Rhinoplasty For Function and Esthetics

By William H. Lindsey, MD, FACS

Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

. http://www.beauty4eye.com/

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Rhinoplasty For Function and Esthetics

Rhinoplasty surgery, commonly known as a “nose job” can dramatically enhance a person's overall look. By changing the size, shape and appearance of your nose, your surgeon can create a more harmonious and natural looking nose that fits in with your other facial features.

This is achieved by re-contouring the nasal profile, reshaping the tip and/or changing the angle between the nose and the upper lip. Generally, only a small, almost imperceptible incision is needed to perform this type of surgery. Nasal surgery is often described as the most challenging of all facial surgeries.

Rhinoplasty, in particular, requires that a surgeon be trained extensively and have had extensive clinical experience. In order to achieve a truly natural look, your plastic surgeon should look at the individual as a whole. The other facial features, the shape of the skull, position of the ears, location of the lips, eyes and all of the facial bones are taken into consideration when considering the end result.

Cosmetic change to the nose can be performed alone or in combination with functional nasal airway procedures. Surgical techniques have a high success rate for repairing anatomic nasal obstruction.

For instance, almost everyone has a deviated septum to some extent, but only symptomatic people need to consider septoplasty. Also, a deviated septum may not be the only culprit for nasal obstruction. When people breathe in air, nasal air moves upward and along the top of the nose at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. This is a gale force wind, which pulls on the structural framework of the nose, just like the sides of a house in a storm.

Some people have weaker structures, and the nose compresses during breathing giving significant nasal symptoms. Reinforcing the supports of the nose and its cartilage can often result in a huge symptom relief, even if the septum is not necessarily addressed. While these procedures may be more involved than having only a septoplasty, many facial plastic surgeons are trained to address these problems using cutting edge surgical techniques.

To summarize, a great philosophy on rhinoplasty is “The best nose is one which does not call attention to itself”. That way the rest of the facial features the eyes, lips and smile can shine through for themselves without having to compete with the nose.