Rhinoplasty: Still Tricky After All These Years
Rhinoplasty is one of the oldest plastic surgery procedures, if not the oldest. In fact, the written record dates back hundreds of years B.C. to ancient India, where physicians developed techniques to restore form and function to those who had their noses cut off as punishment for crimes.
Interest in nose surgery waxed and waned over the ensuing centuries. The age of modern rhinoplasty is said to have begun in the 1700’s, when surgeons in Europe refined the procedure for both aesthetic and reconstructive purposes.
You might think that after hundreds of years of experimentation, rhinoplasty would be a procedure that delivers satisfaction to most patients. In fact, it’s not too unusual for someone to be unhappy with their results.
If you’re considering nose surgery, how can to increase your chances of a great outcome? The answer to these questions rests partly with you, the patient, and partly with your surgeon.
First, the determination needs to be made that you’re seeking surgery for the right reasons. An Italian physician performed a fascinating study on the psychological side of rhinoplasty in 2007. He noted that the procedure was consistently one of the most popular among men and women, and that it was the procedure most requested by patients with body dysmorphic disorder. In other words, physicians were likely to encounter patients with skewed views of their physical selves often in consultation.
The actual focus of this researcher’s study was to find out how well surgeons handled the psychological aspects of rhinoplasty. He found that in many cases, the doctor did not conduct preoperative interviews that allowed them to evaluate patient suitability and readiness. What this means to you is that you need to take the responsibility of thinking extra hard about your goals for rhinoplasty. Is it mainly your nose that bothers you, or are you unhappy with many of your body features, dwelling on negative thoughts about your physique often? If you succeed in getting the nose you’ve always wanted, do you think your nose will be changed or your life?
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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