What is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty (reshaping the nose) is a facial cosmetic procedure, usually performed to enhance the appearance or reconstruct the nose. A rhinoplasty is simply plastic surgery performed on the nose. There are usually two reasons this type of facial plastic surgery is performed. The first is to correct breathing difficulties or damaged airways, and the second reason is for aesthetic purposes.
Rhinoplasty could improve one’s looks, self-confidence or health. As with all facial plastic surgery, good health and realistic expectations are prerequisites. The goal of rhinoplasty is to improve the nose aesthetically (without creating a "surgical" look) in order to create harmony with other facial features. Additionally, many patients have a chin augmentation in conjunction with rhinoplasty to create a better balance of features.
By reshaping the nasal structures, including bone, cartilage, and skin, a cosmetic surgeon can help achieve one or more of the following:
Rhinoplasty can change the size, shape or proportions of your nose. It may be done to repair deformities from an injury, correct a birth defect or improve some breathing difficulties.
There are a variety of types of rhinoplasty and techniques, which are suitable for different goals:
Open Rhinoplasty During this procedure, the incisions are made in the vertical strip of skin separating your nostrils (the columella). Your surgeon then lifts the skin and soft tissue to view the inside of your nose and perform the reshaping. This is the technique used for most major nose surgeries.
Closed Rhinoplasty To perform a closed rhinoplasty, your surgeon makes an incision within your nose. The skin is then separated from the bone and cartilage. The exposed bone and/or cartilage can then be removed, reshaped, augmented or rearranged. The closed technique is used mainly for minor nose surgeries.
Filler Rhinoplasty Injectable fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane can be used to fill depressions, restore symmetry and/or correct other imperfections on your nose. This is also called a non-surgical nose job. The results are not permanent.
Revision Rhinoplasty These secondary surgeries are performed to correct problems that occur or remain after a previous rhinoplasty. The problems can be minor and just require a touch-up, or they can be major, which can make the revision rhinoplasty much more complicated, risky and costly.