Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, improves the appearance and proportion of your nose thus creating a more aesthetically pleasing face.
Rhinoplasty can change the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow flaring or wide nostrils, correct angle between nose and upper lip. It can correct asymmetry or deviation of the nose. It can correct a birth defect or injury, or help improve breathing problems. If you are considering nose surgery, please contact Dr Vu for a complimentary personal consultation.
To view Dr. Vu’s rhinoplasty photo gallery, click here
Choosing to have rhinoplasty
The best candidates are patients who are looking to improving nasal appearance and not perfection. If you have realistic expectation and psychologically stable rhinoplasty can be right for you. If you have the following concerns, you might be a candidate for rhinoplasty
- A flat nasal bridge
- A large hump on the nasal bridge
- A wide nose or flared nostrils
- A nasal bulbous(large) tip or drooping tip
- A crooked nose
- Difficulty breathing resulting from an injury
Most surgeons prefer to operate when facial growth has been completed which is about 14-15 of age for girls and 16-17 for boys. It is important to consider social and emotional status of teenagers also. Dr. Vu will listen to your concerns and examine your nose. It is important to discuss what is your expectation. He will discuss options, procedures and risks with you so you can make an informed decision.
The Procedure
Rhinoplasty can be performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia depending on extent of surgery in our AAAASF certified surgical suite. There are two types of incisions that may be used when performing rhinoplasty. In a closed procedure, the incision is hidden inside the nose, whereas in an open procedure, the incision is made across the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. Dr. Vu will make a recommendation based on your desired outcomes of the procedure. Depending on specific areas to be addressed, after making an incision the soft tissue will be elevated. The bony and cartilagenous structures can be reduced or augmented. Occassionally cartilage from the ear or artificial materials will be used to further improve the nose. If there is breathing problems, the septum and turbinates might be removed or adjusted.
Recovery
A rhinoplasty is done on an outpatient basis. To help with the healing process, packing will likely be placed inside your nose and a splint placed on the outside. The splint will help hold the bone and cartilage in the new shape as the nose heals. It will remain in place for about seven days, and will then be removed. Dr Vu will provide you with all postoperative instrutions. Generally recovery will take 5-7 days and you can resume non-strenous work. For the several days following your surgery the head should remains in an upright position to minimize swelling. You might also have bruising during the healing period. It is important to avoid sneezing or blowing nose to prevent bleeding. As your swelling and bruising subside after your rhinoplasty, you will begin to immediately notice visible improvements. Finally results may take several months up to a year due to residual swelling.