nasal surgery

Primary rhinoplasty indicates that it is the first time an operation is being performed. The first operation offers the best opportunity to obtain an excellent and predictable outcome. Seeking out a rhinoplasty specialist for this first operation significantly increases the chances of obtaining an excellent rhinoplasty result and decreases your chances of a revision.

Because of the special nature of the blood supply to the nose and surrounding area, it is possible for retrograde infections from the nasal area to spread to the brain during cosmetic nasal surgery. To reduce the risks follow the doctor’s advice both before and after the surgery.

Reasons for a nose job include reducing the size of the nose, removal of bumps as well as improving the angle of a nose. Conditions may be natural or due to external trauma to the face. This operation will also help patients who have difficulty breathing. The operation can be performed on all age groups, including teens and the elderly.

Rhinoplasty usually takes an hour or two, though complicated procedures may take longer. During surgery the skin of the nose is separated from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage, which is then sculpted to the desired shape. The nature of the sculpting will depend on your problem and your surgeon’s preferred technique. Finally, the skin is redraped over the new framework.

Nose reshaping is intended to produce a more attractive nasal shape and/or a nose in better proportion to other facial features. Rhinoplasty is most often done on an outpatient basis under sedation, and local or general anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon will decide which techniques should be used.

Rhinoplasty, or surgery of the nose, is one of the most complex procedures performed by plastic surgeons. Each individual part of the nose influences the others and can have a significant effect on both function and appearance.
Some plastic surgeons are double board certified in both plastic surgery and also otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, the two specialties which focus most on the nose and its function. This unusual dual background allows them to achieve the highest aesthetic results while at the same time maximizing both breathing and airway.

The best candidates for rhinoplasty are people who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in the way they look. If you’re physically healthy, psychologically stable, and realistic in your rhinoplasty expectations, you may be a good candidate.
Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet aesthetic goals or for reconstructive purposes-to correct birth defects or breathing problems.
Age may also be a consideration. Many surgeons prefer not to operate on teenagers until after they’ve completed their growth spurt-around 14 or 15 for girls, a bit later for boys. It’s important to consider teenagers’ social and emotional adjustment, too, and to make sure it’s what they, and not their parents, really want.

The three basic procedures that involve alteration of the nose are: rhinoplasty, septoplasty, and tiplasty. Rhinoplasty is surgery of the nose to augment, shorten, elongate, thin, straighten, or otherwise balance the overall impression of the face. Patients who seek nasal surgery for more cosmetic reasons often elect rhinoplasty, which includes alteration of the nasal bone and cartilage. Septoplasty is surgery of the nose that restores or improves its functionality in terms of breathing more easily. This procedure corrects a deviated nasal septum as mentioned earlier. Tiplasty is surgery of the cartilage of the nasal tip. Patients elect this procedure to refine and define the tip of the nose. Because rhinoplasty refers to the overall reconstruction of the nose, it may also include straightening of the nose, refinement of the nasal tip, narrowing of the nose width, or reduction of the “nasal hump,” as a combined surgery.

Most rhinoplasty patients have a definite idea as to how they would like to “improve” or refine the shape of their nose. Usually they don’t like the “hump” on the bridge, the thickness of the tip, or the width of their nose.
The nasal septum, (the structure that separates the two nostrils inside the nose), is composed of cartilage and bone. It may become deviated or twisted, either through the trauma of birth or as the result of an accidental injury. This deviation may alter the pattern of air flow through the nose, making it more difficult to breathe. In addition, the nose may appear crooked with a “hump”.

After the patient makes the decision to undergo rhinoplasty surgery, he or she will proceed with completing specified laboratory tests and a history and physical examination. The plastic surgeon will provide the patient with written preoperative and postoperative instructions, which are also discussed in their entirety. The patient will receive a list of medications that may conflict with the use of anesthesia. In addition, a re-evaluation appointment is available to the patient prior to the date of surgery. During this time before surgery, the patient should direct any and all questions and concerns to the plastic surgeon and his or her staff.

Nose reshaping is intended to produce a more attractive nasal shape and/or a nose in better proportion to other facial features. Rhinoplasty is done on an outpatient basis under sedation, and local or general anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon will decide which of the following techniques should be used:

* STANDARD RHINOPLASTY: Incisions are made inside the nostrils. The nasal bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped to improve the external contour.
* OPEN RHINOPLASTY: Frequently used for difficult or larger noses. Involves one external incision across the columella (strut between the nostrils). Bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped under direct vision.
* TIP-PLASTY: If only the nasal tip is abnormal, it may be corrected with either a standard or external (open) approach.
* Large nostrils may be reduced through tiny incisions at the outer base of the nostrils with either type of rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty can be used to make the nose more delicate, remove bumps, and to sculpt it. A California board certified plastic surgeon employs the newest techniques available, using grafts to augment the nose, as opposed to older techniques that remove cartilage and sometimes lead to a “ski jump” appearance. Every patient’s goals are different, so your surgeon will work with you using computer imaging to achieve your ideal.

Rhinoplasty scars are hidden within the nostrils. You may not see the final results of your surgery until swelling resolves, which may take several weeks.