Everything You Need to Know before Getting Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, AKA a nose job, is a procedure that is performed to enhance, alter or reduce the size and shape of the nose. The surgery can also reduce or eliminate bumps on the nose, raise or lower the bridge of the nose and address breathing issues that the patient is suffering from and wants to eliminate. The goal of rhinoplasty is not to simply provide the nose with a smaller appearance. The goal is to also balance the nostril size and tip of the nose along with improving the nasal function and support of the nose through methods such as cartilage grafts that can change the framework of the nose.

Rhinoplasty Techniques

Open rhinoplasty is when the surgeon makes the incisions for the surgery on the outside of the nose. While the patient will be able to enjoy the desired results, any incision scars might be visible to others viewing the nose after rhinoplasty.

Closed rhinoplasty is sometimes called “scarless rhinoplasty” because any incisions that are made by the surgeon are hidden inside the nose of the patient.

Questions to ask a Rhinoplasty Surgeon

When it comes to choosing a surgeon experienced in performing rhinoplasty, there are a number of questions that patients should ask before making the final decision to have the procedure. These questions include:

• Is the doctor board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS)?
• How many rhinoplasty surgeries does the surgeon perform on a weekly or monthly basis?
• Is open or closed rhinoplasty a better choice for the nose job?
• Are there “before and after” photos of actual patients that can be viewed by the new patient?
• What type of results can the patient expect to see after the surgery?
• Are the results permanent?

Issues Addressed by Rhinoplasty

Some of the most common issues that can be addressed by rhinoplasty include:

• A droopy nose tip occurs as the support mechanisms of the nose become weaker with age. The nose can appear longer than it actually is so the surgeon will lift the tip and add extra support to give it a more youthful look.
• Bridges or humps on the nose are addressed and reduced by filing down excess bone and/or cartilage. However, fixing a bridge or hump can also cause the tip of the nose to look droopy or out of balance so the patient might need the tip to be reshaped in a subtle manner to achieve a natural look.
• If the nose has any areas of it that seem to protrude too far from the face, such as an abundance of cartilage at the tip of the nose, this is known as an over-projected nose. A plastic surgeon can shave the bridge of the nose to retract the tip by removing excess cartilage or tissue in the targeted area.
• If patients feel their nose is too small, the doctor can use grafts to build up the bridge of the nose or use grafts to add some length to the nose to provide more balance to the facial features.
• Patients can have issues with their ability to breathe due to a deviated septum, trauma to the nose or the results from a previous surgery performed on the nose.  Rhinoplasty can improve the functional ability of the nose thanks to the alterations made to the bone and cartilage of the nose during the surgery.
• A crooked nose that is the result of an injury or a deviated septum can cause a patient to have breathing issues. In order to straighten the nose, the bones in the impacted area will need to be moved or reduced in order to reshape the nose.

Rhinoplasty Recovery and Results

During the recovery period after rhinoplasty, patients can expect some bruising that will last for around two weeks. It can take up to a year for the swelling to completely subside and the final results to be visible to the patient as well as others viewing the nose. Patient will feel some discomfort after the surgery but they will not experience very much in the way of pain.

The results from a rhinoplasty surgery should be permanent which means the results will last a lifetime. However, the results can be altered or impacted if the patient does not follow the post-op instructions or if the person suffers some sort of accident or trauma to the nose.

The results of rhinoplasty surgery are natural in appearance but there are times when a patient is not happy with the final results of the surgery. If the patient is not pleased with the way the nose looks after the procedure, a surgeon can perform revision rhinoplasty in order to make further changes to the nose.

In order to avoid being disappointed with the final results of the procedure, patients need to discuss their desired final results with the surgeon. The doctor can set realistic expectations so the patient will not be surprised or disappointed by the final appearance of the nose.

MA