‹ BACK TO ALL POSTS
December 4, 2025
Patient Story: Catherine
Five years ago, Catherine was enjoying a relaxing houseboat getaway in Florida with her husband and friends, until one wrong step changed more than her vacation.
“I went to toss the trash and decided to swing back onto the boat through the sliding door I’d just used,” she says. “Only, someone had closed it. It was like a cartoon face plant.”
She saw stars but brushed it off. “I just pulled my nose back into place. It didn’t even bruise, so I went home and resumed life.”
Putting herself last.
When her nose was later confirmed to be broken, Catherine was referred to Plastic + Hand Surgical Associates – but it wasn’t top of mind.
“We were navigating my husband’s illness,” she says. “My nose didn’t look that bad, so I let it go.”
At her first consult, the focus was on her turbinates, something she didn’t fully understand. “I didn’t see how that related to fixing my nose,” she says. She didn’t book surgery and got swept up in life again.
“But later, after hearing from a trusted doctor that Richard Kutz, MD, MPH, FACS, a plastic surgeon at Plastic + Hand Surgical Associates, was the nose guy in Maine, I went back,” she recalls. “At that second appointment, I remember asking why the turbinates mattered. I asked why he couldn’t just fix my broken nose.”
What happened next shifted everything.
“He stood up, pressed a spot on my nose, and said, ‘Take a breath,’” she recalls. “In that moment, the deal was sold. I realized I hadn’t been getting the air I was supposed to be getting. It had never been dramatic enough for me to notice, until that inhale. Once I experienced a full breath the way God intended, I paid attention.”
Preparing for surgery.
Catherine was hesitant about surgery, mostly because she didn’t react to medication like most people.
Her naturopath recommended a DNA-based test to help predict which medications her body could handle, and how long they would stay in her system.
She dropped the results off at Plastic + Hand, and then her world took a sharp turn.
“My husband was already sick, and then he had this fluke accident – slipping on acorns and ending up spending 65 days in the ICU,” she says. “He passed in December, and with my surgery set for May, the months in between were incredibly hard.”
Surgery day.
Being back in a medical setting brought up a lot of emotion for Catherine.
“But the team made all the difference,” she says. “The staff in the OR were incredibly kind. I felt vulnerable, and they met me in that moment with so much compassion.”
Before surgery, the anesthesiologist had reviewed her medication report (which later proved spot-on), and Dr. Kutz reassured her she was in good hands.
“I went under with total ease – just a gentle sleep,” she says. “And when I woke up, it wasn’t rushed. I woke up naturally, with ginger ale, kindness and the most unbelievable care.”
Results and today.
During her rhinoplasty, Dr. Kutz corrected the damage, including two large bone spurs, and reshaped her nose using cartilage grafts.
Recovery was smooth and Catherine credits green drinks, sleep, hydration and following instructions.
“I never realized how much my breathing had faded,” she says. “After surgery, we had this huge windstorm in Maine, and I had to cover my nose! I wasn’t used to feeling air move through my nostrils, but now I love it.”
And as for how it looks? “They gave me back my normal nose, the one I had before menopause changed it,” Catherine says. “People say I look better but can’t quite put their finger on why.”
Are you thinking about nose surgery?
If you’re considering nose surgery (rhinoplasty) for either cosmetic appearance or to help with breathing issues (or a combination of both), you’re in the right place.
As the most trusted Maine plastic surgery team, Plastic + Hand has the most qualified rhinoplasty surgeons in Maine.
It’s time to discover the results you’ll love. The first step begins here. Call us at 207-775-3446 or submit this request form to schedule your consultation with our Patient Care Coordinator to determine whether nose surgery is right for you.
