Who is a candidate for rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty candidacy starts with what you want from your nose

How a surgeon hears your goals for your nose

A rhinoplasty consultation opens with your goals: what you want changed, what you want kept, and how your nose works for you day to day. The surgeon listens to how you put those goals and weighs them against what they see. What you can do from Redmond is show up with a clear picture of what you want changed and why.

Your list, a clinic overview and the form-and-function question

Start with your own list. Write down what bothers you about your nose, what you would like to keep, and whether any of it affects how you breathe. Bring that list with you. A surgeon can only judge fit against a goal you have put into words.

Next, read how a major clinic describes the operation. The Cleveland Clinic rhinoplasty page gives you a plain-language overview to read before you meet anyone.

Then look at the breathing side of your list. An ear, nose and throat patient page on nasal surgery, fixing form and function is a reminder that how your nose works belongs in the conversation alongside how it looks.

First-visit questions about fit

Take these questions to your first visit:

• Based on my exam, am I a good fit for this surgery, and what in the exam tells you that?
• What would you not change about my nose, and why?
• Which parts of my goal are realistic, and which are not?
• Who else should I see first, if anyone, before deciding?

Ask for the answers in plain words, and write them down. If an answer feels vague, ask again.

Deciding together

Candidacy is a medical decision for you and a licensed surgeon to make together.