Rhinoplasty (Nose Reshaping)

Heredity often determines the shape and size of the nose; however, past injury may also negatively impact appearance and ease of breathing. A rhinoplasty corrects and perfects many aspects of the nasal structure and is an ideal procedure if you desire to:

• Change the size of the nose in proportion to the face.
• Change either the size of the bridge, or the size and position of the nostrils.
• Remove bumps or depressions in the profile.
• Correct and enlarged, drooping, hooked or upturned nasal tip.
• Correct asymmetry in the nostrils.
• Repair any breathing obstructions such as a deviated septum

The procedure:

An incision is made into the base of the nose along the narrow tissue separating the nostrils, or inside the nose. The soft tissue covering the nose is raised away from the cartilage and bone in order to alter the structure of the nose. Excess cartilage may be removed or if cartilage is needed to shape the nose it may be grafted from another area of the body. To alter the size of the nostrils an incision is made along the natural crease of the nostril.

Healing process:

Splints or tubes inserted into the nose support it during healing for the first week. Swelling begins to lessen after a few weeks and the new shape of the nose is evident after six to eight weeks. Healing continues over the next six months and is complete by 12 months with occasional swelling during that first year.