Dr. Buonassisi Answers: What Does it Mean to be a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty

<h2>What Does It Mean to Be a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty?</h2> <p>Determining candidacy for rhinoplasty involves both personal reflection and professional assessment. Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, MD, FRCSC — Specialist in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, with a practice limited to facial plastic surgeries — shares his insights on what makes someone a suitable candidate for this procedure. He emphasizes the importance of understanding both personal desires and the realistic outcomes of surgery.</p> <p>From a personal perspective, potential candidates should consider whether the procedure addresses a genuine concern, such as a nasal irregularity or shape that doesn't align with their self-image. It's also crucial to have realistic expectations, accepting that while surgery can enhance the nose's appearance, it won't achieve perfection. Dr. Buonassisi stresses the importance of a balanced attitude towards the potential changes and outcomes.</p> <h2>How Does a Surgeon Determine Rhinoplasty Candidacy?</h2> <p>From a surgeon's perspective, determining candidacy involves assessing whether the desired changes are feasible and beneficial. Dr. Buonassisi explains that rhinoplasty can effectively address issues like reducing a nasal hump or adjusting the tip's angle. However, it cannot alter skin thickness or fundamentally change one's skin type.</p> <p>Dr. Buonassisi evaluates four key factors when assessing a patient's candidacy: physical and emotional health, understanding of the surgery's benefits and risks, realistic expectations, and the necessity of the procedure. He emphasizes the importance of patients being open-minded and willing to engage in a thorough discussion about their goals and the realistic outcomes of surgery.</p> <h2>Why is Health Important in Rhinoplasty Candidacy?</h2> <p>Health plays a critical role in determining rhinoplasty candidacy. Dr. Buonassisi highlights the need for patients to be both physically and emotionally prepared for surgery. Physical readiness involves being in good health to minimize the risks associated with anesthesia and surgical complications.</p> <p>Emotional readiness is equally important, especially for younger patients who may not yet be fully prepared for the emotional aspects of undergoing cosmetic surgery. Dr. Buonassisi advises caution in recommending rhinoplasty to individuals who may not be emotionally mature enough to handle the changes and expectations associated with the procedure.</p> <h2>Understanding the Benefits and Risks of Rhinoplasty</h2> <p>A thorough understanding of the benefits and risks associated with rhinoplasty is essential for any potential candidate. Dr. Buonassisi stresses the importance of patients listening carefully to discussions about both medical and cosmetic risks. This understanding helps ensure that patients are making informed decisions about their surgery.</p> <p>Dr. Buonassisi also uses computer imaging to help patients visualize potential outcomes. This tool allows patients to see realistic changes to their nose, fostering a shared understanding between the surgeon and patient about what can be achieved through surgery.</p> <h2>Why Realistic Expectations Matter in Rhinoplasty</h2> <p>Having realistic expectations is crucial for a successful rhinoplasty outcome. Dr. Buonassisi emphasizes that while rhinoplasty can change the nose's appearance, it won't change a patient's life. Understanding this distinction helps patients approach the surgery with a healthy mindset.</p> <p>Dr. Buonassisi advises against surgery for changes that may not enhance the nose's overall aesthetic appeal. He believes that surgery should be pursued only when it can provide significant benefits, avoiding procedures that may not lead to a universally pleasing result.</p>

So what makes a patient a candidate for surgery? I think you have to think about it in terms of of your own perspective. Are you a candidate for yourself? And does the surgeon feel that you're a candidate for surgery? So the issues that you have to think about for yourself are, is this procedure something that I really need? Do you have an irregularity on your nose? Or do you have a shape to your nose that really doesn't suit you? Does making a small change to it really make a difference for you? The other is that can you accept that your nose is probably not perfect now and it probably won't be perfect after surgery, and is that something that you can live with? Do you have a reasonable attitude about, what this procedure is gonna do for you? Then you have to think about, from a surgeon's perspective, whether or not a surgeon feels that you should have this done, and that's really what being a candidate means. It means, is this a good idea? Should you have a surgery like this? Perhaps you shouldn't. From a surgeon's perspective, we want to make sure that the changes a patient wants to make to their nose are actually possible. They don't defy the laws of physics. There are things that rhinoplasty is really good at. For example, taking down a bridge, making a hump smaller, bringing a tip up, changing the angles of a nose on a patient's face. What it's not good at at all is making someone with thick skin have thin skin. It doesn't do that. Surgery is there to change the framework of the nose but has no potential to change someone's skin. So if you've decided that you think you're a candidate, then you have to be open minded about discussing your surgery with the surgeon because the surgeon ultimately needs to decide if you're a candidate for surgery or not. So there's four things that I look at to determine if I think a patient is a candidate for surgery. So the first thing I look at is whether or not a person is healthy enough to have surgery, and I think that's both physically healthy, but also emotionally healthy enough to have this done. For that reason, we're a little bit cautious about suggesting rhinoplasty in patients who are too young, because we're not entirely sure that they're emotionally ready for that. Being physically ready really just means that you're healthy and that you're not gonna have undue risk having an anesthetic or complications from surgery because of your underlying health. The second thing I'm looking for when I assess candidacy is whether or not somebody really understands the benefit of surgery and truly understands the risk. I want people to listen when I'm talking about the risks, their medical and their cosmetic risks with rhinoplasty, And I need to believe that they've taken the time to understand those risks. That's a very big discussion when talking about the benefits and risks of surgery, and that's something that we would cover in greater detail in another video. The third thing is that patients have realistic expectations for what a rhinoplasty is going to do for them. A rhinoplasty is going to change their nose. It's not going to change their life. And I think if they realize that and they understand that, that's a much healthier way to go into the surgery. In addition to that, I want us to both be on the same page about the types of changes that can realistically be made. The way I find the most helpful to achieve that is to do computer imaging on their photos. Rather than having a patient come in with someone else's nose and saying, well, I want to look like that. I think what works best is for me to make some modifications to their nose with a computer imaging program so that they can see what a new nose on their face would look like. And I think that's really the best way for someone to assess whether or not they like their new look. And if we're on the same page, in that I'm showing them features that I can change realistically with surgery, and they like the way those look, I think that's probably a good fit. The last thing is that a good candidate for rhinoplasty is someone that really needs to have a rhinoplasty. In the end it is partly a decision that I have to make, but also partly a decision that patients need to think long and hard about. There are some features, when changed, categorically make noses look better, and I think they're fairly universal. There are some features that when changed, make noses look different, but not necessarily better. And I think we need to avoid those types of things. So if someone has a very particular shape or very particular feature that they want to bring out in their nose, but it's not classically, you know, an aesthetically pleasing feature or it isn't going to necessarily make the nose look better in general, I would avoid suggesting surgery in cases like that. I always find it very difficult to say no to patients. They've often thought that having a rhinoplasty was going to make a big change to their nose or a big change to their life, but you know I think if a surgeon says no to you when you're requesting a rhinoplasty or any other type of cosmetic surgery, you should really look at that as them doing you a favor. We really are in no rush to operate on people that aren't going to have a significant benefit, and I think it's to the patient's detriment in the end to have surgery that they don't really need. Thanks for listening, and check back regularly for new questions and my honest answers about rhinoplasty.

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