Am I a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty?

To know the answer to the question “Am I a good candidate for rhinoplasty?” you should first know a bit about the procedure and what it can do for you. The term literally means “nose forming” or “nose surgery” and is a surgical procedure to reshape the nose for cosmetic or function-related purposes. Aesthetics-wise, it can help to make the nose more proportionate to the rest of the face. Function-wise, the procedure can set right breathing difficulties resulting from structural defects. The alterations to nose shape are achieved by removing or modifying bone or cartilage, introducing synthetic material into the nose or grafting tissue taken from some other area of the body.

Cosmetic Nose Surgery – the Ideal Candidate

A suitable candidate for rhinoplasty would satisfy the following conditions:

• Age – If a girl, the patient should be at least 14 or 15 years of age. Boys may have to wait a few years more. The reason for waiting till this age is reached is because by that time, the nose would have fully developed.

• Is unhappy with the contours of the nose and is not going for the procedure at the insistence or pressurizing of siblings, relatives, spouse or friends. People who have suffered the loss of a loved one or are having serious problems in their relations with someone would not be in the right mental state to make a decision about plastic surgery. In such a situation, the decision should be put off till the problems have been resolved.

• Has practical expectations and precise goals, which can be discussed with the plastic surgeon at initial consultations.

• Is physically and psychologically healthy – To determine whether the person is physically healthy for the procedure, a routine blood test may possibly be all that is required. If the patient has any health disorders such as diabetes, some changes may have to be made in the medication to be taken prior to and following the surgery.

• Some of the appearance issues for which a rhinoplasty procedure would be ideal are: a wide, small or big nose; asymmetry, a bulbous tip, a nasal tip which is enlarged, protruding or drooping; a bump on the nose bridge; markedly pinched or flared nostrils; and off-center position or crookedness. Thus a person having any of these conditions would be a suitable candidate for the procedure.

• Is aware of and fully comprehends the possible complications

Find a Suitable Plastic Surgeon

If you answer yes to all of the above questions, it means you are a good candidate for rhinoplasty. However, once you have deemed yourself to be a suitable candidate, the next step is to find yourself a suitable plastic surgeon. Do proper research and schedule initial consultations with various physicians to make it easier to choose from them.