David W. Kim, MD

RHINOPLASTY

A nose job, or rhinoplasty, is the surgical procedure for changing the shape of the nose. Because the nose is so central within the face, a nose job can make a huge impact in improving one’s appearance. The operation can also address breathing problems related to the nose.

Dr. Kim is one of San Francisco's and the world’s experts in rhinoplasty and considered one of the top rhinoplasty surgeons. With over 50 publications and international presentations on nose surgery, he has served as faculty for national and international courses, and is the principal investigator of the first ever multi-center outcomes study on the impact of functional rhinoplasty on quality of life.

While rhinoplasty, or nose job, is commonly known, most people don't realize it is the most difficult of all the surgeries performed in facial plastic surgery. This is due to the complex three-dimensional structure of the nose as well as the challenge of preserving structural integrity while improving shape and appearance.

Expertise in Rhinoplasty

Dr. Kim's expertise in nose surgery, or rhinoplasty, originated in his specialized fellowship training with the world leaders in rhinoplasty in Chicago, and continues in his clinical research, writings, and scientific presentations on the subject over the past several years. He has served as faculty for numerous national rhinoplasty courses and is the principal investigator of the first ever prospective multi-center outcomes study on the impact of functional rhinoplasty on quality of life. Today David W. Kim, MD is considered to be one of the top rhinoplasty surgeons anywhere.

His San Francisco rhinoplasty practice is about 40% "revision rhinoplasty" – surgery to correct problems from previous nose job. A large segment of his rhinoplasty practice comes from referrals from other surgeons.

Important Rhinoplasty Concepts

Important concepts about Dr. Kim’s philosophy and approach in rhinoplasty in San Francisco:
  1. Natural looks better than “done”. In our culture, a preference for natural beauty has largely replaced an “artificial aesthetic” of past decades. The goal of cosmetic surgery should be improvements that look pleasing, but also fit an individual’s other features. Increasingly, our standards of beauty are broadening as a greater diversity of people are visible in media and culture. Dr. Kim believes that the cosmetic surgeon must be sensitive to these variations (ethnicity, culture, familial, etc) when guiding and treating patients.

  2. There is no one perfect nose. One of the amazing things about the human face is its diversity. With such a huge variation of individual traits, it would be a mistake to try to create the same nose for every patient. Differences based on family features, ethnicity, gender, and age all play a role. Read about Dr. Kim's breakthrough study on beauty.

    Dr. Kim spends considerable time with each patient with the aid of digital photographs taken in the clinic and a state of the art image-altering software program to determine what aesthetic goals each patient has and what outcomes will best fit each individual’s face. Some patients come with very specific results in mind, while others wish to seek more guidance in determining goals. For all patients, Dr. Kim tries to strike a balance between his/her wishes and overall aesthetic harmony. As a result, Dr. Kim is not known to create any one type of nose. Rather, the shape of his patients’ noses after nose surgery are quite diverse, reflecting the wide variations of his patients’ backgrounds and preferences.

  3. Do no harm. Like other cosmetic procedures, a nose job is an elective procedure. Because of this, Dr. Kim strongly believes in following a safe, conservative approach to nose surgery, avoiding risky or overly aggressive maneuvers, and following a rigorous protocol before and during surgery to maximize patient safety.

  4. Structure equals lasting results. Traditional techniques in rhinoplasty tend to weaken the cartilage and bone of the nose. This leads to a risk of collapse, pinching, or contraction years after the nose surgery. After rhinoplasty, the nose undergoes a long-term healing process, whereby the skin and soft tissue literally contracts, much like a vacuum seal wrapper which envelopes a frozen dinner.

    Unless the bone and cartilage of the nose is left stable and strong after the nose surgery, this “shrink wrap” effect may cause the nose to lose shape, pinch, or collapse. This can lead to unfavorable cosmetic outcomes and breathing problems. The structural approach, used by Dr. Kim, preserves or restores the inherent stability and interconnections of the cartilages and bone of the nose. This ensures more predictable and long-term results.
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