RHINOPLASTY OR NASAL SURGERY

How is it Performed?

Maripaz Duque, M.D.

Plastic Surgeon

Nasal Surgery is the most  frequent procedure of aesthetic surgery. This operation needs an accurate analysis of the nasal anatomy and the relationship between the internal structures in order to modify the nose according the patient face, never taking as a model “magazine noses” or “jet set nasal shapes”. Differences between male and female must be preserved to obtain a natural result. 

Like any other surgical procedure, the patient looking for Nasal Surgery must be examined by the doctor and should have pre-surgical blood test before schedule the operation . The surgery is done under general anaesthesia and in some few cases under local anaesthesia with sedation, always under the anaesthesiologist care . The procedure  lasts 2 or 3 hours and the patient returns home after the surgery .

                                                Surgical preparation  with the anaesthesiologist

In general terms, the surgery is done without external scars. Through the nostrils, the surgeon modifies the cartilages that support the nose, sculpturing them  in order  to obtain a finer nasal tip.

  Internal approach                                  Cartilage  modification

With special chisels and a hammer the dorsum is modified, the hump is removed  and the nasal lateral walls are fractured under digital control by the surgeon, to obtain a narrow nasal pyramid.

   Chisel in position                          Controlled  nasal fractures 

Before fracture                                        After fracture

At the end , the nose is packed with special sponges to arrange the inner nasal lining   and control the bleeding. The skin is fixed with surgical tape and an external splint is  on top of it to maintain the fractured bones in position and protect the nose in case of any external trauma during the post- operative period.                

                                                  Nasal packing                             Skin fixation

           Nasal splint                     Nasal splint in place

The face looks swollen and there are bruises around the eyes and the cheeks. The pain is minimal,  but there may some amount of discomfort because of the nasal packing. The patient must stay semi-seated all the time to prevent bleeding and extreme swelling. Nasal packing is left for 24 to 48 hours.

  3 days after surgery                      10 days after surgery

The nose may remain swollen for 2 to 3 weeks. The nasal splint is left in place for 10 days and the surgical tape is changed weekly by the surgeon , but remains in place for one month.  

10 days after surgery                              3 weeks after surgery

The patient should avoid sun exposure for 3 or 4 months after surgery to prevent skin pigmentation. Final results are evident after 3 to 6 months.

       Before                                               After

      Before                                               After

      Before                                             After