Questions You Should Ask During Your Rhinoplasty Consultation

The initial consultation with your surgeon is the single most important step in the whole surgical process, especially with a complex procedure like nose surgery. This is the time to make sure your surgeon is qualified and makes you feel comfortable with the procedure. You may want to consult with more than one plastic surgeon to determine who will give you the best overall experience and best results possible. It is important to ask questions regarding your surgeon's education, training, knowledge, and experience, as well as what you can expect from the surgery itself.

Surgeon’s Education, Training, and Experience

Here are some questions to ask the surgeon during a rhinoplasty consultation to help determine if he or she is the best surgeon for you:

Board Certification

  • Are you certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery?

We strongly suggest undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure ONLY with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Experience Performing Rhinoplasties

  • How much experience do you have performing rhinoplasties?
  • On average, how many rhinoplasty procedures do you perform in a week/month/year?
  • When did you perform your last rhinoplasty?
  • Can you perform a septoplasty, if needed? Or do you have another surgeon perform this procedure?

Your surgeon should have extensive experience with the procedure and perform it regularly. If the surgeon has not performed nose surgery in a while, he or she may not be up-to-date on current techniques and may not perform up to the best of his or her abilities.

Revision Rate

  • What is the revision rate for your rhinoplasty patients?

If many of a surgeon’s patients require a secondary procedure to correct their nose after the primary surgery, it may suggest that this is not the best surgeon for the job.

Technique Used (Open vs. Closed)

  • What percentage of the time do you perform open versus closed rhinoplasty?
  • Can you use both techniques?

An experienced surgeon will be able to perform either method, which is essential to allowing you to choose the technique that will give you the best results.

Before and After Photos

  • May I see before and after photographs of your work on cases similar to mine?

Make sure your surgeon has performed rhinoplasty on people with similar circumstances and nose shape as you and that you like the results and understand what can be achieved by the surgeon.

What You Can Expect From Surgery

Before you decide to undergo surgery, it is essential that you completely understand all aspects of the procedure. Asking your surgeon the following questions during the consultation will help you know what to expect with nose surgery:

Facility

  • Where will my surgery be performed?
  • Is the facility AAAASF certified?

A facility certified by the AAAASF (American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities) guarantees that they meet hospital standards for patient safety and quality care.

Medications

  • What medications/supplements should I avoid prior to the procedure?

Anesthesia

  • What type of anesthesia will be used?

Recovery

  • What can I expect during recovery?
  • When will I be able to return to work?

Potential Risks and Complications

  • What are the potential risks and complications with my particular circumstances?

If you are interested in the rhinoplasty procedure, Dr. Shah is more than happy to meet with you for a consultation to answer any and all questions you might have. Please contact the Columbus Institute of Plastic Surgery by calling (614) 482-2123 or filling out our online message form today to schedule your appointment.