Patients considering any type of plastic surgery have access to more information online than ever before, including YouTube videos. Rhinoplasty patients I see in Austin, for example, have often watched at least one video about the procedure by the time they come in for their consultations.
Researching a procedure you’re considering can be helpful, but it’s important to remember that the information presented online in videos and other forms may be inaccurate or not relevant to your specific situation. In fact, a recent study published the respected medical journal JAMA Facial and Plastic Surgery concluded that YouTube videos on rhinoplasty and other procedures get biased information from narrators whose qualifications are unclear at best.
The study examined more than 240 videos related to facial plastic surgery procedures and found that those involving nose jobs (rhinoplasty) were the most popular. They were also the least accurate, based on the assessment of the report’s authors.
Know Your Source
Information provided by a board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed a physical evaluation and discussed your specific concerns is by far the most accurate and reliable source when it comes to making decisions about plastic surgery. Of course, many online resources provide valuable general information about rhinoplasty and other procedures. But many YouTube videos aren’t created by board-certified plastic surgeons and may offer rosy but unrealistic discussions about potential results.
These videos often skim over the details about the risks of surgery and who can truly benefit from the procedure. They also tend to omit important details about the surgical techniques or what’s involved in the recovery. For example, rhinoplasty videos may not cover the differences between open and closed rhinoplasty techniques and the instances when 1 approach might be the better choice over the other.
Ultimately, I suggest you assume that 50% of what you see online isn’t accurate. The other 50% may be accurate, but not applicable to your situation. In other words, you can gather some valuable information from online sources, but you need a consultation to learn how that information applies to your own life.
Optimal Research
If you’re considering a cosmetic procedure, the most effective research you can do is to carefully look into the experience and qualifications of various plastic surgeons before choosing a doctor to perform your surgery. Visit various websites and look at online reviews sites such as RealSelf to help narrow down your choices. It’s also valuable to look at a surgeon’s photo gallery of before-and-after photos of actual patients to see the results the doctor produces. You may also find additional doctor-authored information valuable, such as my earlier post about what to expect after your rhinoplasty surgery.
If you’re looking in Austin for a plastic surgery practice, you can contact us using the online form to request a consultation for rhinoplasty or any other procedure. Or call us at either (512) 244-1439 (Austin) or (512) 244-1444 (Round Rock) to schedule an appointment.
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