Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, also known as “nose surgery”,  reshapes the nose for aesthetic and corrective purposes. It improves the appearance and proportion of your nose, corrects deformities or makes subtle aesthetic changes for cosmetic purposes enhancing facial harmony and self confidence. Surgery of the nose may also correct impaired breathing caused by structural abnormalities in the nose.

Nose surgery is one of the top five cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed each year. If you're self-conscious about your nose, you may be a good candidate. While the shape of your nose is usually the result of heredity, the appearance may have been altered in an injury or during prior surgery. Whether the issue is birth defect, injury, or age-related changes, rhinoplasty can help provide balance and proportion to your nose and face.

A rhinoplasty can change many things about your nose, including your nose size (in relation to your face), nose width at the bridge, the size and position of the nostrils, and nose profile (by downsizing visible humps, bumps or depressions on the bridge).

A rhinoplasty can also reshape the nasal tip, improve the appearance of large, wide or upturned nostrils and correct nasal asymmetry. From a functional standpoint, a rhinoplasty can correct certain breathing difficulties such as those due to a deviated septum. Rhinoplasty is also an option for certain birth defects or noses that have been injured in car or sports accidents.

Nose surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Surgery of the nose is a good option for you if:

• Your facial growth is complete
• You are 13 years of age or older
• You are physically healthy
• You stop smoking
• You have specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance

The septum is the wall between the two nostrils. Composed of cartilage and bone, it divides the nasal cavity into halves. The ideal nasal septum is straight, separating the left and right sides of the nose into passageways of equal size. In contrast, a deviated septum occurs when the septum is severely shifted away from the midline. In severe cases, a deviated septum may cause difficulty breathing through the nose.

Recovering from Rhinoplasty

You will probably be excited, if not anxious, to see your new nose, but patience is key after rhinoplasty. Complete results are not immediate and can take up to one year to be fully evident.

You will be unable to breathe through your nose for the first 24 hours, due to nasal packing, which is stuffed up your nose to help reduce swelling and bleeding. There will be some pain that can typically be controlled with pain medicine. Most people who undergo rhinoplasty can stop pain medication after 48 hours. Some people feel nauseated after the surgery.

You may experience limited bleeding during the first few days. Your surgeon may also tell you to apply a cold compress to your nose to reduce swelling and to elevate your head for the first 24 hours. It is important to avoid any trauma to the nose during the first week after surgery. Blowing your nose is not permitted after rhinoplasty. This can be tough, as you may feel stuffy. Decongestants may help.

You will likely be asked to return in three days so the surgeon can remove the stitches. On day seven, the cast is removed. Your nose will still be swollen, but after two weeks much of the swelling will have decreased. At this point, all nasal packing, splints and other post-surgical dressings should be removed. A splint may be placed over the outer part of your nose to protect your nose as well as help it hold its new shape during the healing process. The surgeon may also place a softer splint inside your nose to prevent scarring inside the nose.

By one month, 85 percent of the swelling will have gone down. It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to a year - and sometimes longer - for the outcome of the surgery to fully refine. Although the results of nose surgery are usually permanent, cartilage may continue to reshape and move tissue that may change the outcome over time.