Rhinoplasty in NYC: Lip Augmentation

5/8/09. Ok, you must be wondering what on this green earth does lip augmentation (aka Restylane injections) have to do with rhinoplasty? Well, my face is asymmetrical, my lips are too thin and my nose is crooked. And for those who have made comments about the way I look bc you're a sad case, read the last sentence again. I'm HUMBLED by the fact that I am dissatisfied by my appearance, so don't attack. I always have been. I'm aware of it, and I'm doing something about it.

Last night, after work, I went to Dr.Eddie Alvarez (a well known dentist in NYC). He has a stellar reputation on DoctorOogle and I saw that he does Restylane injections to plump up the lips. He numbed me, took plenty of time with me, and sculpted my lips to perfection. They were swollen immediately after but already by this morning, they've gone down and look pretty hot I have to say.

PS that image is called Faux.Real by the most incredible artist who I simply adore named CallowLily. You can google her.

Rhinoplasty in NYC: Appt 3 cont.

So, remember in Appt 3 where I said Prissy Barbie was trying to oversell? Well she called me today and got me on the phone saying "You're scheduled for an appointment and I just wanted to confirm"...wait. What you actually told me when I left your office was that if I don't call back to confirm the appointment and pay the downpayment, the spot would be relinquished. I was pissed that this chick got me on the phone. I told her I wasn't ready to make a decision yet, and her response was "Well, what is it that's holding you back? Price? Are you still researching? Your insurance? Do you want me to put you into contact with other patients that have seen Dr.Miller?" UGH. STOP IT. I told her his price was too high, she said "Well, the lowest I could possibly go is 20% off the quote...that's $8,320. And that's what I'll do, put you in touch with some of his past patients. Dr.Miller has never had a law-suit against him, Thank Gowd" (Yeah, lady, how many times can you say that? I GET it). Notice how the bird sings a different song now? Because the possibility of me walking away as a patient exists. I'm starting to realize that maybe the reason this doc gets all these patients is because he has vulture sales-women in the office. PS I'm not chosing him, bc I think his pics are crap. Please don't call me again.

Rhinoplasty in NYC: Appt 5 cont.

Yeah, so last night, at 9:52pm, I got an email from Dr.Westreich. "My office staff says we need a copy of your CT report for submission if we are going to move forward with it."

Ya think? Didn't I tell YOU that in your office? And aren't YOU the surgeon, and I'm the patient? Have you ever done this before? Sheewhiz, just when I was really confident in him. I don't really understand the disconnect. Even if you're not the one who handles insurance claims, etc. don't you know, as an experienced plastic surgeon, that if a patient has a deviated septum, in order to get coverage from insurance, you NEED a CT Scan report as proof? WEIRD.

Rhinoplasty in NYC: Appt 5

5/4/09. I like the few before and after photos on Dr. Richard Westreich's website. I also like the way he approaches rhinoplasty. Above all else, function, then appearance. Clearly after reading some of those online blogs, I'm utterly terrified that my nostrils can collapse or something can go horribly wrong. More than being better looking, I'd like my nose to work properly and not cause me problems in my life. Westreich's assistant is a peach. The woman's lovely. Period.
Dr.Westreich was great too. His facility is clean, comfortable, and his educational background (you can download his CV) puts me at ease. He took out (clean) specs and checked around inside my nose (and sprayed me w/ a decongestant, since I was stuffed up, but what else is new). Then he took out paper and drew for me what was going on inside. He explained that my septum deviates to the right, and in order for my left nostril to compensate for the larger airway, the turbinate is enlarged - he also explained my nasal cycle and the corrections that he'd make inside to completely correct my breathing. Great! He then took pics, that he told me he'd make the adjustments we discusssed later in the day and email them to me. When he took the pics, the photo he took with me leaning my head back, he said "see this pic, this is what we submit to the insurance company. You can see that your septum is deviated." Uh...why did everyone else tell me I need a CT scan, if this guy can just submit pics to Cigna and they'll take care of everything?! Well, Dr.Miracle, that's awesome. I got the CT scan anyway this past weekend incase I don't use you as my surgeon.
Then comes the quote. He says, "If your insurance covers the facility fee, anesthesia, and septoplasty, you'll be responsible for $4,000. Because the facility is 'out of network' you may be partially responsible for that fee as well"...
Great price for me. And I'll say, that the photos he emailed me tonight were good, but not exactly what I want, so I decided to make some further adjustments with photoshop (ha! Yes, I'm great with photoshop) and sent them back to him. He told me they were subtle, reasonable, and certainly attainable. I like this option, even if he's less "famous" than the others. Overall, a good impression.

Rhinoplasty in NYC: CT Scan

5/3/09. Today at 10am I had my CT Scan done. It was a sinus CT scan with "No contrast" meaning no injectable dye. My co-pay w/ insurance was $40. Inside the machine room, I was told to lay supine on this little bed, and a protective smock was put on top of my chest and body. She told me to close my eyes and don't open them. The bed I was on starting moving slowly back and forth toward the machine and away from it several times. Within a matter of minutes, I was done. It was TRES simple. Now, in a few days time, the results.