Hannah’s Rhinoplasty: Why I Flew From LA to Houston For Surgery

Dr. DeBusk (00:08):
So this is Dr. Taylor DeBusk on Behind the Double Doors today, and today on the podcast my guest is a patient who has a remarkable story and we're honored that she's willing to share it with our audience and for those who are thinking about doing the same thing. Welcome Hannah. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hannah (00:26):
Hi, I'm Hannah. I was just a patient of Dr. DeBusk's a month and a half ago. I live in Los Angeles and I flew across the country to go to Dr. DeBusk. I had a rhinoplasty and I hated my nose for a very long time. So I'm really happy that he was able to bring my goals to life and I'm excited to tell my story.

Dr. DeBusk (00:48):
And I'm honored that you chose us. You have a lot of different plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons on the west coast, especially in the LA area. So we are humbled that you decided to come all the way out here down to South Texas. But about your nose specifically, can you tell us what was bothering you or what were your areas of concern?

Hannah (01:10):
Yeah, so I'm going to pull up some pictures of me before to kind of show everybody what that looked like. So right here you can see I had kind of a bird beak looking nose. That's what I like to call it, but it's a little harsh. I had a dorsal hump on the bridge of my nose and I wouldn't let anyone record the side of my face. I wouldn't take pictures of the side of my face. This is the closest I can get to finding proof of that.

Dr. DeBusk (01:38):
Well, you had what's called a dorsal hump, which, you know, or convexity. It was a fine nose. I wouldn't say bird beak, but it had that kind of stereotypical bump on the nasal bridge.

Hannah (01:52):
I loved it head on. Seriously. I didn't really mind that you could kind of see the bump from the head on. It was just when I turned to the side. I don't have any photos of the side of my face straight from the side before because I cried every time I saw an image of me at that point. And here another doctor took some photos of these whenever I was first starting to consider rhinoplasty. This was a doctor in San Diego closer to where I'm at now, and she got my worst angles for me, which is a good thing because now we have proof of what it looked like.

Dr. DeBusk (02:28):
Again, it wasn't a massive hump. I think one of the things with your nose is that you had a couple sharp angles right on the nasal bridge. So whenever the light hits you and created those shadows, I think it really accentuated and it made kind of those harsh transitions, especially from the nasal bones down to the cartilage, and from the cartilage down to the tip. Let's see, how do you think the appearance of your nose affects your day-to-day life now that a lot of the acute swelling is gone and we're getting a idea of what the final product is?

Hannah (03:01):
Oh my gosh, it's insane. I take pictures of every angle of me. I let my friends take videos of any angle of me. I let my boyfriend walk on either side of me. I used to be like, you have to walk on the left side of me because the right side is my bad side and I don't want you to see me like that. And actually, I was just with him yesterday and he was about to sit on that side and I'm like, wait. And then I was like, oh wait, go ahead. I don't have a bad side anymore. And my family's going to come for Christmas in less than a month, and that's going to be the first time they get to see me in person with total confidence. And I'm so excited, and that's definitely going to impact how I present myself in front of them. I feel like they're totally going to see how much more confident I am now just by the way I carry myself. I did cry whenever at first, the swelling first started to go down because I was like, "wow, this is really what I've wanted for since I was 11 or 12." And it's finally came true, and I didn't really know if it was ever going to.

Dr. DeBusk (04:06):
Yeah, and I'm so happy for you. I mean, I think that the biggest thing is it really is the boost of confidence. A lot of people, even now today with rhinoplasty consults, a lot of people are worried about people thinking they had a nose job or rhinoplasty or thinking that they intentionally tried to change the shape of the nose, but in reality, this surgery is for you and it is to boost your confidence or make you feel like the best version of yourself, not like a different person or a different version, but the best, the most confident version of yourself. We did make some subtle changes that made a pretty impactful overall change or result to the nose, but you still look like you. You don't look like a different person.

Hannah (04:53):
Yeah, that's why I chose you, but we'll move on to that later.

