Rhinoplasty - Everything You Didn't Know That You Need to Know

One of the most well-known cosmetic surgery procedures available to the public is rhinoplasty AKA a nose job. As recently as 2020, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that more than 350,000 rhinoplasty surgeries were performed in that year. Even with the popularity of the surgery, there are many people who are not aware of the changes that can be made to the nose through rhinoplasty. If you fall into that category, get ready to learn everything you need to know about rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty – Why You Might Want to Have the Surgery

In general, patients want to have rhinoplasty in order to change the size, shape, or look of the nose. Some of the changes you might want to make to your nose include lifting the tip of the nose, removing a hump on the nose, and decreasing the size of the nostrils or the tip of the nose.

You might also want to change the look of your nose so you can feel better about its appearance. Many people are embarrassed about the size of their nose and do not like having to chat or meet with others face to face due to the size of their nose. A change in the size of the nose can improve your self-image and make you feel more confident when interacting with others.

Rhinoplasty – How is it Performed?

There are two main type of rhinoplasty surgeries, and they are as follows:

1. Open rhinoplasty is when the surgeon creates an incision on the underside of the nose and then lifts the soft tissue of the nose in order to make the desired changes to the underlying framework of the nose. Open rhinoplasty gives the surgeon a greater amount of visibility when working on the nose along with complete access to the nasal structure. In addition, open rhinoplasty is ideal if you are looking to make larger or more dramatic changes to the nose since the surgeon has a greater amount of access and visibility to the nose.
2. Closed rhinoplasty is when the surgeon creates any necessary incisions on the inside of the nose. Since the doctor does not have as much visibility of the nasal structure with this technique, it is more commonly used for patients who are looking for changes that are minor in nature. Any changes to the nose are made through the nostrils of the patient. There are also no visible scars after closed rhinoplasty since the incisions are made inside the nose.

Rhinoplasty – Ideal Candidate and Cost

In order to be an ideal candidate for rhinoplasty, you should feel that the appearance of your nose is too large or too small when compared with your other facial features or that your nose has a look that is too crooked or wide. You could also desire a look to the nose that is more refined and/or asymmetrical with the rest of the face.

There are also some patients who want to have rhinoplasty for reasons that are not related to the aesthetics of the nose. They might have trouble breathing on a regular basis, so they want to gain functional changes to the nose that help them to enjoy breathing easier on a daily basis.

The cost of rhinoplasty varies due to a number of factors such as the technique performed by the surgeon and the amount of work that needs to be performed to achieve the desired results. In addition, the cost also depends on the area of the country where it is performed, and any additional costs or fees charged by the doctor or the medical facility. The average cost of rhinoplasty runs anywhere from $6000-$25,000.

Rhinoplasty – Risks You Need to Know About

Before making the final decision to have rhinoplasty, here are some commons risks you should be aware of related to the procedure. You could have some difficulty breathing, there might be some visible scarring on the nose, and you could experience some numbness or changes in skin sensation.

In addition, there is a risk that you might not be happy with the final results. If this is the case, you could discuss the possibility of rhinoplasty revision with your surgeon.

Rhinoplasty – Recovery and Results of the Surgery

Following rhinoplasty surgery, you can expect to experience some bruising and swelling for two to three weeks. The surgeon will put a splint on your nose after the surgery and this will be removed within a week or two.

You will need to sleep with your head elevated, and not on your side, as this can cause the bones in the nose that have been reshaped to be impacted. You should also avoid blowing your nose during the recovery period as this can cause bleeding to occur.

It can take up to a year for the swelling to finally subside. The final results should last a lifetime as long as the nose does not experience any type of accident or damage after the procedure.

- MA