We all know at least one person who’s had rhinoplasty. But since everyone’s nose is unique, it can be challenging to get answers to all your questions applicable to your specific nose. Like any surgery, it has its risks and benefits. Here’s what you should know.
- Be realistic about outcomes
No two noses are alike, so each surgery will have its own unique nuances. Fortunately, during your rhinoplasty consultation, award-winning, Top Atlanta Rhinoplasty Surgeon, Dr. Burke Robinson, will help put you at ease. First, he’ll learn more about your aesthetic goals and inform you about what can and cannot be accomplished through nose surgery. A 3D imager is used to help illustrate your possible results and address realistic outcomes for surgery. Overall, note that there is no such thing as a perfect nose – the right nose differs from patient to patient and depends entirely on what would look most natural.
- This delicate procedure does require a good bit of downtime
Immediately following surgery, a splint is applied to the nose to help maintain support while the surrounding tissue heals. Then, patients will return to the office after a week to have the splint removed and check the recovery process. Swelling is normal and patients should avoid contact sports or wear glasses for 6 weeks post-surgery. Since each patient’s needs & desires are unique in terms of surgery, the rhinoplasty procedure healing and recovery is a journey up to 1 year full recovery for swelling and tip refinement.
- There are two types of surgical procedures depending upon the patient
The two surgical approaches for rhinoplasty are closed and open. In a closed procedure, the incisions are made within the nostrils and cartilage is manipulated from the interior. In an open procedure, an incision is made across the vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils. This allows for deeper access to nasal structures for more complex cases.
- Rhinoplasty can be used for both cosmetic and functional reasons
Some patients choose rhinoplasty to resolve a slew of cosmetic concerns. Many patients desire to resize of the nose to balance the features of the face, change the width or size of the nose or nostrils, adjust any visible humps or ridges, or change the tip of the nose. Other patients choose rhinoplasty to correct a deviated septum or improve their airways.
Check out our before and after gallery to see the differences!
- If you’ve had rhinoplasty, a second revision procedure is possible
Rhinoplasty is one of the most complicated plastic surgery procedures. Robinson offers revision rhinoplasty, or corrective nasal surgery, for patients who are either dissatisfied with results from another surgeon’s rhinoplasty or broke their nose after already having rhinoplasty.
Revision rhinoplasty tends to take longer than primary rhinoplasty and final aesthetic results are likely seen about 12 to 18 months post-procedure. Given that revision rhinoplasty is a challenging procedure because the original anatomy has been altered, with structures distorted, stiffened, or missing, the predicted degree of improvement from revision rhinoplasty is nearly impossible until after the procedure has been done. However, improvement – rather than perfect – is the most realistic result.
Watch our patient’s rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty videos
To explore rhinoplasty, contact us for a consultation.
