Preliminary Information

In surgery it only takes a moment to make a mistake, but it takes years to correct it. It is currently believed that in any field of cosmetic surgery the plastic surgeon is much more experienced than other surgeons. That is absolutely true! COSMETIC NOSE SURGERY, HOWEVER, IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION! The otolaryngologist has in fact, due to his particular experience in functional surgery of the nose, the maximum competences to deal with the surgery of both the aesthetic and functional-respiratory aspects. In the acquisition of preliminary information, Internet is a very popular source, even if it could prove to be a double-edged sword. The information obtained from the Web should not be taken as "solid gold", but they are certainly useful to get an idea when trying to find a fish in a sea of sharks. The web should only be used to acquire preliminary information about one or more surgeons experienced in the field, perhaps by getting help from personal contacts. Once you’ve got a few names, set a budget to invest in first visits. Then let yourself be guided by your intuition.

“First visit”, what does it mean?

Contrary to what you might think, the meaning of the first visit is not to "waste more money" but to get to know better the surgeon, the person who will operate you, to discover his qualities and defects, regarding both his personal character and professional presentation. Let yourself be guided by whom has more experience in the field, take his advice on what he thinks is best for you, but don’t be afraid to express your personal needs and tastes. The preliminary examination is absolutely not binding and is important not only to collect information on the health of the patient (current or previous diseases, use of medicine, previous surgeries, any allergies, etc...) but above all to understand what are the patient’s expectations and to align them with the real chances of success.

Test the surgeon’s opinion

If the surgeon is not able to explain himself clearly and convincingly, he is selling something he himself isn’t much convinced of! Many surgeons, consciously or not, confuse their patients with complicated sentences and long medical terms, when truly all this is unnecessary. The main task of the good surgeon is to listen carefully to his patient, explain benefits, advantages, limits and possible complications of the surgery as well as guide him through the entire process helping him to find the best solution to his needs. Take your time, beware of those who tell you " to block the date you must deposit an advance". Surgery, unlike cosmetic medicine and all soft treatments, is forever! Every surgery requires, after the first visit with the surgeon, an adequate period of reflection in order to consciously understand the possible perplexities and doubts that arose during the first visit.  

Don’t trust the 3D simulation programs

The computer program won’t do the surgery, the surgeon will. Today, new generation photo editing programs can be very useful to help imagine the final result of an intervention, but at the same time they often create false expectations about the final outcome. Seeing the photos of other patients, is the best way to understand the style he applies since cosmetic surgery is a wise mixture of surgical techniques and personal artistic taste. Just because there are no two artists alike it is good to understand whether you like his vision! However, a perfectly straight or sometimes big nose can look good on someone and terrible on someone else. So, try to explain to the surgeon what you would like so that together you can actually see what you can get and what cannot be. Remember that the surgeon’s experience does not appear on letterhead or business card. To be a really good specialist in rhinoplasty, it is not enough to have years of specialization in otorino or aesthetic surgery. Your surgeon must have no less than 1000 surgeries under his belt in order to have the ability of correcting any unforeseen circumstances during the operation. The world of nose surgery is constantly evolving. If the doctor does not feel the need to increase his knowledge through seminars, refresher courses and conferences both in Malta and abroad, he runs the risk of always using the same obsolete and invasive techniques. Check if the surgeon has worked or works at a public facility, a guarantee of strong professional bases. Don’t forget, a surgeon’s skill disappears with lack of practice. The surgical skills required to perform a high-level surgery are very similar to those used by musicians to achieve perfection. If, for example, a professional pianist played only a few times a week, the lack of practice would inevitably be perceived in the results offered by him. If the nose surgeon does not have the opportunity to train daily on what he has learned during his training the result, unfortunately, would be reflected in the work he produces, just the same as a musician or an athlete.

Choosing your surgeon

If there’s something wrong with the surgeon you’re seeing, well, keep looking! Choosing a nose surgeon is also a "matter of feeling". Human beings are sensibly different from each other, the same is true of doctors, a specialist in the field can result in total harmony with one patient and incompatible with another. The surgeon may be one of the most qualified professionals in the world, but still he must inspire you serenity, competence and make you feel that pinch of magic; “finally someone who really gets me!” I wouldn’t hesitate to say "love at first sight". Don’t forget that in surgery it only takes a moment to make a mistake, but it takes years to correct it. Choosing a really good and reliable plastic surgeon is not as easy as it may seem, especially when it comes to YOUR beauty and YOUR health.