T.A.

March 2010

To Whom it May Concern,

It is with great pleasure that I write and submit this Letter of Patient Testimony to/for Dr. Paul Nassif and his staff at Spalding Drive Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology. In the briefest of summaries, my entire experience with Dr. Paul Nassif was wonderful and I am very pleased with the results of my surgery and treatment.  Allow me to share part of my story and journey with you.

At the age of 16 I opted to have a rhinoplasty surgery with another doctor that resulted in multiple significant complications thus leading to an additional three corrective surgeries/procedures. Not only was the entire experience traumatic, I was very unsatisfied with the final results. I was not happy with my resulting appearance and my breathing was largely obstructed. Fearing further complications and harm, I chose to cease my patient relationship with that particular doctor. I chose to visit another surgeon a few years later to inquire about corrective surgery for my nose. Simply put, the surgeon stated that he would not touch me. The scar tissue in my nose and the former trauma made any corrective attempt too risky. Sadly, I decided to work on accepting my new physical appearance and obstructed breathing.

In January 2009, sixteen years later, I learned about Dr. Nassif through a radio show. The fact that he specialized in corrective plastic surgery was immediately intriguing to me. I called and scheduled my consultation appointment. Given my bad history with plastic surgery, I told myself that the only way I would agree to try again would be if my gut told me that I could trust the doctor and if he sounded confident in his abilities.

Dr. Nassif immediately earned my trust, respect, and confidence. His staff was welcoming and comforting. I felt completely welcome and at ease in the office.

After reading several critiques/reviews of Dr. Nassif online, I would like to speak to my impressions of him. Dr. Nassif is very confident in his abilities, as he should be. At the same time, I experience him to be honest with himself and me, as a patient, about his abilities. He is a perfectionist and holds himself to the highest standard. Personally, those are all qualities that I want in a surgeon. He can work and speak very quickly during appointments. However, I never felt like he was brushing me off or ignoring me. As a patient I knew I simply had to speak up when I had questions or concerns. If he is anything, he is a complete and thorough practitioner. I never left with unanswered questions or concerns. I appreciate Dr. Nassif’s level of expertise, confidence, and his ultimate desire to please the patient by doing the best work he can. He practices a strong ethic of care/concern.

It is also important to note that in the initial consultation appointments that if you do not like something he suggests, you need to speak up. I have read that some patients do not agree with Dr. Nassif’s perceptions of what a good nose looks like. Again, the patient simply needs to speak up. When Dr. Nassif suggested a cosmetic change for my nose and showed me what it would look like on the computer I asked him not to make the change because I did not agree that it enhanced my appearance. He accepted this feedback immediately and made the appropriate notes in my file. He did not appear offended with my personal disagreement with his suggestion/preference.

Once I scheduled my procedure I worked with Catherine (Surgery Coordinator). She is no longer at Spalding. However, Catherine was absolutely amazing! She asked me to contact her with any questions or concerns that I had leading up to the operation. And, she delivered on that promise. Although Dr. Nassif has a new Surgery Coordinator, I have no doubt that she is equally as amazing. Dr. Nassif maintains a VERY high standard for quality customer/patient service in his office and it is evident in each staff member you interact with.

My surgery (March 2009) took over 8 hours, including a rib harvest. Dr. Nassif scheduled Dr. Ben Swartout to come in as a second surgeon to perform the rib harvest.  Dr. Swartout was absolutely amazing as well. I was told that the rib harvest would result in feeling like I was stabbed in the ribs. Dr. Swartout’s techniques resulted in absolutely no pain after the procedure. Other than the scar and bandage I would have never known that part of my rib was removed. I encourage Dr. Nassif to continue to use Dr. Swartout for similar procedures.

The anesthesiologist that Dr. Nassif used (I can’t remember her name) was also amazing. She was wonderful at being able to put me at ease the morning of my surgery. I had no complications.
My entire experience with Dr. Paul Nassif, from the initial consultation through the recovery, was a positive one. I am VERY pleased with the outcome. Cosmetically, I am 100% happy the resulting appearance of my nose. He was not able to correct my breathing entirely, but it is improved and I do not fault him for the remaining obstruction, as it is not his fault. I know that he did the best that he could and that could be done with my nose.

The only negative aspect of my entire experience was with Tranquility (the aftercare facility). I will not go into the details of that experience, as this testimony is not about them. I would strongly recommend that patients explore other alternatives for overnight care after their procedure.
Now, a year later, I have nothing but positive regard for Dr. Nassif and his staff. Making the decision to go through with this procedure sixteen years after a very traumatic series of nose surgeries was a difficult one. I do not regret my decision at all.

I know each person has their own story and their own reasons for pursuing plastic surgery, reconstructive or corrective. I do not recommend that anyone take such a decision lightly. However, based on my experience, I strongly recommend Dr. Nassif as a plastic surgeon. His confidence, skill level, ethic of care/concern, commitment to patient satisfaction, and genuine nature quickly earned my trust and recommendation. I always look forward to my visits to his office. Although I do not anticipate undergoing additional procedures in the future, I am sad at the thought of not seeing him and his wonderful staff on a regular basis anymore.

Forever Grateful,
T.A.