Nose Surgery

Nose surgery, also known as "rhinoplasty" or a "nose job", can help to change the shape of the tip or the bridge of the nose, reduce or increase the size of your nose, narrow the nostrils width, and enhance your facial profile. You may want to enhance your nose shape due to the shape you were born with, a bump or crooked nose becasue of injury, or to alleviate breathing problems. It is the most performed plastic surgery procedure.

Many cosmetic surgeons perform rhinoplasty by making their incision inside the nose, other surgeons prefer to use an "open" technique. They make a small incision across the vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils, called the columella. Following surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear on the skin's surface as tiny red spots. These spots are usually minor but may be permanent. When rhinoplasty surgery is performed from inside the nose there is no visible scarring. When an "open" procedure is used, or when narrowing flared nostrils there are small scars on the base of the nose that are not visible.

During nose surgery the skin is separated from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage. The nose bone and cartilage is then re-shaped to the desired shape. The way it is sculpted depends your surgeon's preferred technique and the original shape of your nose. After the re-shaping, the skin is replaced over the new framework. A splint is then applied to help maintain the shape of your new nose. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints also may be placed in your nostrils to stabilize the septum.

In one out of ten cases a second surgery is required to correct a minor deformity or other minor issue. These cases are unpredictable and can happen even to patients of the most skilled plastic surgeons.

The majority of insurance policies don't cover purely cosmetic surgery. If the surgery is performed for to correct a breathing problem, correct a deformity, reconstructive purposes, the procedure may be covered by your insurance. You will need to check with your insurance provider and obtain pre-authorization for your surgery.