How to Find the Best Cosmetic Nose Job Surgeon
In Canada cosmetic procedures are performed by General Plastic surgeons, Facial Plastic surgeons, Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck surgeons, Dermatologists, Ophthamologists, MaxilloFacial surgeons and Family physicians. Each group of doctors have their own skill set and training. With so many physicians how can you find the best Toronto nose job surgeon? Most people start with certification. Certification in a surgical specialty assures the public that particular surgeon has received an acceptable degree of training in that specialty’s area of expertise. The domains of subspecialty competence can and do overlap between some specialties. A good example is Rhinoplasty in which Otolaryngologists, General Plastic and Facial Plastic surgeons are all educated. Another example is hand surgery in which both General Plastic surgeons and Orthopeadic surgeons are trained and examined. A final example is back surgery where both Orthopeadic and Neurosurgeons have competency. Because there has been a large growth in the demand for cosmetic surgery and the procedures are well paid, several groups of physicians have recently become involved in providing cosmetic services. Family physicians who do not receive surgical training to the degree the surgical specialists do, are an example of a recent trend of physicians not traditionally associated with cosmetic surgery. The following is a synopsis of the type of doctors currently performing some aspect of cosmetic surgery.
Do Your Research to Find the Best Cosmetic Nose Job Surgeon
The best way to select your surgeon is to do your own research. Meet with one or two Rhinoplasty surgeons. Review examples of their work. Make sure you feel you have a good rapport with him. This includes feeling confident the surgeon has listened to you and heard your goals. This way you will have made an informed decision. Don’t just take someone else’s recommendation. Anyone who refers you to a plastic surgeon has far less at stake in the outcome than you do. It’s up to you to take responsibility for finding the best doctor. You can’t get the information you need from a resume, an attractive web site, the size of an advertisement, a framed diploma, or the office decor.
In the field of cosmetic surgery, it is difficult and confusing to know which surgeon does what procedure. There are many specialists and non-specialists who practice cosmetic surgery. This can all be very confusing to the general public, who are really only interested in having their surgery done properly and successfully. Unfortunately for the consumer, there are conflicting statements by groups of self interested physicians, motivated by market forces rather than professed patient care. This only adds to the fear some people have of receiving a bad result.
Training
General Plastic Surgeons
American Board of Plastic Surgery Crest
Facial Plastic Surgeons
American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Crest
Otolaryngologists
American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Crest
Dermatology
American Board of Dermatology Crest
Ophthalmologists
American Board of Ophthalmology Crest
MaxilloFacial Surgeons
American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Crest
Family Physicians
American Board of Family Medicine Crest
Final thoughts about choosing the best cosmetic nose job surgeon
The credentials of your physician are important, but do not guarantee a successful result. Royal College certification by itself means almost nothing. A fellow of the Royal College (Canadian specialist) has passed a written test and oral examination. The process does not evaluate the surgeon’s manual dexterity, artistic talents, whether he cares about his patients’ well-being, or whether his results are excellent, average or even poor. You want more than a Royal College specialist; you need a doctor who can also deliver excellent results.
Surgeons however can’t guarantee success unfortunately. Even master Rhinoplasty surgeons have the occassional poor outcome. However the more experienced and skilled the surgeon, the less likely an unsatisfactory result. In choosing a surgeon it is wise to start by picking someone with the appropriate credentials for the procedure. This alone isn’t sufficient. A surgeon may be skilled at one operation, like breast augmentation or cancer reconstruction, but average or worse at another, like Rhinoplasty. Therefore the surgeon should be experienced and frequently performing the surgery. You can ask how often and how many, but there isn’t a means of independently verifying. There is accurate documentation of the reconstructive Rhinoplasties, and there are about 800 a year in Ontario. Unfortunately the number of cosmetic Rhinoplasties isn’t known. In the GTA there are about 60 surgeons performing Rhinoplasty. The average number of Rhinoplasties per surgeon, per year is 25. Remember this means 30 surgeons in the GTA are doing less than 2 Rhinoplasties per month. This is clearly not enough to maintain your skills.
Most cosmetic Rhinoplasty surgeons will provide examples of their work. While this is helpful, remember it represents their best. This isn’t by itself necessarily bad. If he could do it for someone else, he can possibly do the same for you. However the good results can create a false sense of expectation. The real question- what is the probability of achieving the desired result?, unfortunately can’t be answered accurately and independently. Like any other service, the skills and talent between professionals vary. Surgery isn’t a product; its a service, and service providers vary in quality. Remember the old joke “What do you call the person who graduated last in his medical school?” Answer: “A doctor!” A poor rhinoplasty result can’t be returned for a replacement like a defective cell phone. Hence the need to be an informed consumer.