Nose Reshaping (Rhinoplasty)

Rhinoplasty Photo Gallery

Nose reshaping, or rhinoplasty, is a procedure that improves the appearance of your nose to put it in better harmony with your other facial features. Improvements can be made to remove the hump, narrow the nose, reshape the tip, reduce asymmetries and to change the angle between the nose and upper lip. This procedure is commonly performed in addition to a chin implant or genioplasty.

Rhinoplasty can change:

• Nose size, in relation to the other facial structures
• Nose width, at the bridge
• Nose profile, with visible humps or depressions on the bridge
• Nasal tip, that is large or bulbous, drooping, or too upturned
• Nostrils that are large, wide or upturned
• Nasal asymmetry and deviation

Is it right for me?

Nose surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else's desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Surgery of the nose is a good option for you if:

• Your facial growth is complete and you are 13 years of age or older
• You are physically healthy
• You stop smoking
• You have specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance

The risks include:

• Rupture of small surface vessels of the nose
• Infection
• Poor wound healing
• Anesthesia risks
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Nose asymmetr
• Cardiac and pulmonary complications can occur in longer surgical procedures and may be associated with the formation of, or increase in, blood clots in the venous system
• Change in skin sensation (numbness)
• Nasal airway alterations may occur after a rhinoplasty or septoplasty that may interfere with normal passage of air through the nose
• Nasal septal perforation (a hole in the nasal septum) may develop but is rare; additional surgical treatment may be necessary to repair the nasal septum but in some cases, it may be impossible to correct this complication
• Pain, which may persist
• Unfavorable scarring
• Skin contour irregularities
• Skin discoloration and swelling
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
• Possibility of revisional surgery

Be sure to ask questions: It's very important to ask Dr. Nichols questions about your nose procedure. It's natural to feel some anxiety, whether it's excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress.

Results

It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to a year - and sometimes longer - for the outcome of the surgery to fully refine. Although the results of nose surgery are usually permanent, cartilage may continue to reshape and move tissue that may change the outcome over time.

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