An Introduction to Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, or nose job, is a surgical procedure that alters the shape of the nose. This procedure can be done to remedy medical issues such as breathing, but is mostly done for cosmetic reasons.

This article will cover what rhinoplasty surgery entails and everything you need to know about it before going under the knife. What is it? Why do people get it? What are the risks? And more importantly: Is it worth all of this trouble just for a "better" nose? Let's find out!

This article will give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not this surgery is right for you. It will also cover important information to consider before your surgery and what you can expect after the procedure.

Lets start with the basics. A little history lesson, if you will.

While it may provide aesthetic improvements, rhinoplasty surgery is not a very old practice. It was used throughout the ancient world to alter the appearance of slaves for sale or individuals that were missing noses or parts of their face in battle or from other various injuries. However, we didn't see any true breakthroughs in nasal aesthetics until fairly recently – which means that most of our knowledge on this topic is fairly new and constantly being updated by new research and findings.

It was only in 1982 that the first ever functional rhinoplasty, a procedure that did not include any resection of the nasal structure, was performed. This is when we really started to see rhinoplasty making waves in today's society and its popularity has continued to increase with each passing year.

In fact, it has become such a popular procedure that it is now one of the most frequently done surgeries in the US – second only to breast augmentation. In 2015 alone, there were over 82,000 rhinoplasties performed – that's more than double the amount of breast augmentations! In fact:

The number continues to increase every year and there are only projected numbers for 2016.

While many medical advances have given us newfound options for reconstructive and cosmetic procedures, the rhinoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures that people opt to have done. Why? Because it not only improves the appearance of your nose but it can also help you breathe better and improve your overall health. Many people choose this procedure to correct breathing issues or other nasal conditions such as asthma.

But, let's get back to my original question: "Is it worth all of this trouble just for a 'better' nose?" I'm glad you asked :).

There are many people who believe that having a "perfect" nose is the key to their happiness. While having a better sense of smell or being able to breathe may have some slight effect on your overall well-being, it is important to remember that this procedure is largely based on cosmetic reasons. The reoccurring argument I get when discussing rhinoplasty (or any other cosmetic surgery) is "how would you feel if someone told you they would change something about yourself, like your appearance in order to make themselves more comfortable?" It's hard for me to answer because I can only speculate what I might do if someone asked me that question.

But what if someone said they would change something about themselves so that they could live a better life? What if they were willing to give up the love of their life, or quit their job in order to take care of their sick child? I'm not going to address those issues for now, but maybe another time.

But where I can speak from experience is the fact that there are many people out there whose lives are made miserable by breathing problems and poor noses – and these people come from all walks of life. They are in all different types of relationships, have different kinds of jobs with different hours and different responsibilities; it doesn't matter. The fact is that there are people who suffer every day because of a problem with their nose.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about those people is the very first patient I ever took care of at my own office. She was a beautiful woman in her early thirties who came in with a big problem, but not really a big problem as we now know it. The large majority of rhinoplasties these days are done for cosmetic reasons, and after doing so many facial surgeries as the general surgeon it was an easy transition for me to get into rhinoplasty surgery because I had already been performing this type of procedure for years.

Her problem was one of the most common: breathing. She had been struggling with her nose for years and her breathing had become so bad that she needed an operation to fix it. However, as you can see in the picture to the right, she was missing quite a lot of nasal tissue and this was preventing her from breathing properly.

So that's why she came to see me – not for a rhinoplasty, but rather because she was having a lot of trouble breathing in her nose. Her breathing problems had become so severe that she was having trouble even holding conversations because it was so difficult for her to focus on the words of those around her. Not good.

So after speaking with her and running some tests, I had a very good idea of what kind of surgery we needed to perform in order for her to breathe properly again: a total nasal excision (tracheal shave). This surgical procedure includes removing all of the cartilage and mucosal layer (tissue) from the front, sides and back of your nose. This allows the surgeon to straighten out any curve or bump in your nose that may be causing the obstruction you are experiencing. After this is done, the mucosal lining of your nose is then pulled over the cartilage and stitched into place.

After we performed this procedure on her she was able to finally breathe correctly and without pain. She could finally focus on other things besides breathing problems and work through her problems in life without constant distraction from her breathing issues. This would have never happened had she not had a big enough problem to need a major surgery like a tracheal shave.

Conclusion

So, the answer to my initial question is a simple "yes." It is worth it.

Now go get your surgery!

If you have any questions about this article or if you would like to make an appointment for a consultation, please call us at 1-866-818-4671. We'll be happy to help! You can also visit our website at Precision Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to schedule your appointment with Dr. Cohen or browse through any of our other procedures. You can find out all about the procedures we offer on our homepage and then give us a call right away so we can get you in for your procedure as soon as possible.