Rhinoplasty Defined - A New Nose

Rhinoplasty refers to reshaping of the nose.  This area of cosmetic surgery has been one of the most analyzed over the years. While many plastic surgeons think of themselves as artists,  the proportional dimensions of the nose that look good have been known since the ancient Greeks! The goal of most rhinoplasties is to achieve these proportions, creating a nose that is both attractive and fits the patient's face.

 

  

Before	After
Rhinoplasty and chin implant

 

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How Rhinoplasty Is Done - How We Reshape a Nose

There are many different ways to perform a rhinoplasty. In some, no external incision is needed. In others, small incisions at the base of the nose are needed, either for exposure to correct a severely distorted nasal tip, or to reduce the width of the nostrils. These options should be discussed with a surgeon  experienced in Rhinoplasty and individualized to fit the problems and the goals of each patient. In some cases, as in the one above, a large nose is accompanied by a weak chin. If a surgeon were to reduce the nose to match a recessive lower face, the nose would look too small and "operated on". In these patients, a small chin advancement and a modest Rhinoplasty puts the face in balance and avoids an artificial look.

  

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Analysis of Rhinoplasty - How Should the New Nose Look?

This type of analysis is best done with a sophisticated computer imaging system.

Playing "what if" with computerized virtual surgery
will help assure that what your surgeon thinks will look good
is the same as what you think will look good before surgery!

Nothing is worse than a surgeon going to the operating room with an idea in his or her mind that is different from what the patient visualized and looks forward to. A sophisticated imaging system can help assure that what the surgeon is trying to accomplish will actually make the patient happy!

Another issue here, is that with this operation, "what you see isn't always what you get!!" A can be seen in many photos, narrowing a wide nose can make eyes that look very small, look large and much more attractive. Cheekbone definition can appear to improve and the lips often look better as well. These changes can be talked about, but visualizing the new facial relationships on the computer can be truly amazing.

  

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Rhinoplasty - The Surgery - Recovery After Reshaping the Nose

Nasal reshaping can take from one to three hours and is done on an outpatient basis. In most cases no internal packing is needed. A small splint is usually worn for about one week. Black and Blue around the eyes can occur, but is actually unusual with modern techniques. Pain is minimal. If the patient is not self-conscious about the splint they can go back to a desk job in only a few days. I usually recommend a week to 10 days for return to the gym.