A rhinoplasty, or nose-surgery, is a plastic surgery procedure in which the bones and cartilage of the nose are reshaped into an appearance that will complement your other facial features. If you are self-conscious about the appearance of your nose or have had trauma, a rhinoplasty may be a good solution. It may include correcting a hump on the bridge of your nose, narrowing, shortening or lengthening your nose, or reshaping the tip of your nose.
Our physicians perform rhinoplasty surgery as an outpatient procedure at Community Medical Center. The procedure is performed with general anesthesia.
A rhinoplasty may be done with all incisions inside the nose, or there may be a short incision across the skin between the nostrils. Our physicians will incorporate your goals with the specific anatomy of your nose and recommend a combination of techniques tailored to your individual needs.
Discomfort is usually mild and easily relieved with medication. You will have an external dressing on your nose for one week and a small dressing inside your nose, which will be removed one day after your surgery. You will experience some swelling and bruising, which begins improving on about the fourth day, and is mostly resolved within two weeks.
Nasal breathing is initially decreased because of internal swelling and stitches from your surgery. This partial nasal obstruction will generally improve over several weeks but may take a little longer.
Most patients take one week off from school or work, but it is possible to return sooner. Your only restrictions will be no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for two weeks, and contact sports should be avoided for at least six weeks.
Improvement can be seen the first week after your nose surgery, and most of the swelling will resolve in 3-4 weeks except for the nasal tip, which may take a while longer. There will be a subtle, ongoing remodeling process that occurs over several months as your nose becomes more sculpted and refined. The final appearance will be around one year after surgery.
As with any cosmetic medical procedure, results vary from patient to patient.