Facial Cosmetic Surgery Home : Nose Plastic Surgery

Nose Plastic Surgery

Rhinoplasty is surgery to re-shape, decrease or increase the size of a patient’s nose. It is perhaps the most common of all cosmetic surgical procedures.

What is it?

Nose reshaping is a surgical procedure to re-shape or resize the nose
It is also used to improve some breathing difficulties, repair injuries and correct defects
It is one of the most common of all cosmetic surgical procedures and can involve alterations to the bridge of the nose, the tip of the nose or the width of the nostrils
Nose reshaping is not recommended for children under the age of 16 because the nose is still growing until then

What’s involved?

Closed rhinoplasty involves
A small incision being made inside your nose in order to hide scarring
The nose cartilage and bone will be removed and/or reworked in order to sculpt a new nose profile
Once re-shaping is complete, surgical packing may be applied to help control the bleeding, or an external splint fitted to protect your new nose for the first week following your operation
Open rhinoplasty involves
A small incision being made to the bridge of tissue between your nostrils just above your top lip
Your surgeon may decide to use this procedure to allow better access to your nose
The operation can take between one to three hours to complete, depending on the amount of reshaping needed
You will be given a general anaesthetic and you will need to stay overnight in hospital

Your recovery

Most people return to normal activity within one to two weeks. However, swelling could effect your ability to breathe through your nose for up to three months after your operation
In the first seven to ten days it is advisable not to sneeze or blow your nose as this could effect the healing process

Possible side effects

During the first 24-48 hours, you may find breathing through your nose difficult
If your procedure involved bone work then you will have a splint across your nose for about a week
In the days following your operation you can expect bruising, swelling and mild tenderness

Your results

Nose re-shaping surgery produces permanent results
However, your nose, just like the rest of your face will continue to age in the normal way

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