Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a procedure that brings a great deal of satisfaction to both the patient and surgeon. Often in rhinoplasty patients, the face has very elegant proportions with the only exception being the contour of the nose. Performing a rhinoplasty allows the demensions of the face to be brought back into appropriate harmony.


The results from a rhinoplasty tend to improve over time. The result can continue to improve over twelve months.

At approximately the six month mark there is significant improvement in the amount of swelling the in the glabella as well as the nasal dorsum. The tip continues to have some swelling which will continue to improve over the next six months and up to and beyond one year.


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The Cute Nose

There tend to be several aspects in rhinoplasty that help to define what many people call a "cute" nose. I often encounter patients who have a nose that can be very appealing to begin with. Subtle changes in the relationship of two key characteristics are helpful in producing a nose that is "cuter" and more "youthful".

The first relationship is the angle of the nose from the upper lip. This angle is called the nasolabial angle. Slightly increasing the nasolabial angle can give the nose a more "cute" or "youthful" appearance. Another more subtle characteristic is the amount of tip projection or the distance the nose projects from the face. Slightly decreasing the projection can give the nose a "smaller" more youthful appearance.



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Rhinoplasty Healing

Rhinoplasty can take several months to up to one year or more to completely heal from. In fact, changes in the nose can occur several times over the course of a week status post rhinoplasty.

The nasal dorsum can be augmented with temporalis fascia and diced cartilage to allow the radix area and dorsum to have a gradual curvature. The nasal base can be narrowed with nostril sill excisions and the tip modified with suturing of the lower lateral cartilages and tip grafting.

In the weeks following rhinoplasty, the nose can change shape several times as the swelling subsides or increases or decreases with varying activity.

The images above reflect before, two weeks and four weeks post surgery.

At six months, the nose continues to show changes and begins to reach it's mature stage. The definition in the glabella and dorsum start to subside, still with some swelling int the nasal tip area.

Rhinoplasty-Tip Definition

Rhinoplasty procedures vary on a continuum from very significant changes to minor changes. There may be many characteristics of a nose that the surgeon or patient would like to maintain.

It is common in rhinoplasty procedures for the tip to be adjusted to a more defined appearance. Defining the nasal tip can often be performed by removing excess lower lateral cartilage, defining the domes of each upper lateral cartilage, and the addition of a tip graft. The degree of tip definition should be proportional to the remainder of the nose and the facial characteristics.

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Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a commonly performed procedure. One of the more commonly requested reasons for a rhinoplasty is a nasal tip that drops when a person smiles. Typically, these patients have a dorsal hump as well as a nasal tip that lacks projection.

To surgically correct this, the nasal dorsum is resected, the caudal septum is resected, and a columellar strut is placed to improve tip projection. To allow the nose to appear more feminine, the nasal tip needs to be elevated so that the columella-labial angle is greater than approximately 100 degrees in the female.


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Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is one of the more commonly performed aesthetic procedures. Patients may have one of several reasons for improving the appearance of their nose. Patients typically undergo rhinoplasty procedures at the same time that they undergo corrective airway surgery.

One of the more common reasons for aesthetic rhinoplasty is to define or narrow the nasal dorsum or to refine the nasal tip. When the nasal tip is improved with cartilage resection and/or tip defining sutures, the nose often takes on a softer or more feminine appearance.

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Rib Graft Rhinoplasty & Airway Reconstruction

Rhinoplasty is one of the more common procedures performed in my aesthetic practice. Some of the more common aesthetic reasons for wanting to improve the appearance of the nose include: 1) dorsal hump, 2) wide dorsum, 3) deviated nose, and 4) nasal tip that lacks support.

When cartilage is needed to straighten a deviated nose or to provide tip support, then rib cartilage is often the best quality and of ample quantity to perform the correct maneuvers.

When correcting the dorsal hump, it is important to make sure that the nasal tip has adequate projection and tip support.

While patients are placed in a splint for one week post-operatively, I have patients tape their nose for 4 weeks post-operatively. Following the four weeks when patients return to exercise, patients should tape their nose at night.

Post-operatively, patients may choose to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve their swelling post-operatively.

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