Questions and Answers

dear dr. naderi,
i had a rhinoplasty about 32 years ago when i was only 23. my nose was quite large for my face (or so i thought) and was bulbous on the end. i had been teased about it all my young life and was convinced that a new nose would stop the teasing. the doctor told me he was only going to remove the hump (deformity) and straighten the deviated septum. however, it seems that he did much more than that. when it was done and healed, i liked it better than the nose i was born with because i thought that anything was better at that time. but as i have aged, the nose just doesn't fit my facial maturity. the nostrils are way to large in comparison to the size of the new nose, and the nose was shaved down too much on the front edge and is very sharp to the touch. the tip is asymmetrical and shows up that way in photographs. am i a hopeless case?

i would like to have my nose put back as near as possible to my original nose. i am a 3 year survivor of throat cancer and am doing very well and going about life as before. now that i have a second chance at life, i'd like to do something about my original mistake.

i'm looking forward to hearing from you.

thanks,
linda

Posted on March 03, 2010 1:40 AM in General

Answer

Dear Linda,

First off congratulations on beating throat cancer. I hope you continue to be cancer free. A life threatening illness like cancer certainly should make you see what is important in life. Health, love, happiness, good friends and relatives, these are the important things in life. An imperfect nose is just that......an imperfect nose.........nothing more, nothing less.

I see people every week who feel the way you do. People who went through a Rhinoplasty somewhere else and regret it and now come to see me to ask me to help give them back as close as possible - their old nose.

Most such cases could have been avoided if patients and surgeons communicated better so that the surgeons would thoroughly explain to the patients the changes that are planned. Both surgeons and patients are to blame! Many surgeons don’t take the time and many patients just don’t listen.

Today, Computer Imaging, should be the gold standard in communication so that patients see what their new nose and new face will look like BEFORE going through the surgery. That way they can choose to avoid surgery and if they choose to proceed, the results won’t be a major surprise. Unfortunately most plastic surgeons still do not offer computer imaging.

But in your situation, 32 years ago, computer imaging wasn't even an option.

Thinking about your decision to go through a rhinoplasty 32 years ago (or 32 days ago in other patients' situations) as a mistake is not helpful or healthy. Whats done is done. No point regretting it. You stated that at the time you thought it was a good decision and you had been so bothered by your previous nose that something needed to be done anyway. Think of it this way, if you weren’t bothered by your old nose then great. But since the old nose brought you so much stress and mental anguish then you relieved it by your decision to have the original rhinoplasty. If you had not had the rhinoplasty, you may have been stressed and bothered by your old nose for an additional 20-30 years! Who knows? But you have to look at both sides of the decision and move forward and not look back.

Are you a "hopeless case?" No.

Can you get your old nose back? Not likely.

Can you improve your current nose? Most certainly if you see a Rhinoplasty Specialist and have proper expectations.

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