The nose is one of the most distinctive features of our face. Needless to say that its basic function is essential in our day to day life. But what happens when we are unhappy with the way our nose looks, or have certain functional defects of the nose that make it difficult for us to breathe? This may damage the quality of life!

A Rhinoplasty Surgeon can correct physiological defects that hamper your ability to breathe without difficulty. It can also redefine the shape of your nose to enhance its shape and appearance.

Rhinoplasty surgery or, in layman’s term a ‘nose job’ is a cosmetic surgery procedure to either change the shape of the nose or improve its functionality. A cosmetic surgeon corrects/reconstructs the form of the nose while restoring the functions and enhances the aesthetics of the nose by performing a rhinoplasty. A Rhinoplasty repairs or resolves difficulties caused by nasal trauma (blunt, penetrating, blast) or birth defects and respiratory impairment. Many times, a revisional rhinoplasty surgery is performed on the nose to correct a previously failed primary surgery to improve its function or for aesthetic reasons.

Reasons for Rhinoplasty

People usually have a rhinoplasty to repair the shape of their nose after an injury, to improve breathing problems or a congenital defect, or because simply because they’re unhappy with the appearance of their nose.

People get rhinoplasty to repair their nose after an injury, to correct breathing problems or a birth defect, or because they’re unhappy with the appearance of their nose.

Your Nose Surgery Doctors can bring about the below mentioned changes to your nose through rhinoplasty:

1) size change

2) angle change

3) straightening the bridge of the nose

4) reshaping the tip of the nose

5) narrowing the nasal base or nostrils

If you are getting a rhinoplasty to improve your appearance rather than your health, then you must wait until the nasal bone is completely grown and properly formed. In case of girls, this happens around age 15. Boys may still be growing until they’re a bit older in comparison to girls. However, if you are having rhinoplasty surgery to correct a breathing impairment, it can be performed at a younger age too.

Types of Rhinoplasties

There are different types of rhinoplasty surgeries designed to meet a range of needs:

1) Functional Rhinoplasty

Functional rhinoplasty can correct physical abnormalities that obstruct breathing, disfigurement caused by congenital defects or to correct respiratory problems resulting from physical trauma. By reshaping and repositioning the cartilage and bones of your nose, the plastic surgeon can help you achieve nasal contours that allow you to breathe without difficulty and feel confident with the physical appearance of your nose.

2) Cosmetic Rhinoplasty

When it comes to cosmetic rhinoplasty, both, the patient and the surgeon have 1 common goal: to enhance the aesthetic appearance of your nose and provide a flattering compliment to your face. Cosmetic rhinoplasty may combine different procedures of rhinoplasty to meet your specific goals.

3) Turbinates reduction or dysfunction correction

The turbinates’ main function is to control airflow. These are bony structures covered with soft tissue on the sides of the inner nose and they protect the inner nasal anatomy whilst regulating airflow into the nasal cavity.

Rhinoplasty can also correct enlarged turbinates. In some cases, one turbinate becomes constricted because a deviated septum pushes it to one side. Because of this, the turbinate in the opposite nasal passageway grows larger to compensate for the constricted turbinate, which further obstructs breathing.

Turbinate rhinoplasty is also performed to refine turbinates that become swollen due to allergies or other irritants.

4) Projection Adjustment Rhinoplasty

The projection of the nose is the distance that it extends outward from where it meets the upper lip to its tip. If this tip projects too far, it can greatly affect the overall look of the nose. Under-projected noses, on the other hand, can look too shallow and may result in a nose that looks too small in proportion with the other facial features.

To reduce the projection of the nose, a surgeon can trim a portion of the cartilage at its tip. To increase projection, the surgeon may separate and realign your cartilage, pushing it forward and suturing it into a refined position. If there is not enough cartilage in the tip of the nose, the surgeon might use a cartilage graft to supplement it.

5) Osteotomy or repairing Nasal fractures

Osteotomy literally means “cutting of the bone”. An osteotomy is a surgical procedure wherein a bone is cut to shorten or lengthen it or to change its alignment.

There are many types of nasal fractures and unless treated, they can cause obstruction in breathing and result in a crooked or misshapen nose. Fractures can occur anywhere along the nasal “bony pyramid” – the triangle/pyramid-shaped structure of the nose that protrudes from our face. An Osteotomy surgery is performed to straighten the nasal pyramid to aid better breathing.

6) Septoplasty or Correcting a Deviated Septum

Septoplasty is a surgical procedure to correct a deviated septum. The septum is a thin wall of bone and cartilage which separates the nasal cavity into two passageways. It extends from the upper part of the nose, where it connects with the skull, down to the nostrils. A deviated septum can make it hard to breathe and surgery is the only way to fix it.

Septoplasty straightens the septum, allowing better airflow through the nose making breathing easier.

7) Tip Rotation and Reduction

Sometimes, the tip of the nose may lack definition or maybe overly defined, it may lack proper rotation. Rotation is the upward or downward turning of the tip of the nose.

