Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty:

This is a surgery that involves reshaping in the internal and external nose to achieve an improvement in both nasal function (i.e. improvement in breathing) as well as aesthetic improvements (i.e. straight nasal profile or nasal tip refinement).

A rhinoplasty, or nose job, is a plastic surgery procedure that is used to improve the appearance of the nose. There are a variety of nose shapes that cause people to seek improvement of their nose appearance. Some patients desire improvement of the front of the nose (nasal dorsum), especially if they have a prominent bump. Other patients have concerns about the appearance of the tip of their nose, especially if it is poorly defined or bulbous. Frequently, patients may have had a prior rhinoplasty procedure and would like additional correction of the appearance of their nose during a revision rhinoplasty.

In general, rhinoplasty can be thought of as a cartilage and bone shaping procedure. The nose is composed of a cover (skin), lining (mucosa), and support (cartilage and bone). The underlying nasal cartilage and bone tents the nose open and gives the nose its shape. Therefore, in order to change the shape of the nose, the shape of the cartilage and bone needs to be changed, either with suture techniques or adding cartilage grafts or removing excess or misshapen cartilage or bone.Prior to performing a rhinoplasty procedure, Dr. Simon will perform a careful history and physical examination in order to identify the specific areas of concern that can be addressed during the procedure. A standard part of this examination is an evaluation of the nasal airway and nasal septum to identify structural abnormalities that could interfere with breathing. Rhinoplasty is most commonly performed under general anesthesia, although the procedure can be performed under sedation if desired. Depending on which parts of the nose need improvement, Dr. Simon will either perform a closed (no external scar) or open (small incision across the underside of the nose) rhinoplasty.After surgery, depending on what was performed, a nasal splint (on the outside of the nose) or nasal stent (on the inside of the nose) may be used for 7 days to help minimize swelling after surgery. Rhinoplasty patients may experience swelling of the nose and occasionally bruising around the eyes and cheeks for 1-3 weeks following surgery. Swelling of the nose, expecially in revision rhinoplasty when extensive reshaping is performed, can take several months to resolve. However, pain after rhinoplasty is usually mild, and patients are able to resume normal activities 1-2 weeks after surgery.