your decision. Note that we are saying "the right doctor for you." You may do wonderfully with a surgeon who might not be suitable for someone else.

Steps to Finding a Good Cosmetic Surgeon

Step 1: Locate Your Plastic Surgeon

The best way to find a good surgeon is to ask around. Rhinoplasty is a very common type of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, especially because of broken noses. Patient-to-patient referral is one of the best ways to find an excellent rhinoplasty surgeon. Ask friends and family members who have had rhinoplasty if they liked their surgeon and what their experience was like.

If you have a friend or relative who works in the medical field, ask them whom they think does good work. Ask your general practitioner if they would recommend a rhinoplasty surgeon in the area. Even ask around your gym or beauty salon if you feel comfortable enough. Beauticians and cosmetologists often see people before and after facial plastic surgery.

You can also read our discussion forum to speak with real patients.

Step 2: Check Out Rhinoplasty Before-and-After Photos

After finding a good board certified plastic surgeon, ask to see these patients' rhinoplasty before-and-after photos. Even if they did not like their results, ask to see before-and-after photos anyway. Beauty is subjective, as are cosmetic surgery results.What may be a bad surgery experience to others might be just what you want.

Step 3: Do Additional Research

The internet is an excellent place to do additional research, but be wary. With the popularity of plastic surgery TV shows and the rise in cosmetic surgery cases today, there are physicians everywhere advertising their services. The internet is full of plastic surgery information sites designed to get your business. Make sure to get your information from credible sites and that the surgeons recommended there are board certified plastic surgeons. Understand that physicians who are interviewed all over the place may just have good public relations agencies working for them. Also, a surgeon who is all over the media may be overbooked and not have the time to devote to your case.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon: What does that mean?

Any licensed physician can practice in any area of medicine, whether or not he or she is qualified in that specialty. So how do you separate out the cream of the crop? A lot of people will tell you to choose only a "board-certified plastic surgeon." But what does that mean? This can be confusing as there are many medical specialty boards that certify physicians and surgeons.

There are doctors who advertise themselves as being "board certified" on their website, but don’t say what specialty they are certified in. Some of them may have a certification in pathology or urology, which are hardly beneficial in cosmetic plastic surgery. Then again, you may see a board certification in plastic surgery, otolaryngology (the ear, nose and throat specialty), or surgery, all of which are applicable to cosmetic and plastic surgery of the head and face, such as rhinoplasty.

A physician or surgeon who is certified by a medical specialty board is also called a diplomate of that board. You might see that word on one or more of the framed certificates on the surgeon's office wall. You might also see a certificate saying the surgeon is a "fellow." To give one example, members of the American College of Surgery, which only admits those who are board certified in a surgical specialty, are called fellows.

Twenty-four medical specialty boards, including the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the boards for otolaryngology and surgery, are members of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The ABMS is an umbrella group of medical specialty boards that, in essence, certifies the certifiers. Two boards for cosmetic surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, are not members of the ABMS. However, to be certified by these boards, a surgeon must have been certified first by an ABMS medical specialty board, such as plastic surgery, otolaryngology, general surgery, ophthalmology, or dermatology.

You may hear the phrase "board eligible." This means virtually nothing. Either a surgeon is board certified or he or she isn't. They may be in the process of becoming board certified, but the phrase "board eligible" is not officially recognized by any of the medical specialty boards. Bear in mind that the process of becoming board certified takes several years. Most of the medical specialty boards require a surgeon or physician to practice in their field for a number of years before they can take the qualifying tests. This means that some very fine surgeons may be doing excellent work, but have not yet become board certified. Still, board certification is an important signal of quality.

There are many professional societies that offer membership to qualified physicians and surgeons. Membership in these societies is not required to practice cosmetic plastic surgery, nor does it mean that a surgeon is competent and has a skillful eye. However, membership in certain groups assures you that the surgeon meets their stringent criteria. These societies include the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Talking to Your Rhinoplasty Surgeon

Once you have found a few surgeons whom you think can help you, make appointments and go into their offices with an idea of what it is you want. Good communication is a necessary key to having a good doctor-patient relationship. If you cannot communicate what it is you want, how can you expect your rhinoplasty surgeon to know what your expectations are? At your consultation appointment, have questions to ask the plastic surgeon ready, for better communication.

Be sure the surgeon is open to your desires and wishes, but that he or she also tells you what is realistic. You cannot expect to bring in a photo of someone else and say, "make me look like this." As a general rule, a surgeon can only improve what you already have. However, you should bring photos of what you like and don't like to help convey your desires.

You shouldn't expect miracles but you should expect improvement. And you should definitely expect proper care, treatment, and empathy from the surgeon and the office staff.