Why We May Advise Against Rhinoplasty

Caring for our patients and developing a good relationship with them is an important part of the reward we hope to achieve from our work. If this partnership, with mutual trust and empathy is not important for a patient, as it is or us, we would recommend that we are not right for them.

We want rhinoplasty surgery to increase all our patients’ sense of wellbeing and confidence. If surgery is performed when it cannot achieve the aesthetic improvement or level of control over the result a patient wants and expects, or is performed for a patient with a psychological condition, it risks making them feel let down and resentful, dissatisfied and more unhappy. This risks making psychological help more difficult and may make an underlying personality disorder or Body Dysmorphic Disorder worse. In cases like these, the primary treatment is medical and psychological, not surgical.

We advise against surgery when:

We think a patient does not understand or accept that surgery carries unpredictability and that there is no guarantee of a desired result
We feel a patient does not understand or accept that surgery carries risk and that risk cannot be eliminated. Risk includes a permanently worse looking nose
A patient feels that they “must have” surgery
We think a patient feels they deserve and are entitled to surgery and only on their terms
A patient does not accept that they are the person who ultimately takes responsibility for having surgery and the outcome
A patient’s relative or associated “stakeholder” is pushing them to have the surgery or does not agree with the above point