Dr. DeBusk (04:57):
Good. Well good. So I guess for everybody listening, how long ago did you have surgery?

Hannah (05:04):
I had it on Friday the 13th of October. So I was like, oh, what a bad day, bad luck day or whatever. But yeah, it's been a month and a half and he told me since I have such thin skin, for everybody who's listening, that my swelling wouldn't really be quite as bad as people who have really thick skin. And he wasn't lying because I only really see a lot of swelling on the tip of my nose at this point, and it's not even a lot anymore. So a month and a half and I'm already loving my nose.

Dr. DeBusk (05:35):
Good. I know, and I think that that's a really important thing for people just listening is that the thickness and the quality of skin makes a really big difference in rhinoplasty. And for you, you have fairly thin skin, which people that are listening and watching can see on your before and your afters that you'll show. But that makes it even more challenging to get that desired because any subtle changes in the cartilage and the underlying framework are much more visible in thin skin patients. So for you, we had to be very careful to make sure that we really good symmetric contour of the tip. And we definitely got that and we'll continue to see those subtle improvements. But you're right, your swelling resolved faster than the average person because of the consistency and thickness of your skin. I guess overall, since you are out on the West Coast, can you tell the listeners how you stumbled upon our practice and how you found me and why you decided to undergo your rhinoplasty with us?

Hannah (06:36):
So I work for The Axis, who produces this podcast. And so I know I've known Dr. Basu for a long time and you started with him and you started recording episodes and I was editing podcast clips of you and writing descriptions of the episodes of you talking about rhinoplasty. And I was like, "whoa, this guy knows what he's doing." And it was the fact that you had the past of restructuring noses after removing cancers. And so like he has rebuilt noses basically. So if he can do that, there's no way he can't fix my little bump on my nose and do it safely in a way that it would be functioning really well as well because something was making it kind of harder to breathe out of my nose. And ever since then, I haven't had that issue, but I just knew that you would be able to focus on not just the appearance but also that. And you did.

Dr. DeBusk (07:35):
Yeah, no, and I think you bring up a good point about the breathing and then my background in head and neck surgery, but with every nose we had to build it on a sound foundation. And I tell everybody that the most important thing with rhinoplasty is the ability to breathe because we can make you the cutest, most amazing looking nose, but if you can't breathe out of it, you're not going to appreciate it. You're not going to like it. So breathing is kind of that number one paramount issue, but the look and form is right next to it. That's what makes rhinoplasty so complex. There's no such thing like we talked about in our initial consultation, as a easy rhinoplasty even for you, we just wanted to straighten out the dorsum, modify the tip a little bit, but it's still a very complicated surgery. That's why it's important, number one, knowing who you're going to, trusting who you're going to, and relying on your gut before you choose your surgeon. And that's what I tell all patients. It's kind of taboo to say to patients, but I always tell people it's important to kind of shop around or at least really do your homework because you want to go to somebody who you feel is comfortable, you feel is confident, and who makes you confident proceeding. And speaking of, because we first met virtually and we didn't really meet until the day before your surgery in person, what were your initial impressions during our virtual consultation and how did that go for you?

Hannah (09:04):
It was kind of like a sigh of relief because I've been wanting this for so long and I didn't really find the right person to make it happen, but then as soon as I spoke to you, I could tell even though I was really anxious, you were really calm about the whole thing. You're like, oh yeah, because you've probably experienced people with similar insecurities as me and helped them through it. So you seemed very confident. It seemed like you already had a plan in place almost even though you didn't see my nose in person, you kind of had an idea of what I would need just by looking at me on Zoom. I just felt calm and just confident that you were the right choice right from then. And the team that helped because Jesika was also really helpful with everything.

