Are You a Candidate for Nose Surgery?

Surgery to reshape the nose, medically known as rhinoplasty, is one of the oldest and most common plastic surgery procedures. Patients may desire less or more overall length, a reduction in width, or simply a new profile so that their physical appearance matches their self-image. Rhinoplasty is also used to reconstruct or reshape a nose after traumatic injury, to repair a congenital defect, or to address debilitating breathing problems.

The Rhinoplasty Process

Depending on the complexity of the procedure your surgeon will perform, he may elect to use general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. Most nose surgeries are conducted on an out-patient basis, so you may go home the same day as the operation.

Generally speaking, rhinoplasty is done by making incisions inside the patient’s nostrils, around the base of the nostrils, or in the skin between the nostrils. Skin is separated from the underlying bone and cartilage, which is then formed into the desired shape before the skin is sutured back into place. In addition to adjusting size, width, and profile, nose surgery will affect the angle of the nose in relation to the upper lip.

Nose Surgery Risks and Recovery

After the surgery, you’ll be required to wear an external splint on your nose, along with some internal packing, to maintain its new shape during the initial healing process. You may need to stay in bed for a day or so with your head elevated, and it may take a week before you can return to work. More strenuous activities should be curtailed for several weeks, according to your surgeon’s instructions. And if you wear eyeglasses, it may be even longer before you can rest them on your nose.

Complications are usually minor when rhinoplasty is performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, but some patients will have nosebleeds for a period after the operation. A small percentage of patients return for revision surgery because their results do not meet expectations. Swelling of nose tissues is expected, and occasionally persists for up to a year. Most rhinoplasty procedures, however, exhibit little or no long-term signs. Scars from rhinoplasty are either invisible because they are inside the nostrils, or they are hidden by shadows and creases at the base of the nostrils.

After surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on the skin’s surface; these are usually minor but may be permanent. As for scarring, when rhinoplasty is performed from inside the nose, there is no visible scarring at all; when an open technique is used, or when the procedure calls for the narrowing of flared nostrils, the small scars on the base of the nose are usually not visible.

It may take some time for you to become used to your new appearance after nose surgery, but friends and coworkers often can’t put their finger on what has changed. In the end, the vast majority of patients are happy with their altered look.

Click on the link to see our photo gallery of Philadelphia rhinoplasty patients.

The content of this Web site is intended to be used for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or instruction. If you have more questions about Philadelphia nose surgery, other cosmetic treatments, or plastic surgery procedures, please call Dr. Lohner’s Main Line Pennsylvania office and we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation.