Imagine waking up from plastic surgery, going home, starting the road to recovery and then finally noticing a few days later that part of your ear is missing. Sound like a bad dream or something out of a good thriller? Nope. This actually happened to a Chinese woman after getting a nose job.
Turns out, the woman had agreed to have a small amount of cartilage removed from behind her ear prior to her rhinoplasty. But her plastic surgeon ended up removing her tragus — that small triangle shape that’s front and center and, you know, attached to the side of your face.
While this might sound like a bit of a far-out story, the fact of the matter is that a botched nose job could happen to virtually anyone if they don’t properly vet their plastic surgeon. So how can you make sure you’re getting a quality nose job and not an unexpected ear job? Ask these five questions at your rhinoplasty consult.
1. Where Did You Go to Medical School?
This basic information should be available on your plastic surgeon’s website, but it’s a good idea to confirm medical schooling, training and residency programs with him or her at your nose job consultation.
Similarly, you’ll also want to ask about any hospital or operating room privileges that this plastic surgeon has and if he or she is otherwise affiliated with any accredited medical organizations.
2. How Many Nose Jobs Have You Done?
The point of this question is to make sure you’re working with a plastic surgeon who has plenty of experience with facial procedures like rhinoplasty. These types of plastic surgeries are some of the most intricate and complex around, so you’ll want to work with someone who’s been there, done that.
3. What Surgical Technique Do You Recommend for Me and Why?
No question is too basic to ask at your nose job consultation. Fire away with all you’ve got!
This is the part where you talk about, you know, whether part of your ear will need to be cut off and, if so, which part. Now isn’t the time to be wishy-washy or feel like you’re asking too many questions. You’d rather ask all the questions now than wake up after your nose job to find part of your ear missing!
4. Am I a Good Candidate for a Nose Job?
Your plastic surgeon should also be upfront and honest with you. If there’s a reason that a nose job might not be the best fit for you — or if a nose job will only be successful if a part of your ear is used — he or she should tell you upfront and not try to sell you on plastic surgery.
5. What’s Your Revision Policy?
In an ideal world, you’ve so carefully selected your rhinoplasty plastic surgeon that the idea of a revision rhinoplasty shouldn’t even have to cross your mind. But just in case, it’s worth knowing now what you might be up against later if you’re not in love with your results.
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