Facing the Facts When It Comes to Rhinoplasty Options: How to Choose the Right Surgeon in NYC for Your Nose Job
March 28, 2016
Do Your Due Diligence
The surgeon should also be able to communicate well, be a patient listener and a compassionate medical professional. Although many surgeons meet the aforementioned criteria, there are also a number who fall short. Therefore, doing your due diligence is necessary.
Because rhinoplasty is an elective surgery, you do not have any excuse for not investigating the credentials and qualifications of the provider you choose. Finding a skilled doctor who specializes in cosmetic nasal surgery can be difficult. Some of the informational sources, too, may be contradictory or inaccurate. Therefore, any information you gather should be assessed and cross-referenced. While the process may consume a good deal of your time, it will be well worth your effort when you finally make a selection.
Some Prerequisites
In order to perform a rhinoplasty, a surgeon needs to hold a valid medical in all of the 50 states. The license shows that the doctor has received minimum educational training from a medical school and, at the minimum, post-graduate training or has served as an intern. You can also contact your state board of medicine to discover if any disciplinary action has ever been filed against the doctor for medical malpractice or non-compliance. The surgeon should have a license that is free of these kinds of infractions.
The rhinoplasty surgeon you choose should also be certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) board or a noted equivalent. This designation shows that the doctor completed a broad written and oral competency exam in his specialty and completed an ACGME-accredited residency program.
However, that being said, a board certification does not necessarily guarantee proficiency in rhinoplasty. On the contrary, it may only ensure a minimum level of knowledge and competency clinically. Moreover, a certification of this type does not reveal the artistic skill, dexterity, or integrity of the doctor. While certification is important, you should not stop there when choosing a doctor.
Therefore, when screening a doctor, you also have to look for any history of malpractice. You certainly don’t want to entrust a cosmetic procedure to a doctor guilty of willful negligence. While some claims do not have merit, any number of settlements or judgments can be a cause for concern.
Typically, surgeons who specialize in a surgical niche will have a keen interest in that subspecialty. In turn, surgical outcomes are more consistent and successful when doctors are devoted, say, to rhinoplasty procedures.
Check Out Testimonials and the Surgeon’s Portfolio
You also want to look at word-of-mouth endorsements on the Internet. However, be careful. Just because a surgeon has gotten endorsements for breast augmentation or face lifts does not mean the endorsements extend to nose surgery. Therefore, make sure the testimonials or positive comments include the surgeon’s skill as a rhinoplasty surgeon and doctor.
The best way to look at a doctor’s past nose job procedures is by reviewing their surgical portfolio or NYC patient before and after photos. If a number of patients have successfully recovered from rhinoplasty and are well-pleased with the results, then you can feel better about the surgeon yourself.
Focusing exclusively on the face for more than two decades, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Philip Miller blends art and science with innovation and skill to provide thousands of patients with impeccable results. He is known for pioneering the NatraLook methodology for rhinoplasty, facelifts, neck lifts, and other cosmetic procedures for the face.
