How do I find a Rhinoplasty Surgeon?


Cosmetic Surgery Enquiry

Before answering this question you need to be aware that different countries have different requirements for qualification; this is important, especially if you are deciding to go abroad for your operation. In the UK, however, there are stringent qualifications that are necessary for you become a Rhinoplasty surgeon. The first thing you need to do when looking for when looking for a surgeon in the UK is to make sure that they are registered with the General Medical Council; you can do this by calling 0845 357 3456, or checking their website; www.gmc.co.uk.

Qualifications Needed for the UK

For your surgeon to be registered to the General Medical Council he or she will have needed to graduate from Medical School and then taken a post graduate course of at least two years and then for another three (to become a GP) or even longer to become a specialist. Therefore, if they are part of the General Medical Council, it is fairly safe to believe that they have a reasonable amount of qualifications to be practising Rhinoplasty. However, this is not the only qualification that you need to look for when choosing a surgeon. You should also, ideally, look for someone who has a specialist qualification in plastic surgery, though it is not necessary that they have a specific qualification such as being an ears, nose and throat specialist rather than a plastic surgeon specialist. As important as these qualifications are though, it is just as important to make sure that your surgeon has the experience your surgery will require; this is vital because an inexperienced doctor, though qualified, will not have the experience of an older doctor who has been performing the operation for over twenty years. To balance this, though, a younger and less experienced doctor is more likely to be taught in the newest techniques and therefore have the most up to date training (though all surgeons should keep themselves up to date with any new developments or practice's).

What Letters to look for after your Rhinoplasty Surgeons' Name

To further this, there are certain letters after your surgeons name that, if you can, you should be looking for. These are important as they show any qualifications he or she has. The most important of these are FRCS (plast). This is important because the letters stand for 'Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons' and are therefore the surgeon will be subject to tight controls. The (plast) after their name means they have passed a test in plastic surgery and are therefore qualified enough to handle your Rhinoplasty. There are four other letters that you can look out for as qualification of being able to perform Rhinoplasty;

  • FCRCS (GenSurg); this means they are a general surgeon
  • FRCS (OMFS); this means they are a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • FRCS (Otol); this means they are a specialist in otolaryngology, the technical term for an ear, nose and throat specialist
  • FRCS (ORL); this means they are a specialist in otorhinolaryngology or neck and facial surgery

Any of these specialists are qualified to carry out your plastic surgery.

Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist

However, these are not the only surgeons who will be qualified to carry out your Rhinoplasty; if there are breathing problems your surgeon might suggest the operation is carried out by both themselves and an ENT surgeon. An ENT surgeon is simply a shortened name for an otorhinolaryngology surgeon. As mentioned above they are neck and facial surgery (not necessarily plastic), and as such are especially qualified to deal with any surgical problems you might need to have fixed with your nose. Often plastic surgeons will call on them to do any of the surgery that is more than cosmetic as they are specially qualified to carry out the procedure. When looking for an ENT surgeon you need to be as aware of their qualifications as any other plastic surgeon. First you should check that they are a member of the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology (though if they are being recommended by your plastic surgeon then they generally should be).

How to Qualify to be an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist

To qualify as an ear, nose and throat, specialist (an ENT), the surgeon needs to take a two year foundation course (on top of graduating from medicine), during which they will have to undergo six four month jobs which will involve medicine, surgery and other specialized areas. During this time they will apply for jobs in core surgical training. If they are successful in this they will have to take MRCS part 'A'. During these two years they will also take the MRCS (ENT) which is made up of a multiple choice examination about the principles of surgery and then an OSCE exam which is purely ENT (ear, nose and throat). If they pass this then the ENT surgeon is still not done, they are then eligible to apply for further education in ENT. In the UK there are around 30 such places each year. The surgeon will then undertake six years of further training learning, during which they are taught everything that they will need to undertake any operation that is required of them. During these six years the entry exam into the FRCS is taken. If they pass this as well then they will normally undertake a fellowship before taking their CCT exam and finally becoming fully qualified to become a consultant. All together then, for your ENT specialist to become fully qualified, he or she needs to undertake around ten years of training. However, once they are, they are more than qualified to carry out any surgical procedure you might need.

Conclusion

Therefore, before choosing your surgeon you need to look at their qualifications; if they have any of the above then it is likely that they have the qualifications to undertake your operation, though you should remember always to ask what sort of experience they might have. However, you should remember that these qualifications apply for the UK only; over sea surgery qualifications may not be as vigorous as those in the UK and as a result the surgeons may not have the same experience or qualifications. This is something you should always check out before going abroad to have Rhinoplasty.

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