Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty in Sacramento near Roseville Folsom and El Dorado Hills
Rhinoplasty is a procedure that can improve the appearance of your nose, as well as its structure and function. It is celebrated for its ability to bring balance to the face and enhance patients’ lives by increasing their confidence and self-esteem. Rhinoplasty can enhance the look of your nose in a variety of ways; it can reduce or increase your nose’s size, change the shape of the tip, narrow the nostrils’ width, remove a bump, or change the angle or distance between the nose and the upper lip.
Breathing problems can be can be surgically addressed at the same time as cosmetic nose surgery is being performed.
It is extremely common for rhinoplasty surgery to be performed at the same time as eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), facelift surgery, or another facial rejuvenation procedure. If there is something you don’t like about your nose, you don’t have to live with it. Today’s rhinoplasty techniques are highly refined and can give you a look you love.
Our Patient Photos
Candidates for Rhinoplasty
The ideal candidate for rhinoplasty is healthy, mentally stable, and expects an improvement — not perfection — in the appearance of their nose.
Rhinoplasty is not recommended for:
- Individuals with unrealistic expectations
- Individuals that have not completed their growth spurt – Surgeons generally wait to operate on girls until they are 14 or 15, and boys a little after that.
- Individuals suffering from certain medical conditions
- Individuals with substance abuse problems that involve cocaine or other vasoconstrictive drugs – Use of these drugs puts patients at risk for major complications, including poor wound healing and nasal septal perforation.
Things to Consider Before Undergoing Rhinoplasty
Financial responsibilities
Fees associated with rhinoplasty surgery performed for purely cosmetic reasons are not covered by health insurance.
Further surgery may be necessary
In some cases, the patients are disappointed with their surgical results. They may choose to undergo additional surgery, or learn to accept the result. Because the results of rhinoplasty surgery take a year to fully appear, patients must wait that long after surgery for additional procedures.
How is rhinoplasty performed?
Rhinoplasty is a highly customizable surgery, and the approached used varies depending on the needs of the patient. There are two main approaches to completing rhinoplasty surgery. In the majority of cases Dr. Perry uses the open rhinoplasty technique, in which the procedure is performed through a small incision made across the small strip of tissue between the nostrils. This approach is best suited for more extensive and complex rhinoplasty surgeries. Less complicated nose surgeries can be performed using the closed rhinoplasty technique, which is performed from the inside of the nose through an incision made along the inside of the nostril.
To reshape the nose, cartilage grafts — using tissue harvested from the nose, ear, or another part of the body — are sometimes used.
Risks of Rhinoplasty
While rhinoplasty is a popular procedure that generally yields good results, risks are inherent in any surgical procedure. The following list covers some, though not all, of the possible risks of rhinoplasty. You will have further discussion about the possible consequences of rhinoplasty with Dr. Perry during your consultation.
Bleeding
In rare cases, bleeding problems occur during or after surgery. To reduce the chances of bleeding problems, avoid aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medications for ten days before surgery. In extreme cases, hematoma (accumulation of blood under the skin) can cause scarring and delay healing.
Infection
Though unusual, infection can occur after rhinoplasty, and may require antibiotics or some other treatment. If cartilage grafts are used during surgery, infection may require their removal.
Scarring
It is possible for rhinoplasty surgery to result in abnormal scars in the skin and the nose’s deeper tissues. In addition, sutures can leave visible marks. Scarring can sometimes be treated with additional surgery.
Damage to deeper structures
Nerves, blood vessels, and cartilage can be damaged during rhinoplasty. This injury can be temporary or permanent, and its potential varies according to the type of rhinoplasty that is performed.
Numbness
Rhinoplasty carries a risk for permanent numbness of the nose. This loss of feeling can be partial or complete, and is impossible to predict.
Asymmetry
As the human face is normally asymmetrical, perfect symmetry following rhinoplasty cannot be expected. In some cases, asymmetry will be marked. In some cases, asymmetry can be treated by laser therapy.
Nasal airway alterations
While your surgeon will take care to preserve and sometimes even improve the passage of air through your nose during rhinoplasty, it’s possible for changes to occur that may interfere with this normal passage of air, including nasal septal perforation.
Delayed healing or wound disruption
Some areas may heal slowly or abnormally following rhinoplasty, and areas of skin may die. This necessitates frequent changes of the wound dressings, or further surgery to remove dying tissue.
Long-term alterations in appearance
Factors unrelated to rhinoplasty, such as aging and sun exposure, can affect the appearance of your nose. In some cases, future surgery will be needed to maintain the results of rhinoplasty surgery.
Complications with cartilage grafts
If the goal of surgery is to alter the appearance of the nose’s tip, cartilage grafts may be needed, and these can introduce complications. Nasal septal perforations can occur, as well as complications of the donor site (the ear) including scarring, infection, and numbness.
Complete Pre- and Post-operative Instructions for Rhinoplasty Patients
To make your rhinoplasty experience a positive one, we have prepared this comprehensive list of instructions. We recommend that you read them over as soon as your surgery day is scheduled. On your surgery day, print them out and bring them with you.