Nose surgery or rhinoplasty is sometimes called nose reshaping or a nose job. Rhinoplasty is perhaps the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. Nose surgery may also correct impaired breathing problem caused by structural abnormalities in the nose.
Some nose deformities are present from birth, while others are caused by trauma or accidents. No matter what is your reason, our cosmetic surgeons are skilled to correct and redefine your nose structure with rhinoplasty.
Any Rhinoplasty procedure should be done in harmony with your existing facial features. A nose that is symmetrical and well-proportioned can give the face balance and symmetry. Consider that a nose that may look good on one person?s face may not necessarily work on another face.
Recommended for:
- Nose profile, with visible humps or depression on the bridge
- Nostrils that are too wide, large or upturned
- Bulbous Tips or poorly refined.
- Crooked or twisted noses with or without breathing difficulties
- Nasal asymmetry and deviation
Ideal Candidate
- You are physically healthy
- Should be done on a fully developed nose. Complete development has usually occurred by age 15 0r 16 in females and by age 17 or 18 in males.
- You do not smoke
- You have a positive goals to improve your appearance
Risks Include:
- Temporary swelling and bruising around the eyes and nose after rhinoplasty is always expected.
- Bleeding
- Rupture of small surface vessels of the nose
- Infection
- Anesthesia risks
- Poor wound healing
- Pain may persist
- Unfavorable rhinoplasty scarring
- Nose asymmetry
- Changes in skin sensation (numbness)
- Injury in holes to your septum 9 the wall that separates your nostrils)
- Skin problems, including breakdown of the skin tissue and irritation from the tape and bandaging
- Serious nasal blockage caused by swelling inside the nose
- Possibility of revisional surgery
Procedure
Rhinoplasty is usually done under local anesthetic with intravenous sedation “twilight sleep”. It is usually done as outpatient procedure. This is safer and has fewer side effects than a general anesthetic. But, if you are not comfortable of not being completely asleep during the surgery, general anesthesia can be arranged. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
It is performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. In these incisions, the soft tissues that cover the nose are gently raised, allowing entry to reshape the structure of the nose. These incisions if they are made are usually undetectable when they heal.
Depending on the desired result surgery of the nose can reduce or augment nasal structures with the use of cartilage grafted from other areas of your body. A cartilage from the septum, the partition in the middle of the nose, is used for this purpose. Occasionally a piece of cartilage from the ear and rarely a section of rib cartilage can be used
Our plastic surgeon also used silicone for nasal implants and it is popular for over many years. The implants are specially shaped to fit over the skeletal bridge and they resemble a saddle in shape and function. There may or may not be an additional piece for the columella in which case the overall shape is an “L”. The advantage of silicone is ease of insertion and ease of removal should problems arise.
At the completion of the procedure, the skin tissues are redraped over the new frame and the incisions are closed. A plastic splint is then placed over the nose to support the new shape of the nose as it heals.
Recovery Period
Most patients report mild discomfort for the first few days. Your doctor may recommend a pain medication for your comfort. The splint and bandaging around your nose will be removed in about 5-7 days.
Your face will feel puffy and the area around your eyes and nose will be bruised and swollen for several days. Cold compresses can help minimize the swelling and reduce pain within 48 hours and warm compress after 48 hours. It takes about 10 to 14 days before most of the swelling and bruising improves. Cover makeup can be applied to the skin to camouflage any bruising.
You may need to keep your head elevated and relatively still for the first few days after surgery. If you wear glasses, they must not put pressure on your nose for the first two weeks. This can be achieved with use of tape to secure your glasses to your forehead. It may be several weeks before you can return to strenuous activities.
Is Rhinoplasty Long Lasting?
The result of rhinoplasty is usually permanent, cartilage may continue to reshape and move tissue that may change the outcome over time. Swelling may take several months to fully dissipate and sometimes up to year or longer.