Choosing the right surgeon can be a daunting experience to go through for a prospective patient. There is no shortage of options when choosing a surgeon yet not every doctor is the right one for you, especially if you're considering nasal surgery of any sort. 

Here are three reasons to consider a rhinoplasty specialist over other plastic surgeons. 

Reason 1: A Rhinoplasty Specialist Has Focused and Specific Certification

Only asking your consulting physician “Are you board certified?” , you could potentially be misled about the qualifications of the doctor. As there are many types of doctors, so too are there many types of board certifications. There are only two boards which credentials surgeons for plastic surgery to the face. These are the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Even choosing a surgeon who is board certified from these recommended groups does not verify the surgeon’s ability to do rhinoplasty surgery. When in doubt, choose a surgeon who does a large number of nasal surgeries in his/her practice.

Reason 2: Choosing a Rhinoplasty Specialist Means Less Risk Of Nasal Dysfunction

Besides sitting in the middle of our face, the nose has two very important functions that we take for granted, which are breathing and smelling. Even if you may have no problems with the function of your nose, changes done during rhinoplasty surgery may alter these functions. Besides having a good looking nose, its important to also have a nose that works!

Reason 3: A Rhinoplasty Specialist Has Lots of Practice

As mentioned above, it is important to choose a surgeon who specializes in this type of surgery. Rhinoplasty surgery is one of the most challenging surgeries to perform. Ending up with a nice looking nose that also is able to breath well is no easy task. Just like a lawyer who does murder trials versus business mergers, rhinoplasty requires a completely different skill set than doing breast augmentations or tummy tucks.

Augmentation rhinoplasty is a term used to described nasal surgery in which the shape of the nose is increased. Although many of the patients undergoing augmentation rhinoplasty are non-Caucasian this type of surgery is performed on patients of all ethnicities.

Whether the nose requires a larger bridge or a more pronounced tip region, grafts or implants are frequently necessary for the required changes. A graft is a term used to describe a material harvested from your own body, and transfered to another location. The most frequently used grafts are cartilage grafts from inside your nose (septal grafts). Septal cartilage grafts are typically the first-line option used nasal surgery.

Sometimes the amount of material needed is greater than the amount of grafting material available, in which implants may be an option. Implants are synthetic materials designed to use in the nose. There are several implants available for augmentation rhinoplasty. Common implants used include: polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex), Silicone, and porous polyethylene (MedPor). Although no ideal implant exists, these implants can be safely used in nasal surgery.

To learn more about augmentation rhinoplasty we welcome to a consultation with Dr. Kwak.