Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery)

A rhinoplasty operation may be designed to

1. Improve the general cosmetic appearance of the patient by reducing, recontouring or reshaping the external nose;
2. Straighten a previously injured nose, and/or;
3. Improve the patient's ability to breathe.

It is important that you understand that no nose is perfectly symmetrical. Every attempt will be made to decrease your side-to-side dissimilarities, but such differences always persist to some degree, even after the most successful operation! There are many irregularities beneath the skin of a nose before and after surgery, but these may become more noticeable after surgery, especially in individuals with very thin skin and minimal, underlying fatty layers. It is unnatural for a nose to be exactly in the center of the face, before or after an operation. The two nostrils are never exactly the same shape or size. These irregularities and asymmetries will persist after a corrective operation. These facts are stressed as many patients are not aware of preoperative nasal irregularities and may be more critical of their appearance following surgery than preoperatively. Many patients have a fear that the nasal change will be so great as to create a subject of discussion among family members and friends. Actually, rarely do the patient's friends and relatives ever remember the shape of the patient's original nose a few weeks following surgery. The patient is also warned that there may be individuals who will not wish to acknowledge that the patient's appearance has improved and may disappoint the patient by making an unrestrained comment such as, “I liked your nose better the way it was before” or, “I didn't see anything wrong with your nose in the first place.”

The cosmetic procedure of recontouring the nose is one of the more popular operations performed by plastic surgeons today. The patient's input is always sought regarding the desired nasal change, but the patient must accept the judgment of the plastic surgeon as to the type, shape, and contour of the nose, as he is more acquainted with limitations imposed by the patient's tissues and facial features

Since no two people are alike, a patient should not expect to "select a nose" by studying other people's noses or photographs, but such input is helpful to the surgeon as it gives some idea of the patient's general expectations.  Your surgeon may be able to give you a good idea of what can be expected to your profile following surgery by working with our office digital imaging system.

A surgeon must consider the patient's entire facial profile when planning nasal surgery. Patients with moderate sized noses, but weak chins, will appear to have much larger noses than they actually possess. In such cases, it may be impossible to reduce the nose sufficiently to provide a profile that is satisfactory to the patient, but facial balance may be achieved by simultaneously performing a simultaneous chin augmentation

Occasionally, if in addition to a weak chin, severe malpositioning of the jaws and teeth is present, an evaluation of the dental abnormalities by an oral surgeon will be recommended before making a final decision about the nose. Conversely, it may occasionally be necessary to reduce the size of an excessively large chin in conjunction with the nasal surgery if the ideal profile is to be obtained for the patient.

Less frequently, patients will present with a collapsed nose, or a very low nasal dorsum.  Such patients may be interested in increasing the height of their nose.  This is traditionally done with bone or cartilage grafts, or with a silicone rubber implant.   Your surgeon will discuss the pros and cons of each method and will help you make the appropriate decision.