A rhinoplasty, or “nose job” as it is commonly referred to, involves either an augmentation or reduction or the nose. During a rhinoplasty, a number of changes can be made to the nose which include adjusting the structure of the tip, the bridge, and/or the nostrils. The shape and structure of the nose is genetically inherited with the nose continuing to grow through childhood through the teenage years up until the age of 16. Because the nose continues to alter through these years, it is not recommended for an individual to receive rhinoplasty until they are over the age of 16.
Patients typically undergo an augmentation rhinoplasty when they feel that their nose is too flat. The operation consists of adding additional structure to the nose in order to improve the bridge area. Several materials, both natural such as bone and cartilage and man-made, can be used to re-create the structure of the nose. Incisions are typically made inside of the nostril and the structure is then inserted. If the surgeon decides that the best course of action is a bone graft taken from the patient, the donor area is typically the hip, rib, elbow, or the skull. If cartilage is the decided donor, it can either be removed from the ear or from another part of the nose.
If the patient has sustained an injury, it is common for difficulty in breathing to occur. This can be fixed at the same time as the rhinoplasty or can be done as part of a separate procedure. In addition, if the nose has become severely crushed, it may be necessary for skin grafts to be performed but this would involve an additional procedure.