Dr. DeBusk (09:52):
And I think you bring up a good point because it's not all on me by any means. I think from your experience, from the consultation to coordinating you flying cross country and hotels and the aftercare, I know you had your own friends that could come with you. And from our side of things, we have a whole team, including Jesika, who really tried to coordinate and make this as easy and as painless of a process because surgery's scary and your primary focus is the surgery that's causing you a lot of stress. So our team here is really, they're there to try and eliminate and reduce that. I couldn't do anything without them. That is for sure. Because this was your first major surgery. I mean, a lot of people are stressed about anesthesia or the surgery itself. Did you have any major concerns prior to the surgery?

Hannah (10:45):
Okay. I made the mistake of watching the new Saw movie in theaters a week before my surgery. And I wasn't nervous until I watched that movie in theaters on the big screen and the main character woke up during his surgery and saw them working on him or whatever, and I was like, oh my gosh. I started to get kind of nauseous in the movie theater. I was like, what if that happens to me? But then I knew that your team would never let that happen, so I was like, whatever. But no, I wasn't nervous. I don't know.

Dr. DeBusk (11:21):
No, that's good. That's good. I mean, you bring up a good point. A lot of people are stressed about anesthesia and especially if you've never had surgery before. And anesthesia, people always reference movies where patients wake up in the middle of surgery and nowadays with the way anesthesia is performed and watching your vital signs and all these different things, it's virtually impossible to wake up during any sort of surgery. And we have our MD anesthesiologist with us here for every surgery. So all patients get the best of the best treatment and the best of standard care. So you being not nervous shows how tough you are, that's for sure. We kind of touched on this earlier about Jesika and our team here that kind of helped organize everything or helped you organize the flights and all that process. Can you tell me how that went and how that made your overall pre and post-op care easier, harder? How did that go?

Hannah (12:23):
Well, it was definitely a lot easier, I'll tell you that. I was more nervous about preparing for everything than I was for the surgery itself. But Jesika was like, she talked to me like a friend. The first thing she did as soon as I said I want this is she's like, "alright, let me help you find flights." And literally I think no more than a week later, she's like, "Southwest is having deals right now. This is the time to get your flight." And then she helped me buy that flight on the spot. And also she helped me find what hotels were nearby that were within my budget. And she was just really helpful with just planning everything.

Dr. DeBusk (13:05):
When you're having surgery outside or I have kind of a destination surgery where you're going somewhere, especially out of state or cross country, most patients don't think about the pre-op getting you in a day or two before surgery, having to stay in town for a week or two depending on the surgery you have done. Coordinating all of that is challenging. And I think that having our team here ideally and hopefully makes it a lot easier. We have a lot of patients from out of state, not necessarily from across the country. We do, we have some international patients, but we have a lot more patients from out of state these days, especially with social media and stuff like that. So people can see our results and get to know us without having to come in for a formal consultation initially. But our team here helps make all of that a lot easier. But yeah, I'm glad you brought that up because I think it's important for people to realize that I only do a very small portion of this, which is just the surgery, all the other stuff is the team.

Hannah (14:05):
Okay. It's a big deal though.

Dr. DeBusk (14:09):
It is. And then another thing that I think is important for people to know is you brought your friend Sarah with you to help you during your recovery. Tell us how she helped you, kind of support you and tell us what her role was during that week.

Hannah (14:25):
When I first decided I was getting this, I thought I was going to be going through it completely alone. I thought I was going to be in a hotel in Houston by myself, and I was kind of terrified. And then I started talking to Sarah about it and she's like, "Hey, I'm down." And so Sarah ended up coming with me. She flew with me. She went to my pre-op appointment with me, and she was emotional support along that way. I was nervous the whole time and I'm like Sarah because I wasn't nervous, but just the nerves as it's the day before kind of thing. And then after the surgery I knew that pineapples were supposed to help you heal faster or something. I don't know. Sarah would cut up pineapples for me every day. I had a little journal for my meds and she would write down the schedule. It sounds like little things, but it made such a big difference. And just the fact that she was there, I felt so much safer. Sarah, definitely, I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.

Dr. DeBusk (15:29):
I think we all need a Sarah.

Hannah (15:31):
For sure. Yeah, for sure.

