Rhinoplasty is performed to change the shape of the nose or make it more complimentary to other facial features.
The nose is the most central feature of the face and a strong identifying characteristic. Even small changes performed in
rhinoplasty can make a significant difference in the appearance of the face. An important consideration in rhinoplasty is
the ethnicity of the patient and maintaining distinct features of the nose that will preserve the patients ethnicity while
achieving a more pleasing appearance.
The profile of the nose can be changed by removing a hump, building up the bridge, or lifting the tip. The appearance
of the frontal view of the nose can also be changed with these techniques as well as thinning the tip and reducing the width
and flare of the nostrils, or narrowing the bridge of the nose.
During the consultation your doctor will need to know about previous trauma, injuries or surgery to your nose,
allergies and breathing problems. It is important to know that following surgery you will experience some nasal congestion
that should be temporary.
The surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia unless minor work is being performed. Following the
procedure you will likely have splints or packing inside the nose and a splint on the outside. You may also have significant
swelling and bruising around the nose and eyes for one to two weeks and some slight bleeding from the nostrils for several
hours.
Small incisions may be made on the outside of the nose. These leave permanent though unusually not very noticeable
scars. Cartilage may also be harvested from the inside of the nose or from one or both ears. In some cases implants or bone
from other parts of your body may be used.
It is important to remember that though the changes achieved with rhinoplasty are usually immediately obvious,
swelling will take months to resolve, and dynamic changes in the nose continue for the rest of your life.
