Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) is one of the most frequently performed plastic surgery procedures. During rhinoplasty, the nose is reshaped, reduced or augmented to improve its appearance.
Rhinoplasty can effectively remove a hump on the nose by reshaping the nasal structure to achieve a smoother profile. This surgical procedure involves sculpting the bone and cartilage of the nose to create a more balanced and harmonious facial appearance.
Rhinoplasty can modify the bridge of the nose by reshaping the bone and cartilage to achieve a desired height or contour. This surgical procedure aims to enhance facial harmony by creating a more proportionate and aesthetically pleasing nasal profile.
Rhinoplasty can reshape the tip of the nose by refining the cartilage and tissue to achieve a more defined and balanced appearance. This surgical procedure aims to enhance the overall symmetry and proportion of the nose, resulting in a harmonious and natural-looking outcome.
Candidates for rhinoplasty have finished their facial growth. Girls should typically be at least 15 or 16 years old; boys should be at least 17 or 18.
Patients considering rhinoplasty should be in overall good health and not smoke.
It is important that candidates have realistic expectations about what rhinoplasty can do. Although undergoing rhinoplasty may boost self-confidence, it should not be viewed as a cure-all for personality or relationship issues, and should not be the result of social pressure.
Rhinoplasty, which takes from 1 to 2 hours, is usually an outpatient procedure performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia. Two techniques are typically used. In closed rhinoplasty, incisions are made within the nostrils. In open rhinoplasty, an incision is made across the columella, the tissue between the nostrils. With both methods, the soft tissues covering the nose are gently lifted, and the bone and cartilage are sculpted to the desired shape.
If additional cartilage is needed to augment the nose, it is frequently taken from the patient’s nasal septum. If larger sections of tissue are required, cartilage may be surgically removed from the ear or other parts of the body as well. If the patient has a deviated septum, the septum and inner structures of the nose are adjusted to improve breathing. The tissues are then redraped and stitched closed. If necessary, nostrils are reshaped in the final stage of rhinoplasty.
Immediately after surgery, the patient’s nose and eye area are usually bruised and swollen. Splints and nasal packing remain in the nose for a few days. During this period, the patient may experience some nasal pain or a dull headache, as well as some bleeding and drainage from the nose. Most patients feel like themselves within a few days and are able to return to regular activities in about a week.
To increase comfort, and decrease bleeding and swelling, rhinoplasty patients are advised to follow these post-surgical directives:
Although the patient usually looks “normal” a week or two after surgery, minimal swelling may be present for as much as a year.
Complications associated with rhinoplasty are rare and, when they occur, usually minor. Surgical risks in general include infection or adverse reaction to anesthesia. In the case of rhinoplasty, specific risks include the following:
It is possible that a patient is not satisfied with the results of the rhinoplasty. In such a case, a second surgery, called a revision rhinoplasty, may be performed at a later date.