Dr. DeBusk (15:33):
I think you're right. Having somebody there with you when you're out of town, out of state, cross country, because your body's going through a lot healing wise and it's exhausting on you. So it's nice to have somebody for that emotional and physical support. Now during surgery. So this was all before and how we got you to here, but tell us about the day of surgery and what was that like for you?

Hannah (15:59):
Yeah, I have a picture of me on the day of surgery, boom, that's me, right about going to my surgery. But the day of, it was super early or my surgery started at eight or something like that. I was there.

Dr. DeBusk (16:12):
Surgery started at eight. Yeah.

Hannah (16:13):
I woke up, got there at 7:15. So I got there really early, but I woke up, rode my Uber with Sarah, and Sarah went in the waiting room with her book and I just went on in and the team was super helpful. I don't remember their names unfortunately, but they put me at ease, the anesthesiologist including because I was telling him about the movie I saw and he was like, "oh, no, no, no, I'm there the whole time. I'm by your side. Don't worry about it." And then I went into surgery, don't remember any of that obviously. But then I got out of surgery and I had three angels waiting on me in a car. I had Mary Ellen, Eva and Sarah, who were all making sure I got to my hotel safely. But the actual surgery day at your office went, it couldn't have gotten any smoother.

Dr. DeBusk (17:07):
Yeah, good. There are nursing staff, the pre-op, post-op staff, intra-ops, everybody is amazing. And really what Dr. Basu has created here is definitely top-notch now during, and then after surgery, I called your mom to give her updates and then I called her as soon as surgery was over. How did she feel about you getting the surgery? Was she excited? Apprehensive?

Hannah (17:31):
Yeah. So at first she was like, "I think you're beautiful the way you are, and God made you this way. I really want you to know that nobody's pressuring you to get this." But she's like, "but I'm also really happy for you because I know that you really want this." And then when she found out that I met a surgeon who I really trusted, then she was like, "okay, for sure, let's do this." She was so supportive of the whole thing.

Dr. DeBusk (18:01):
Yeah, she was amazing. I mean, I only met her, well, I met her twice through phone, but the first time I talked to her was right there after surgery and she was very excited for you. She's like any mom worried. I have kids that you definitely worry about them if they have anything invasive done. But now she was amazing and I'm glad that she supported you through this whole thing, because you're right, I mean, this really helped boost your confidence, which I think to be honest, is the reason that I do these things. It's just amazing to see your response and how it makes you just feel better on a day, day to day. And then after surgery for recovery. I tell everybody, if you have a physically demanding job, you definitely want to take that first week off. You working in the west coast and being out here in Texas, were you able to work that first week? And if you work, what did you do and how busy were you from a work standpoint? Can you tell us about that?

Hannah (19:03):
Yeah, so I actually was working the next day. I felt great. My mind felt great, even though my body was tired and sore and I was just kind of playing it cool. I am a freelancer and all of my coworkers were taking it easy on me, not pressuring me into anything, but pretty sure I joined a meeting the next day. And they were like, "oh my gosh, you don't even really have any bruises." I barely had bruises. They were yellowy slightly at that point already. They were light yellow and I didn't have bruises by day three or four they were gone. But yeah, working, my mind was sharp as a nail. I did not feel super exhausted. I did take two naps a day while working just to help myself heal because I knew I needed it and I was a little bit tired, but I wasn't bedridden, exhausted like I thought I was going to be.

Dr. DeBusk (20:03):
Everybody responds different and not everybody's going to do as well as you. And some people might do a little bit better, but I think that a lot of people are very apprehensive of pain after a rhinoplasty. And I tell most people it's really not that painful of a process. And a lot of over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen can really manage it. Can you tell us about your pain? How painful was it?

Hannah (20:28):
Yeah, I actually wanted to mention that. I only needed to take the strong pain medication for two days. After that. I was like, alright, Tylenol, ibuprofen, let's switch between those every couple hours. So the pain was almost nothing to me. The only time I felt pain was when I first woke up from surgery and the anesthesia was wearing off and then your team gave me medicine as soon as I said something, I was like, "whoa." But then ever since then after that, I didn't really feel any pain in my nose.

