Rhinoplasty in a Teenager

Rhinoplasty in a teenager

Q: A young teenager has wanted a rhinoplasty since age 11, and asks whether it is necessary to wait until she is older; she also asks about possible risks.

A: As a minor, you do not have much choice in the matter; you will need at least one parent to consent to the procedure in order for it to be done. If you have a good relationship with one (or both) of your parents, please have a long talk with them about this operation. Here is the main question you need to discuss: Why do you want to do this?

If your answer is, "So people will like me," or, "So I will be more popular," or, "So I won’t be so depressed," then you probably do NOT need a rhinoplasty. It is safe to say that you will probably be very disappointed by the rhinoplasty. On the other hand, if your answer is, "I hate the way my nose looks," AND you have very specific complaints about your nose (such as: "I have this big hump," or, "the tip is too boxy") then you may be very pleased with the results of rhinoplasty.

Doctors refer to this issue as REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. If all you expect from surgery is the correction of a specific problem with the nose, you will most likely be satisfied; if, on the other hand, you expect surgery to improve your social life, you will be disappointed.

Teenagers are renowned for having an amazingly distorted body image. Ten years from now, might you be perfectly happy with your nose? You may not think so now, but there is a chance that the answer to this question is "yes." How, then, can you know for sure that you are making the right choice? You cannot. You can talk to family and friends, but they are not going to be objective. You may find more objectivity if you ask your family doctor, a school counselor, or your clergyman this question: what do you REALLY think of my nose? But don’t be surprised if adults shy away from this question. Most adults are terrified by adolescents because we remember that this was a truly hideous time of our lives and we would just as soon forget all about it. A question such as this would (correctly) be perceived as a powder keg.

You may have noticed that I haven’t answered your questions, but chose instead to yammer at you. At what age is it safe to have a rhinoplasty? There is no clear evidence that rhinoplasty in early childhood is bad for nasal growth or development, but there is a strong prejudice against performing such an operation until after most nasal growth has occurred. This is really a question you and your parents should ask your surgeon.

What are the risks of rhinoplasty? As with any operation, there is a risk of postoperative pain, bleeding and infection. More importantly, the goal of rhinoplasty is to improve the appearance of the nose; there is thus a risk that there will still be cosmetic problems with the nose after surgery, and indeed, there may be new problems after surgery. Some problems are relatively easy to correct, while others are difficult... perhaps even impossible. Again, this will be a discussion that you and your parents will need to have (in great detail) with your surgeon.

This letter originally appeared in Dr. Hoffman's column on allHealth.com.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2000, Douglas Hoffman, MD all rights reserved
Reprinted with permission from The Medical Consumer's Advocate
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