Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Who's the best revision nose surgeon?

The most common question, asked, researched, googled, by people seeking revision nose surgery (and for very legitimate reason's) is "who's the best revision nose surgeon". Obviously, your primary or revision nose surgery didn't go as planned or wished for. You might not like the aesthetic appearance of your nose for various reasons, or you have functional issue's which weren't resolved or are new, or combination of those issue's. It's very frustrating to have to go through another surgery, especially one which is labeled "elective" surgery, meaning you have to pay out of pocket for and may include the stress and cost of air travel. I put in quotes "elective" because many unhappy with the results of their operated nose would disagree with that term, since they feel it's a "necessity" now for reasons i already explained above. It's also about regaining trust. How can you trust that the next surgeon will do what he/she promises, since you already were told by your last surgeon, that you would receive what you desired, but didn't. [Note: I'm not simply blaming the surgeon here, because there may of been an issue of miscommunication] That's a major step to take and the most challenging for you the prospective secondary/revision patient and the secondary/revision surgeon. This of course occurs in every profession and business. You have to make it clear to your surgeon what your expectations are from the surgery, and your surgeon needs to make clear to you what you can realistically expect. Of course there's a lot more to it then that as I have already written about on my other posts regarding questions to be asked, and doing your research ="due diligence".Even after seeing a few surgeons that your happy with you may be apprehensive,which is normal but at some point given long thought out consideration, you need to take a leap of faith or decide your not really ready for another surgery. Maybe you just need to see a few more surgeons before being sure you found the right one.



*Note; you should never feel pressured or rushed into elective surgery!!! Not by the surgeon or by someone else, including yourself!!! If the surgeon seems hesitant that he/she can help you but is still willing to try, then DON"T do it!!! [Even if you've already paid for airfare and put down a deposit]. That's what happen to me with my last surgeon in 2005. If you've been reading my posts, then you already know the dangerous consequences of a bad outcome (neuropathy, empty nose syndrome) from nose surgery.  I can't emphasize this enough... do not ever take nose surgery lightly!!!

So I assume most of you seeking revision nose surgery have seen different lists of "who are the best nose revision surgeons" recommended online and have noted which surgeons appear repeatedly, and you have searched forums and other sites to see what others have to say about each of them.Which is all good. But now that you have your own "A" list, narrowed down to let's say a half dozen, your having difficulty deciding which two or three to consult with for various reasons. You may of just read a bad review about the surgeon you were so keen to seeing in person, called their office and realized that surgeon's prices are way out of your price range, or spoke to that surgeon by phone or in person and didn't like the way you were treated or something or other.

So the point I want to make is, rather then driving yourself obsessively crazy by limiting your quest with "who's the best revision nose surgeon in the world or USA or Europe" It would be wise to ask   "What surgeons or type of surgeons should I be avoiding" so I don't make the same mistake again of choosing a similar type of surgeon. Note: I don't mean to blame the patient, because sometimes we can take all the right steps and yet not get the results we were hoping for or were promised! STEP 1. [make a list of things you didn't like about your last surgeon(s)]. This should help you towards finding a surgeon who you feel understands you (on the same page), cares about his/her patients, and has the expertise and proven experience of  getting  the job done.  STEP 2.[make a list of things your looking for in your next surgeon].ie. You will want to find out what percentage of his/her practice is devoted to Rhinoplasty and Revision Rhinoplasty in conjunction with their experience in performing the type of surgery you require.  If you have had a lot of reductive nose surgery therefore requiring a lot of reconstruction surgery, then you will need an experienced revision nose surgeon who has performed many major types of reconstructive nose surgery's STEP 3. After researching [information websites like this blog, using internet forums, rating sites, realself.com where some surgeon's  recommend or speak highly of other surgeon's, etc..] and seeing a few surgeons who you had at the top of your list, decide which one you have the most confidence in and feel comfortable with. Your decision may come down to liking one surgeon's methods better then another's. i.e.) maybe you prefer your own cartilage rather then synthetic material in your nose, or prefer closed approach over open, or like some other technique one surgeon use's that other's don't. You need to discover what the surgeon's exact plans are for your nose surgery and be comfortable with it.

This I feel should help direct your focus in the right direction and alleviate some of your understandable fears and obsessions with  finding out or limiting yourself to, who's Numero Uno. It's really a process, a process of elimination to finding the right surgeon(s) for your specific case  (which there may be more then one, two or three surgeons) which therefore suggests there is no best revision nose surgeon for all cases. Hope that's of some help!

Note: Your list can include things you didn't like about the surgeons surgical center, after care offered, etc... 
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