Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty can reshape your nose in a number of ways to improve its appearance and proportion in relation to your other facial features. People most often elect this surgery to alter the size and shape of the bridge and tip of the nose.

The best candidates are people who are looking to improve upon their looks, not those searching for perfection. If you are emotionally stable, in good physical condition and have realistic expectations of what can be achieved, then you may be an excellent candidate.

The surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia or local anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation. It normally takes between one to three hours to complete the procedure. Working from inside the nose, the surgeon carefully modifies and reshapes the bones and the cartilage of the nose. A bump can be reduced or totally eliminated and the sides of the nose can be made narrower. The tip can be made smaller and also lifted to improve the aesthetic appearance of the nose and the upper lip. Crooked or curved noses can be straightened and made more symmetrical.

In some instances, there may be an internal deformity of the nose that can affect your breathing. This is sometimes due to irregularities in the septum (the dividing cartilage structure that separates the two sides of the nose) or the turbinates which are structures that protrude from the lateral walls of the nose. Correction of the structures to improve the nasal airway may be made at the same time as the alterations to the external appearance of the nose.

After surgery, some pain, swelling and bruising of the nose are to be expected, but they will subside gradually. You will have to wear a splint over the nose for approximately a week. Surprisingly, most patients say this is not a very painful procedure and the mild discomfort can be controlled by medication. Most people return to work within a week to ten days. Make up can be used to cover any bruises at that time. You should limit activities that could increase the possibility of bleeding such as bending, lifting or exercise for a few weeks.

Your final results may not be realized for weeks or even months so you should reserve judgment on your rhinoplasty for several months until your nose has had an opportunity to fully heal and settle. Remember that your surgery should improve your appearance without drawing attention to itself, the idea being not to create a new nose, but rather to improve and enhance the one you have. Your final result is usually a permanent improvement which will last the rest of your life.