Nose Surgery  > Procedures

Also known as rhinoplasty, nose surgery improves the appearance and proportion of your nose, enhancing facial harmony and self confidence. Surgery of the nose may also correct impaired breathing caused by structural abnormalities in the nose.

Beauty for life:

Enhancing your appearance with nose surgery

While the shape of your nose is usually the result of heredity, the appearance may have been altered in an injury or during prior surgery.

Also known as rhinoplasty, surgery of the nose improves the appearance and proportion of your nose, enhancing facial harmony and self confidence.

Surgery of the nose may also correct impaired breathing caused by structural abnormalities in the nose.

What can surgery of the nose accomplish?

Rhinoplasty can change:

Nose size, in relation to the other facial structures
Nose width, at the bridge
Nose profile, with visible humps or depressions on the bridge
Nasal tip, that is large or bulbous, drooping, or too upturned
Nostrils that are large, wide or upturned
Nasal asymmetry and deviation

Is it right for me?

Nose surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Surgery of the nose is a good option for you if:

Your facial growth is complete and you are 13 years of age or older
You are physically healthy
You stop smoking
You have specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance

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What to expect during your consultation

The success and safety of your nose surgery depends very much on your complete candidness during your consultation. You’ll be asked a number of questions about your health, desires and lifestyle.

Be prepared to discuss:

Why you want the surgery, your expectations and desired outcome
Medical conditions, drug allergies and previous medical treatments
Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
Previous surgeries

Your surgeon may also:

Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
Examine and measure your face
Take photographs for your medical record
Discuss your options and recommend a course of reshaping your nose
Discuss likely outcomes of a nose surgery and any risks or potential complications
Discuss the type of anesthesia that will be used

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Preparing for surgery

Prior to surgery, you may be asked to:

Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Special instructions you receive will cover:

What to do on the night before and the morning of surgery
The use of anesthesia during your nose surgery
Post-operative care and follow-up

Your plastic surgeon will also discuss where your procedure will be performed. Surgery of the nose may be performed in an accredited office-based surgical center, outpatient or ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital.

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Procedural Steps:

What happens during nose surgery?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 – The incision

Surgery of the nose is performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils.

Through these incisions, the soft tissues that cover the nose are gently raised, allowing access to reshape the structure of the nose.

Step 3 – Reshaping the nose structure

Surgery of the nose can reduce or augment nasal structures with the use of cartilage grafted from other areas of your body.

Most commonly, pieces of cartilage from the septum, the partition in the middle of the nose, is used for this purpose.

Occasionally a piece of cartilage from the ear and rarely a section of rib cartilage can be used.

Step 4 – Correcting a deviated septum

If the septum is deviated, it is now straightened and the projections inside the nose are reduced to improve breathing.

Step 5 – Closing the incision

Once the underlying structure of the nose is sculpted to the desired shape, nasal skin and tissue is redraped and incisions are closed. Additional incisions may be placed in the natural creases of the nostrils to alter their size.

Step 6 – See the results

Splints and internal tubes will likely support the nose as it begins to heal for approximately one week.

While initial swelling subsides within a few weeks, it may take up to a year for your new nasal contour to fully refine.

During this time you may notice gradual changes in the appearance of your nose as it refines to a more permanent outcome. Swelling may come and go and worsen in the morning during the first year following your nose surgery.

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Important facts about the safety and risks of nose surgery

The decision to have nose surgery is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will fulfill your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

Your plastic surgeon and/or staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks or potential complications.

The risks include:

Rupture of small surface vessels of the nose
Infection
Poor wound healing
Anesthesia risks
Bleeding (hematoma)
Nose asymmetry
Cardiac and pulmonary complications can occur in longer surgical procedures and may be associated with the formation of, or increase in, blood clots in the venous system
Change in skin sensation (numbness)
Nasal airway alterations may occur after a rhinoplasty or septoplasty that may interfere with normal passage of air through the nose
Nasal septal perforation (a hole in the nasal septum) may develop but is rare; additional surgical treatment may be necessary to repair the nasal septum but in some cases, it may be impossible to correct this complication
Pain, which may persist
Unfavorable scarring
Skin contour irregularities
Skin discoloration and swelling
Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
Possibility of revisional surgery

When you go home

If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure. Another minor surgery may be necessary to reach the intended aesthetic goal.

Be careful

Following your physician’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

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My recovery

After your procedure is completed, a splint, internal tubes or packing will likely be placed inside your nose and a splint or bandages placed on the outside to support and protect the new structures during initial healing.

Be sure to ask your plastic surgeon specific questions about what you can expect during your individual recovery period.

Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery?
When will they be removed?

Are stitches removed? When?
When can I resume normal activity and exercise?
When do I return for follow-up care?

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The results will be long-lasting

It may take several months for swelling to fully dissipate and up to a year - and sometimes longer - for the outcome of the surgery to fully refine.

Although the results of nose surgery are usually permanent, cartilage may continue to reshape and move tissue that may change the outcome over time.

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How much will nose surgery cost?

Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. Prices for nose surgeries can vary widely. A surgeon’s cost may vary based on his or her experience as well as geographic office location.

Many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans, so be sure to ask.

Cost may include:

Surgeon’s fee
Hospital or surgical facility costs
Anesthesia fees
Prescriptions for medication
Medical tests

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee

When choosing a plastic surgeon for nose surgery, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

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Words to know

Cartilage: Connective tissue that forms the structure of the nose.
Columella: The narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils.
Deviated septum: Cartilage that separates the nostrils is misaligned which may cause partial nasal airway obstruction.
General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
Rhinoplasty: Surgery to reshape the nose.

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Questions to ask my plastic surgeon

Use this checklist as a guide during your consultation

Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
Were you specifically trained in the field of plastic surgery?
How many years of plastic surgery training have you had?
Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure?

If so, at which hospitals?


Is the office-based surgical facility accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?

Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
What will be expected of me to get the best results?
Where and how will you perform my procedure?
What surgical technique is recommended for me?
How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery?
What are the risks and complications associated with my procedure?
How are complications handled?
How can I expect my nose to look over time?
What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my nose surgery?
Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for this procedure and what results are reasonable for me?

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