What is Rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty describes a surgery that involves changing the appearance of the nose. This is actually a broad definition, as this could involve a number of different procedures. A dorsal hump, broad nasal base, and crooked tip are among the many reasons that patients seek rhinoplasty. There are a number of different ways to approach each rhinoplasty. But even with the wide variety of noses and rhinoplasty techniques, there are some core principles that help patients to better understand the surgery.

  1. Rhinoplasty involves making changes to the underlying framework (cartilage and/or bone). The resulting changes can be visualized after the skin is redraped over the framework and allowed to heal. In some cases, minor modification is made to the underside of the nasal skin, but this creates more subtle changes.

  2. The results of rhinoplasty should be seen in the eyes. In other words, a good rhinoplasty result should not draw attention to itself. Most patients who undergo rhinoplasty seek a nose that is less noticeable. Thus, attention should then be directed to the eyes, rather than the nose.

  3. A good rhinoplasty result appears natural. Most patients are concerned that their nose will appear unnatural following surgery. These concerns are justified, as rhinoplasty techniques of the past tended to produce unnatural results.

  4. Rhinoplasty is not a ‘cookbook’ operation. While some surgeries can be performed with the same sequence, this could produce disastrous results if applied to rhinoplasty. Just as no two noses are alike, each rhinoplasty surgery should be unique. Certainly, there are some surgeons who perform the same technique on all patients, but this can produce very unpredictable results.

  5. While patients recover quickly from surgery, there is a prolonged healing period. Despite this, most patients are pleased with their results as soon as the nasal splint is removed. All patients should understand, however, that there will be some swelling that takes time to resolve. The appearance of the nose tends to improve during this ‘refinement period.’
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