How to choose a rhinoplasty surgeon in NYC

NYC Nose Job is a free referral service, not a clinic or medical practice. It does not rate, rank or recommend surgeons. A request sent from this page goes to an independent surgeon’s office in New York City, which is responsible for its own care.

Three kinds of surgeon do rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is done by surgeons from more than one training path. Knowing which is which helps you read a website and ask the right question.

Training path	Board to ask about	Notes
Plastic surgery	American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)	An ABMS member board. ASPS membership requires ABPS certification.
Ear, nose and throat (otolaryngology)	American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOto)	An ABMS member board. ENT surgeons also treat breathing problems and do septoplasty.
Facial plastic surgery	American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS)	Certifies surgeons only in facial plastic surgery. It requires prior ABOto or ABPS certification. Not an ABMS member board.

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has 24 member boards. A fourth board you may see, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, is not an ABMS member; it says it has never applied, because there is no recognized residency in “cosmetic surgery”. That is a fact about the board, not a judgment of any surgeon. Ask any surgeon which board certifies them, in what and since when, then check it yourself.

How to check a surgeon yourself

1. Board certification. Use the ABPS lookup at abplasticsurgery.org, the ABMS lookup at certificationmatters.org for any ABMS board including ABOto, or the ABFPRS physician finder.
2. New York license. Search the surgeon’s name on the NYSED Office of the Professions verification search. Physicians, physician assistants and nurses are all listed there.
3. Discipline. The New York Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct handles physician discipline. Ask the office directly if you see anything you do not understand.
4. Certificate dates. ABPS says certificates issued since 1995 are valid for 10 years, and that certification is a voluntary credential, so check that it is current.

Where the operation happens

Cleveland Clinic describes rhinoplasty as an outpatient operation of 1 to 3 hours, under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation. ASPS asks its members to operate in accredited, state-licensed or Medicare-certified surgical facilities. Ask three things:

• What is the facility called, and who accredits or licenses it?
• Who gives the anesthesia, and what are their qualifications?
• Does the surgeon have hospital privileges to do this operation, in case you need a hospital?

The questions ASPS suggests

ASPS publishes a list of questions to ask a rhinoplasty surgeon. Bring them, and write the answers down so you can compare offices:

1. Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
2. Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
3. How many years of plastic surgery training have you had?
4. Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure?
5. Is the facility accredited, state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
6. Which technique do you recommend for me, and why?
7. How are complications handled?
8. What happens if I am unhappy with the result?
9. Can I see photographs of noses you have operated on?

For a facial plastic or ENT surgeon, change the first two questions to the board they hold. Add your own: how many rhinoplasties they do in a year, whether they will assess your breathing, and how long they want you to wait before any touch-up.

What a good consultation sounds like

In its May 2026 survey, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery said 73% of its surgeons see looking unnatural as patients’ main concern. A good consultation speaks to that directly. Listen for a surgeon who:

• asks what bothers you before saying what they would change;
• looks at your nose with the rest of your face, and checks your breathing;
• tells you what they would leave alone, and why;
• explains the approach they suggest, open or closed, in plain words;
• says plainly that faces are not perfectly symmetric, so results are not either, as ASPS notes;
• talks through the risks: infection, bleeding, a hole in the septum, changed smell, scarring, an appearance you dislike and the need for more surgery.

Red flags

• Pressure to book or pay a deposit at the first visit.
• A promise of a set result, or a claim that the operation has no risks.
• No clear answer on which board certifies the surgeon.
• Vague answers about where the operation happens or who gives the anesthesia.
• A quote that leaves out anesthesia or the facility. The cost guide shows what a full quote includes.

Breathing, revision or filler?

If your main problem is breathing, an ENT surgeon certified by ABOto also treats it: see septoplasty in NYC. If you have had a nose job before, ask how many revisions the surgeon does: see revision rhinoplasty. Some providers offer filler in the nose. The FDA has not approved any filler for the nose and lists the nose as an area of higher risk; read non-surgical rhinoplasty first.

This page gives general information, not medical advice. Only a surgeon who examines you can say whether rhinoplasty suits you. In an emergency, call 911.

Questions people ask