Dr. DeBusk (20:58):
No, you did extremely well. And most people are surprised. And honestly, I don't think they really believe me when I tell them that for the most part, it's pretty painless. As long as you stay in front of the pain, you need to take your Tylenol ibuprofen. As long as you have no contraindications, but you need to take it preemptively, take it before the pain really hits and sit in because you don't ever want to have to chase pain, that's when people get into trouble and that's when things kind of get a little unbearable. But as long as you stay in front of it, typically it's a pretty easy process and recovery. And then how long do you feel like, I know we talked about this earlier because you have thinner skin and the swelling wasn't as long as you initially anticipated it, but how long do you feel like it took you to get back to feel "normal"?

Hannah (21:49):
I think it's the exact amount of time you told me it was going to be. Three weeks.

Dr. DeBusk (21:53):
Yeah, that's what, because your body's healing in those first two weeks, first week and into the second week is your body's still putting all of its energy towards really kind of repairing and recovering that nose. But now you obviously still have some swelling which will gradually fade over the upcoming months, weeks and months. But how do you feel about your results thus far?

Hannah (22:14):
Oh my gosh. Well, let me just pull them up really fast. This was me straight out of surgery. So I will say, this is what I'm going to look like, and I am thrilled with this, and I already look very close to this. I think other than of course a little bit of swelling. But so far, even though I'm swollen, I already see that the shape is exactly what I wanted and I'm already way more confident. Even when it was the day after and I kind of looked like an eggplant was on the middle of my face, I was thrilled. I was happy because the shape was a lot better. So I love my results already and I'll show them for anyone who's watching, I'll kind of show. This was me at just two weeks. Two weeks. I already had pretty much the ideal nose. And then this was me at week four. The shape is there already. I got a little bit of swelling. Oh, I did want to mention this is me when I was little, this is the nose that I was born with and he gave it back to me. That's my natural nose. You didn't give me some nose that doesn't fit my face. You gave me the nose that I was born with. So I'm just really grateful for that.

Dr. DeBusk (23:33):
Yeah, well no, and I'm so happy that we could give that to you because it's the centerpiece of your face, a nose, and you can't hide it. And it's something that you're constantly looking at. And I tell people this too, because in the initial healing process it's very stressful because you're constantly looking at your nose and you can't hide it, you can't avoid it. So those first several months are extremely stressful for a lot of patients because you want that end result. I personally, as a surgeon want that end result, but you have to be patient because it does take time. But you're right, I mean at four weeks in this photo that you have up here, you really already see the improved contour. You had still some fullness of the tip and the bridge, which I can't wait to see that final product, but I'm happy with where we are now. And then you showed us that picture that on the table photo of the before and after. Some people don't like to see that. Some people do. I know on social media these days, it's kind of standard to show that that side-by-side. Personally for me, I do like it in certain scenarios. Sometimes if bruise a little bit more, I'm a little bit more apprehensive to show it. Everybody's different. But kind of tell me what your initial impression was or reaction when you saw your side-by-side,

Hannah (24:59):
I started screaming, crying, but in a good way, like of joy. I was so happy. I screamed. It was in the hotel and Sarah was in the other room. I'm like, "Sarah, Sarah." And I had her come in and look and I was just so thrilled. And I sent it to my family, I sent it to all my friends. I was like, "guys look." And they're like, "it's perfect." I had a couple of friends tell me, it's like a little fairy nose, it's just so perfect. And so I just knew right then I was like, alright, no matter what it looks like when the cast gets off, this is my motivation to take care of it in the healing process and to just trust the process, what it's going to end up looking like. And I was super happy.

Dr. DeBusk (25:44):
Yeah. Speaking of the cast coming off, kind of tell me what your initial impression was as soon as we took the cast off. Good, bad. You could just be truthful.

