My Technique of Rhinoplasty

My technique when performing rhinoplasty is different than most surgeons. First, I’m a double board certified facial plastic surgeon, which means I’m certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS). Both of these board certificates are specifically related to the face. Otolaryngologists and Facial Plastic Surgeons have extensive training in the facial, nasal, and neck anatomy, and as such perform more rhinoplasties than any other specialty. Many surgeons will promote double or even triple board certification, but most of these doctors are promoting certificates that have nothing to do with their specialty (ie. Board certification in internal medicine, emergency medicine, or general surgery does not make you qualified to perform a rhinoplasty). In fact, I am one of only about 50 facial plastic surgeons in the United States that is an examiner for the board certification process for the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery which means that I get to give the oral examination to doctors that are attempting to become board certified by the ABFPRS. Why is this important? I’ll tell you why.

Rhinoplasty is arguably the most difficult surgical procedure to master. The nose is the most prominent feature on our face, it has several layers of different tissue (skin, muscle, cartilage, mucosa, and even muscle), and we need to be able to breath through it. Now add in a little bit of unpredictability regarding the healing process and you have a difficult surgery to truly master. With that said, I think that rhinoplasty is one of the most rewarding surgeries I perform and my rhinoplasty patients are some of the most grateful. However, it is extremely important for anyone considering a rhinoplasty to seek out a surgeon with significant experience performing rhinoplasty, as the more experience the surgeon has, the more likely the patient is going to get the result they want. So who has the experience? Look around, there are very few of us that perform rhinoplasty on a regular basis, and even fewer that perform revision rhinoplasty. I personally perform anywhere from one to five rhinoplasties per week.

Furthermore, I go about the planning of a rhinoplasty a little differently than most. I first want to know the desired goal of the patient as well as their motivating factors regarding their desire for a rhinoplasty. After a thorough evaluation of their nasal and facial anatomy, I take standardized digital photos of them and morph them on a computer so that I can show the patient the expected outcome. Many surgeon’s do computer generated imaging, but I do this as a first procedure so to speak. I get to electronically operate on their nose and see if what I thought was a good procedure gave them the result we wanted. Occasionally it doesn’t. That’s OK, it was only on the computer so we try something else until we get it right. In summary, I morph the image, and afterwards then determine the techniques needed to achieve the result we desire.

In the operating room, I leave as much of the patient’s cartilage intact, as this will leave nice strong support for their nose and prevent late complications of collapse or deviation. Furthermore, I use extremely small instruments to make cuts in any bone, and these instruments are always freshly sharpened to allow great precision and yet limit surrounding injury. This allows me to perform a rhinoplasty, including cuts in the bone, and the patient typically experiences little bruising under the eyes, or frequently no bruising at all. I also never place any packing in the nose. This allows for a very comfortable recovery. Most of my rhinoplasties are performed through incisions inside the nose, preventing the need for an external, visible incision. I do however often perform external rhinoplasties through an external incision when the procedure is complicated, there is a need for multiple cartilage grafts, or the nose is significantly crooked as I feel I will get a more consistent result with that approach, and the scar heals so well it is difficult to see once fully mature. The external splint and any permanent sutures are removed 6 days after surgery. Approximately 95 % of my patients can then go back to work and their typical activities even without any makeup. The nose itself may be slightly swollen, but that isn’t anything that draws the eye since the rest of their face looks completely normal.

So, in summary, if you are considering a rhinoplasty, it is extremely important to see someone who “specializes” in rhinoplasties and performs them frequently. I always tell my patients,”your first chance is your best chance at getting a great result”. Having said that, I do perform a significant number of revision rhinoplasties on patients who have had their previous rhinoplasty elsewhere. In fact, revision rhinoplasty is something I specialize in. I recommend you contact us for a complimentary consultation and we can discuss your customized plan for a better, more harmonious nose.

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My Philosophy on Rhinoplasty

I think I have a rather unique perspective on rhinoplasty that I share with my clients when they have their initial consultation. The nose is the most prominent feature on our face, we need to breathe through it, it has many different layers of different tissue, and is a very complex three-dimensional structure, yet esthetically speaking, we are supposed to ignore it. Let me explain.

We see literally millions of different objects, shapes, and things throughout a day, and yet only “notice” a few of them. We are wired to ignore most visual objects that are “expected” or have no unusual nature to them. Throughout the day, these millions of things go simply unnoticed. When something catches our eye, it is usually something unexpected. This is very true with a nose. We typically only “notice” a nose when there is something unusual regarding it’s shape. It may be crooked, overly large, droopy, upturned and thus draws our eye and attention. My biggest goal in performing a rhinoplasty is to create a nose that nobody “notices”. I tell my patient’s that there is no such thing as a beautiful nose. A nose cannot make someone more beautiful, it can only detract from their appearance. Therefore, if I succeed in creating a nose that nobody notices, we have created a nose that does not detract from their appearance, and others can then concentrate on their other facial features such as their beautiful eyes, etc.

It seems unusual to want to go through an operation to have nobody notice, but that is truly the case with rhinoplasty. In fact, when patient’s return for their evaluations after a rhinoplasty, they often mention that “nobody noticed I had a rhinoplasty”. I once again explain that that was the goal. Most of my patient’s that undergo rhinoplasty are surprised that people are complimenting them on their appearance, but don’t ever mention anything about their nose. Many tell me that they get compliments on their eyes. That is the ultimate compliment that a rhinoplasty surgeon can receive! Others don’t notice their unusual nose any more, so the patient now receives compliments on their other facial features. Before the rhinoplasty, friends and co-workers couldn’t get past the visual nature of the nose, but now that the nose is not “noticeable”, other facial features seem more obvious. “Where did you get those beautiful eyes?” No one has to know that those eyes were always there, but the unusual nature of the nose stole the attention away from them!

For those patient’s that are concerned that others will figure out that they had a rhinoplasty, this philosophy is especially helpful. When no one notices their nose after surgery, why would anyone think they had a rhinoplasty? Even I am impressed that a person with a very overpowering nose can undergo rhinoplasty and have a truly outstanding change in their overall appearance, and yet no one notices that it was their nose that changed. Many of my patients will change something about their hair after a rhinoplasty, and when others say “you look great, what’s different?” They just mention the new hairstyle. The only patients that can’t get away with this technique are those patients that are truly in the public eye, movie stars, politicians, newscasters, etc. that have thousands of pictures of themselves on the internet, and now, with a new nose, others can compare the “before and after”. Fortunately, that attention is short lived and the next newsworthy item becomes the center of attention, and the VIP patient can then enjoy their new nose for the rest of their life.

I perform computer generated imaging on all of my rhinoplasty consultations, and we look into the eyes of the patient on the computer screen, and watch as the nose “disappears” when we morph the image into the proposed post-operative appearance. I then develop a customized plan so that the nose we see on the computer ultimately is the nose the patient sees in the mirror… and no one else notices.

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U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 — Andrew C Campbell has been selected for the 2009 Best of Sheboygan Award in the Medical Doctors category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

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