Nose Jobs & Their Importance

There are close to a dozen or more plastic surgery techniques. Everything from eyebrow filling, liposuction, facelifts, and the ubiquitous breast implants. But by far the most challenging and the surgery with the highest chance of imparting your life is rhinoplasty, plastic surgery on the nose.

Because the nose sits in the center of the face, no other bodily feature goes into contributing to the primary features of the face like the nose, and when staring in the mirror, millions of both men and women are not pleased with what they see. For example, if our nose is wide at the base, surgeons can narrow it. If the bridge has a hump, they can lower the hump. They can change the tip if it is wide, round, over or under-projecting or uneven. Surgeons can also rotate the nasal tip into the ideal relationship to the face.

Having realistic expectations

A sizeable sample of potential patients see a photo on Instagram or Pinterest of a movie star that has had Rhinoplasty, and decide, “that’s the nose for me,” only to consult with a reputable plastic surgeon who might tell them, “that’s not a particular look for the shape and features of your face,” or may even dissuade from even contemplating plastic surgery on their. One hallmark of a competent plastic surgeon is being able to temper expectations and keep in mind the other features of your face to produce a symmetrical profile.

Plastic surgeons also need to keep in mind and remind you of any ethnic features, overall of the general population, so you fully know that changing your nose shape may go against ethnic type.

Plastic Surgery on the Nose is not only for Cosmetic Reasons

Keep in mind that there are reasons beyond pure appearance to have plastic surgery work done on your nose. Many people, through either genetics, birth defects, or trauma to the nose, or to correct serious difficulties breathing. Keep in mind that most health insurers won’t contribute to the cost of purely cosmetic surgery, but if the surgery is to correct one of these problems, they may, in fact, cover all or part of the expenses, although it is up to you to consult your health insurer in advance to find out all the paperwork they might need from your doctor for you to make a claim.

Selecting a doctor

It is very important to research your plastic surgeon before even requesting a consultation. Plastic surgery on the nose is by far the most difficult of plastic surgery procedures, so difficult that many physicians won’t even attempt it. You want a specialist, who has gone through an intensive internship under another plastic surgery specialist, and he or she should be board certified.

Pay attention to the physician’s facilities. Although ferns, indoor waterfalls, teak reception desks, and crisp uniforms are no guarantee that the doctor is any good, most doctors with a good reputation go overboard to assure their potential patients they are in good hands.

Also, pay special attention to a doctor’s website, and in particular to patient reviews. Great plastic surgeons rely on satisfied patients to refer their circle of friends to the doctor. Also, pay attention to the tone of the reviews. Do they seem like things a genuine patent would say, or do they seem puffed up?

Rhinoplasty step-by-step

Those caveats expressed, nearly a quarter of a million men and women per year have their noses surgically worked on. So what are the steps to plastic surgery on the nose?

Consultation

Be sure to come to your consultation fully prepared. Make sure they answer all your questions such as who does the anesthetic and what are their qualifications, what are the doctor’s qualifications. How many nose jobs has he or she done? Does the doctor have photos he can show you, both before and after, of patients with similar features to yours? Ask for a tour of the facilities. Ask for phone numbers of previous patients or fellow doctors you can consult with. Be particularly interested in revision rates and how the doctor describes the precise healing process. Know whether you need to stay home from work, and plan accordingly.

Anesthesia

On the day of your surgery, they will give you either general anesthesia, meaning you will sleep through the process, or local so you are awake but numb.

Incisions

The surgeon then makes cuts within the nostrils. In more difficult cases, the surgeon may also make cuts across the base of the nose. The surgeon then reshapes the nose, often using cartilage grafts.

Recovery

You will wear a nose splint for about a week, and after that, the swelling gradually goes down. Final results can take as much as six months to show.

Nose Jobs and Revisions

The revision rates for plastic surgery on the nose approaches 17 percent or higher. We can attribute this in part to unrealistic expectations, i.e. patients seeking perfection rather than improvement, but beyond this, there are unexpected results of the healing process which can be unpredictable. In a similar article, Louise McKay reports that tip asymmetry, a crooked nose in the middle, or a new deformity arose after the original plastic surgery. The article also reports studies showing 41% of patients developed new breathing problems after having their original nose work.

If you are thinking about rhinoplasty and are in Naples, FL, contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center at (239)-594-9100. The Aesthetic Surgery Center is a collection of experienced plastic surgeons to consider, most notably Anurag Agarwal MD, FACS. Dr. Agarwal is a specialist of many facial procedures and is often regarded as one of the best in Central & South Florida.