Hannah (25:57):
Well, since I work in the plastic surgery industry, I knew what to expect. I knew that after a week since surgery that I was going to be swollen. It wasn't going to look anything like it was going to look like later on, but I was already really happy with the shape. So yeah, I was like, "oh, it's so swollen." And my mom was on FaceTime. Dr. DeBusk had my mom on FaceTime looking at me, and she already loved it. She was like, "it's already perfect." And I was like, it is. The shape is great, but it's a little swollen. But again, I knew that it's swollen. That wasn't the final result at all. I remember saying, "I can't wait until the swelling goes down. I can already tell it's exactly what I wanted."

Dr. DeBusk (26:40):
And I think that it's important, and I stress this with you, you and everybody, all patients, how swollen in the nose is as soon as you take the cast off, and a lot of people are underwhelmed and are a little disappointed at times because the tip is not as defined as they want it to be. Even though we talk about it, it's totally different when you actually experience it. But the tip is very swollen, especially right when you take that cast off. Now a month later, there is a dramatic improvement in that tip shape, which I mean you were able to see even two weeks later. So I mean trying to compare, and I know it's hard to remember what it looked like right away, but do you feel like there was that dramatic change from week one to week four?

Hannah (27:24):
Oh my gosh. Week one to week two, I saw a dramatic change and I've definitely seen that improvement. It's just like what you said, it's slow, but it's happening. And you told me my final result should be pretty much there at three months.

Dr. DeBusk (27:42):
Yeah, we're almost there. Yeah. Now you are doing an amazing job, but overall during an after surgery, did anything surprise you? Was there anything that you didn't expect that you experienced or anything? Like I said, surprising in the post-op period?

Hannah (28:00):
Other than just taking it easy, that there wasn't really anything hard to do. And I think that's what surprised me the most. And also it was just really comforting to know that I could just, if there was anything little that kind of scared me, I could just text you and you would be there because I have your number and you were there, you answered within an hour. Usually if anything ever happened, which nothing ever happened, it was just me saying something about a stitch or something like that. But yeah, that was also something I didn't know was going to happen. I didn't know I could just text my surgeon and be like, "Hey, this is happening."

Dr. DeBusk (28:35):
Yeah, I give my cell phone number to all surgical patients. And I know again, one of those taboo things as a surgeon, but for me it's easier for you if you have questions or concerns to be able to contact me directly. I have not had really anybody that abuses that. And I think by being open and giving it to patients, I feel like a lot of people actually respect it. And you've never had surgery before, but I think you're right. When I give my cell phone out to patients, a lot of them are kind of surprised or dumbfounded that somebody would do that. But if I had a family member having surgery, I'd want them to be able to have direct contact or access to the surgeon, especially when it comes to cosmetic surgery, because this is your face, the middle of your face. I think you have the right to ask a question if there's any major concern. So since the surgery, going back to California and then seeing your family and friends in Ohio on FaceTime, have people noticed the change in your nose, have they been able to tell a difference in your before and after? Have they made comments?

Hannah (29:38):
They knew because I am a blabber mouth and I told them that it was going to happen, but they all told me, "it fits your face so well. You look like yourself. You don't look any different. You just look way more confident." That's what all of them have told me, my family, including.

Dr. DeBusk (29:56):
No, it's good. And I think getting that reaction from everybody is important. And then one thing also, because typically for me, my personal preference in seeing patients is one week after surgery, one month, a couple more months, but since you're out in California, it's a lot harder obviously for you, for us to see each other. We can see each other virtually. It's still hard to really get a good idea of the healing progress. So you went and saw one of my good buddies, Dr. William Harris out in Beverly Hills, who's also a facial plastic surgeon. Can you tell us how that experience was, seeing him, going to his office, taking the photos?

