Abstract
Advancements in surgical techniques and improvements in clinical practice inevitably
lag behind scientific progress and peer-led opinion. The rapid rise and fall in the
popularity of rhinoplasty techniques makes scientific evidence-gathering and education
a daunting task. Students of rhinoplasty face a long and steep learning curve, and
need to acquire sound analytical tools to critically evaluate both literature contributions
and operative reports shown in conferences. Such a complex learning process requires
continuous self-examination, and must account for the increasingly sophisticated and
intricate wishes of rhinoplasty patients whose desires do not always coincide with
what surgeons have been taught and practiced. In contemporary practice, the developing
rhinoplasty surgeon must be also familiar with the range of racial features, as the
broad variety of nasal anatomies and beauty canons are truly staggering, and one formula
does not fit all cases.
The complex set of circumstances that lead to disharmony between scientific progress
and clinical practice is addressed, and a utilitarian plan to remedy this awkward
dichotomy is suggested.
Keywords
rhinoplasty education - evidence-based rhinoplasty - rhinoplasty techniques
