Rhinoplasty is a procedure that reshapes the nose to improve its appearance or function. For many people, a prominent, asymmetrical or bumpy nose leads to extreme self-consciousness and lack of self-esteem. Rhinoplasty offers these patients a chance to improve their appearance by eliminating what they consider to be an undesirable physical feature.
A Rhinoplasty can change the nose by altering its size, sculpting the nasal tip, removing nasal bumps by contouring nasal bony tissue or by correcting other deformities. In addition to cosmetic nasal surgery, a “Functional Rhinoplasty” can be preformed to improve a patient’s airway function and sense of smell or patients who suffer from recurrent nosebleeds, sinus infections and sinus pressure headaches caused by airway obstruction.
The Procedure
During the procedure, Dr. Patrick Swier will expose the tissues of the nose—most of which are cartilage—along with the small bony tissue at the top of the nose. These are the tissues that will be sculpted to refine the appearance of the patient. If surgery will leave the tip of the nose out of line with the rest of it, Dr. Patrick Swier will also sculpt the nasal tip. If there is a deviated septum and airway obstruction he will correct this as well along with the contouring of bony nasal tissue if needed. In some cases the bony tissue of the nose must be broken to be repositioned.
Key Facts
Good Candidates: Patients must be at least 18 years of age who no longer experience growth spurts and have healthy facial tissues and muscles. Patients should be healthy and not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that would impair healing, should not smoke and have a positive outlook but realistic goals in mind.
Anesthesia: General anesthesia
Length of procedure: This procedure takes approximately 1-2 hours but times may vary from patient to patient depending on several factors.
Length of stay: Typically the patient will go home same day
Discomfort: Swelling, soreness and bruising around the eyes, cheeks and mouth can last several days and may take 1-2 weeks to resolve completely. Pain level may be mild to moderate and controlled with pain medications but will vary from patient to patient.
Recovery: The patient will be required to rest quietly, keep head elevated for several days. It is wise to stay at arm’s reach of children and out of situations where your nose could be accidentally bumped during the healing period. It is very important to precisely follow post-op instructions given by Dr. Patrick Swier to ensure proper healing and exceptional results. Patients are typically able to go back to work 1 week after surgery.
Final result: Approximately 2 – 4 months as bruising and swelling resolves, however, it may take several months and possibly a full year for swelling to fully dissipate.
Duration of results: Results will last many years as long as the patient follows all post-op instructions and maintains a healthy lifestyle; specifically, avoiding use of tobacco products