Hannah (30:37):
Yeah, that was an easy maybe 30 minutes max process. I was kind of nervous about going. I was like, "oh, his team doesn't know me. They're going to be so confused about why I'm showing up." But they welcomed me with open arms. They were super kind, and he just took really great photos of me. And yeah, it went pretty simple. And he said he does give some of his patients steroid shots to make the swelling go down faster or whatever. And I was like, "be honest. I know I'm not your patient and that Dr. DeBusk doesn't really do steroid shots this early on, but if I was your patient, do you think I would need it?" And he said no, because my swelling is so, not that it's there, but it's definitely going down as expected, like at a good rate.

Dr. DeBusk (31:28):
Yeah, no, and I agree. And steroids shots for people listening are really good to help reduce some isolated areas of swelling, especially around the tip. But usually I like to wait about three or four months for all the initial swelling to go down before we start exploring or utilizing the steroid shots. And then for people listening that are interested in rhinoplasty, what would you tell somebody who was thinking about having this surgery?

Hannah (31:55):
If the only thing holding you back is being scared or being worried that other people will judge you for changing your face, just get over it and do it. Because I was a little nervous at first because I was like, this is the center of my face, but at the same time, it's the center of my face, so I want to fix it. So I've wanted this since I was maybe 11 and I'm about to turn 24. So if you're like me and you've wanted it for a long time and you've gone back and forth about it and you think it's not actually possible, at least schedule some type of consultation with a doctor, like Dr. DeBusk maybe, who knows what he's doing, and has patients' best interest at heart, and doesn't give everybody the same nose, gives a nose that fits your face. Just find that doctor as soon as you can because it does make a big difference on your entire life.

Dr. DeBusk (32:53):
And I appreciate that and I appreciate you and I really do value you sharing your experience because it's a scary thing. And when people are interested in rhinoplasty or nasal surgery and they don't have somebody close to them that's experienced this surgery or anybody that can give them direct feedback, it's kind of a scary process. You feel like you're kind of wandering around with no real direction. So I think for me, I tell everybody, like we were saying earlier, you need to do your homework. You need to trust and really believe in the surgeon that you choose. If that's not me, if it's somebody else, I feel you want to make the decision and feel like you're not being pressured into choosing a surgeon. And then lastly, I would highly recommend for all people that if you do get a rhinoplasty, that you go with somebody that has a large portion, or part of their practice is devoted to nasal surgery, because it is complex and I think that, you know, have a special and unique understanding because of your profession, but not everybody realizes kind of how challenging, even straightforward nasal surgery is.

Hannah (34:08):
Yeah, I second that. I forgot to mention to do your research, but that's definitely extremely important. But definitely just look on RealSelf, Yelp, read all the reviews from patients. And meet with them in person. And if you feel like you need a second consultation, do it. Meet with multiple surgeons if you think you need to and look at before and after photos. If they don't have any, I wouldn't go to them. So yeah, just definitely do your research. I second that.

Dr. DeBusk (34:42):
But keep sharing your photos with us to update us on your progress throughout this whole healing process. And we'll drop your latest photos in the show notes. I want to thank you and I can't wait to see you at your four month follow-up.

Hannah (34:55):
Can't wait to see you there. But thank you so much for bringing this to life.

Dr. DeBusk (35:00):
Of course. It's my pleasure. And again, I do want to thank you for choosing us, choosing me to be your surgeon. It's an amazing thing as a surgeon when patients do decide to sign up. But I want to let everyone know they can check the show notes for links and how to reach us to schedule a consultation or if you have questions about prices, financing, and anything else that's on your mind. We'll have Hannah's before and after photos, so check out the show notes to see her entire transformation. I want to thank you so much for telling your story, and again, I look forward to seeing you in a couple months and I hope you have a really happy holidays and merry Christmas with your family.

Hannah (35:42):
Thank you, you and yours too.

Speaker 3 (35:46):
Basu Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery is located in Northwest Houston in the Towne Lake area of Cypress. If you'd like to be a guest or ask a question for Dr. Basu to answer on the podcast, go to basuplasticsurgery.com/podcast. On Instagram, follow Dr. Basu and the team @basuplasticsurgery. That's B A S U Plastic Surgery. Behind the Double Doors is a production of The Axis, T H E A X I S.io.