Introduction:

Rhinoplasty is the surgery of the nose to either thin, turn up, augment, shorten, elongate or otherwise bring balance to the face through its alteration.

What does the surgery involve ?

Reshaping the nose involves reducing a large hump and reshaping the tip. This procedure can be performed through tiny incisions inside the nose which allow sculpting of both bone and cartilage. With very complicated problems such as a long, over– projected tip or an irregular or extremely bulky tip, an open rhinoplasty may be performed. This allows the skin to be separated for complete exposure of the underlying cartilage which allows the reshaping of complicated deformities with great accuracy. The scar is tiny on the undersurface of the nose. It is rarely visible.

How long does the surgery take ?

The procedure takes roughly one to two hours, longer for more extensive reconstruction.

What will happen in the recovery period ?

Although the nose is still swollen after the first month, most people would not recognize this fact. The patient will not notice this swelling. Instead the patient will notice that the nose becomes more refined with better definition over the first year. The inside of the nose may be swollen for approximately three weeks after the surgery. Nasal breathing may be difficult during this time. If surgery is performed to straighten the nasal septum, an improvement in breathing will be appreciated at about 3 weeks.

What is the recovery time ?

Most patients are back to school or work within a week to 2 weeks.

What can I expect from the surgery ?

The result of this procedure is permanent.