Our Process
The intial contact
Patients contact us at one of our two convenient locations - Midtown-Downtown or Etobicoke/Airport. We can be reached by phone, email or the contact page on this website. Anna, Enza or Antonella will be able to answer most questions and arrange an appointment for consultation at your convenience, usually within a week. Evening appointments are available in order to accommodate new patients in a more timely fashion. If desired, Dr. Hacker will speak with you by phone, as well, and will be able to answer any more complicated questions.
The consultation
Patients are scheduled one hour appointments so that they don't feel rushed and have ample opportunity to ask as many questions as they would like. Patients should feel free to bring photos of themselves as well as those of others with noses that they admire. It is often a good idea to bring a friend or family member to help remember the large amount of information that is discussed.
Our waiting rooms are warm and inviting. Enjoy a coffee or cool water during the short wait until Dr. Hacker sees you.
The consultation involves several components. At first, Dr. Hacker will obtain all pertinent medical information related to your past medical history, medications, allergies and risk factors for surgery. He will ask about prior nasal trauma and any history of nasal stuffiness.
After completion of the medical history, Dr. Hacker will take 6 or more photos of your face so that you and he can analyze your nose together. These photos take a few minutes to process and Dr. Hacker will examine your nose during that time.
Dr. Hacker will provide you with a comprehensive information sheet and review it with you to ensure that you understand its contents and have an opportunity to ask questions. This sheet explains details about rhinoplasty, in general, and does have some redundancy with the information contained on this website.
You and Dr. Hacker will then analyze your photos. Dr. Hacker will explain the variations in your nasal anatomy and the necessary steps required to correct or improve upon those specific variations. By the end of this discussion, you will have a better understanding of nasal anatomy and physiology than do the majority of physicians. A specific, step-by-step, treatment plan will then be provided for you.
At the conclusion of this consultation, you will be charged the $140 fee and there is absolutely no obligation to book any surgical procedure at that point. If you decide to proceed with surgery, an additional non-refundable booking deposit of $500 will be taken in order to reserve the operating room and anaesthesiologist. Both the consultation fee and the deposit are subtracted from the all-inclusive surgical price.
If you wish to book surgery, you will be given a surgical date and all of the appropriate paper work. The secretaries will explain clearly the steps that you will need to take prior to your operation. Based on your age and overall health, this may include a visit to the pre-admission department of the hospital for blood tests and ECG.
If you are still unsure about whether you wish to proceed with surgery, you will also be given all of the appropriate forms so that you can book your procedure at a later date by phone, fax or email (without actually having to come in again).
If, at any time, you feel that you would like to come in again to review your photos or treatment plan, we are always happy to see you. No charges are applied for these visits.
If you have booked your operation, you will be given a receipt with the balance owing to be paid 24 hours prior to your operation. If paying by credit card, you will receive an authorization form that you can fax into us the day before surgery.
The day of surgery
On the day of surgery, you will arrive at the hospital approximately 90 minutes before your scheduled operation. You will not have had anything to eat or drink since midnight, the night before. The hospital staff all understand that you will be a bit nervous and they are all quite friendly and understanding.
Dr. Hacker will greet you in the pre-operative holding area where he will answer any last minute questions. He will then meet you down in the operating room prior to your going to sleep. You may receive a small intravenous needle or mask and drift off to sleep.
Approximately 2 hours later, you will awaken in the recovery room. The nurses will give you pain medicine and popsicles for about an hour before transferring you back to day surgery. Once in day surgery, you will be allowed to dress and will be given post-operative instructions and a prescription for pain medicine as well as follow-up instructions with Dr. Hacker.
You will not be able to drive yourself home nor will you be allowed to stay alone that night – a friend or family member should be with you.
The first post-operative day
Our staff will call you to see how you are feeling and to ensure you are not experiencing any difficulties.
The eighth post-operative day
You will return to the office to have your cast and the silastic stents removed. The nose often looks a little funny at this point but you will be able to see the work that was done and start to breathe much more easily. Dr. Hacker will give you further care instructions at that point which usually include taping your nose before bed for one month. At this point, the swelling is usually quite minimal and the trace bruising can be easily camouflaged with makeup.
Other follow-up appointments
Other appointments typically occur one month later and then every three months for the course of a year. We are happy to see you at any time, however, should you develop any issues or concerns or accidentally injure your nose.
Would you rather we come to you?
For an additional fee, our clinic will arrange concierge service for you. This service can include everything from hotel reservations and limousine service to house or hotel room calls for routine post-operative care. As the price for these services can vary, please contact one of our offices for details.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us by phone or send us a message.