What is a Rhinoplasty and Who is a Good Candidate For it

This is a surgical procedure that is done to improve the appearance of the nose and/or the ability to breathe through the nose. This surgery, therefore, may be done to improve the cosmetic appearance or the function or, for some patients, both. Nasal deformities may be present at birth or may develop with growth and aging. Traumatic injuries, such as a broken nose, or changes from previous surgeries may result in significant deformity that can be reconstructed.

Nasal aesthetics are central in how we appreciate the attractiveness of the face. The balance of elements of the nose from any point of view affects not only the attractiveness of the nose, but also the overall balance and aesthetics of the entire face. Understanding nasal aesthetics and the interdependence with the rest of the face is as important as the technical skill and experience required to perform this elegant and complex operation. Rhinoplasty is generally considered among the most difficult and challenging procedures in plastic surgery because small changes can have important consequences in the appearance or airway function.

Usually a cosmetic surgeon begins with a thorough consultation to understand the patient's goals and carefully evaluates size and shape of the various nasal elements, the overlying skin, the internal airway, and the relationship to other facial features. Planning and surgical precision are of critical importance. Your plastic surgeon's goal is to achieve as natural a result as possible, without an overly operated appearance.

A good candidate for rhinoplasty is a patient with a nose that is cosmetically unattractive or does not have a pleasing balance with other facial features, a patient with overly prominent features of the nose, a patient who wants removal of a "hump" on the bridge of the nose, refinement of a round nasal tip or elevation of a drooping tip, someone whose nose is crooked, too wide, too long, excessively projecting, or flat may be improved, a patient that has a structural deformity affecting the air passages. When the nasal septum (the cartilage separating the right and left internal nasal passages) is deviated and it causes nasal airway obstruction. Correction of a deviated septum alone is called a septoplasty or submucous resection of the septum (SMR). A crooked nose may worsen this disorder and therefore, require correction at the same time. Surgery to correct this is called a rhinoseptoplasty. Turbinates are parts of the nose that help to add moisture and filter inspired air! . These structures can be enlarged for many reasons and contribute to airway obstruction. When this occurs, your doctor will recommend their removal as part of the nasal surgery. Other problems, such as narrowed passages and airway "collapse", may require placement of cartilage grafts for structural support.