A tip rotation or reduction rhinoplasty is performed to adjust the tip of the nose by reshaping the cartilage. The cosmetic surgeon also pays special attention to the base of the nose, as the base of the nose affects the tension and rotation.

8) Alarplasty or Nasal Width Reduction

When viewing the nose from a lower angle, the nostrils and tip of the nose form a triangle called the pyriform aperture. This is measured from the outer margin of one nostril to the outer margin of the opposite nostril. Generally speaking, the nostrils or the nasal base should not be wider than the distance between the two eyes.

Many rhinoplasty/revisional rhinoplasty patients seeking nasal base reduction have one chief complaint that their nose looks too broad or too wide at the bottom. To reduce the width of the base of the nose, the cosmetic surgeon adjusts the pyriform aperture. An Alarplasty is performed by your surgeon to reduce the width of the nasal base thereby making the angles of this triangle steeper at the point where the nostrils meet the face.

9) Ethnic Rhinoplasty

Each race has unique facial features and aesthetic characteristics. While not every person belonging to a specific race shares all these characteristics, those who do sometimes choose to undergo plastic surgery to change them.

Rhinoplasty is a very popular treatment among those people whose ethnic facial features include a broad nose. Many patients from the African, Asian, Hispanic or Middle Eastern descent opt for a rhinoplasty surgery to reduce the width of their nose from one edge of the nostrils to the other. In order to achieve natural-looking ethnic rhinoplasty results, it is essential to choose a surgeon is skilled in the procedure. A successful ethnic rhinoplasty can change the shape of the nose, alter its structure aesthetic and create balance while preserving the distinctive characteristic features that complement your face.

Deciding on a Nose Job

If you are thinking about getting a nose job, first of all, do your research and look up the best surgeon to do the job for you. Dr. Parag Telang is a well reputed cosmetic surgeon who excels in performing nearly-perfect rhinoplasty surgeries. Once you have decided of the surgeon, set up a consultation with your surgeon to discuss the rhinoplasty. Tell him your goals, your concerns, and expectations. Be a 100% honest and tell the surgeon what bothers you about your nose and how you would like to improve it.

Bear in mind that there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect nose’. Surgery, though, can enhance facial features and emphasize your unique and natural beauty. A plastic surgeon can describe the facial features that make you unique and tell you how changes would enhance your appearance.

Your surgeon will then evaluate the structure of your face and nose along with other facial features. After this evaluation, he will tell you what procedure is best suited for you to a achieve realistic results. The surgeon will also consider your overall health and will discuss with you the cost of surgery, recovery time the risks involved (if any).

See before and after pictures from the surgeon’s previous cases and patients he has operated upon. This will help you in getting a better understanding of how your nose and face will look post the rhinoplasty surgery. Rhinoplasty Surgery Mumbai provides with the best nose job services.

Rhinoplasty Procedure

Rhinoplasty surgery can be performed at a hospital, the surgeon’s clinic or even an outpatient surgical facility. The surgeon will use local anesthesia for this procedure. You’ll receive local anesthesia on your nose, this will also numb your face along with the nose. An anesthesiologist may also give you medication through an IV line that may make you groggy.

Children are usually given general anesthesia.

Once you’re unconscious, the surgeon will make cuts on the inside or between your nostrils which will separate the skin from the cartilage or bone and then start the reshaping. If your new nose needs additional cartilage, the surgeon may remove some amount of cartilage from your ear or deep inside your nose. If still cartilage is required, the surgeon might use an implant or a bone graft. A bone graft is a piece of additional bone that is added to the bone in your nose.

A Rhinoplasty surgery usually takes between one to two hours. If the surgery is complex, it may take longer than that.

Nose Job Recovery

The first week after a nose job, people usually wear a nasal splint. Post surgery, you can expect some swelling and bruising around the eyes which will start to fade after the third day. Although in some cases, swelling may last up to two weeks.

You can expect your nose to have a little bit of swelling, which probably will only be noticeable to you and your surgeon. However, this will also fade away over a period of six months. The final shape of your nose will be prominent only after it has completely healed.

Most important thing to keep in mind is that you must avoid any strenuous activity up to six weeks post surgery. There is very less downtime after rhinoplasty and you may return to your social activities as early as two to three weeks post surgery; without any obvious signs that you have had any procedure done.

Risks of Rhinoplasty

All surgeries, whether cosmetic or general, carry a certain amount of risks. These may include bleeding, reaction to anesthesia or infection. Rhinoplasty may also have an increased risk of:

1) difficulty in breathing

2) numbing of the nose

3) nosebleeds

4) scars

5) asymmetrical nose

Occasionally, patients aren’t satisfied with the results of their surgery. In this case, revisional surgery can be performed. If you are going for a second surgery, you will need to wait until your nose has fully healed before getting operated again. This may take up to a year.