What does a Rhinoplasty procedure involve?

Rhinoplasty is generally performed as an outpatient procedure. The patient is made unconcious under general anesthesia, and the nose is numbed. The procedure can be performed in two different ways; as closed or open rhinoplasty. Both approaches are distinguished by the way the surgeon accesses the interior of the nose. The plastic surgeon decides the best approach in consultation with the patient prior to surgery.

Open Rhinoplasty

In this procedure, the surgeon gets the most comfortable access to the nose cartilage and bone to perform the surgery with the least amount of restrictions. However, the downside of this approach is that the chances of scarring are much higher because the incision is made on the outside of the nose.

The incision is made across the columella, which is the thin strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. This incision enables the surgeon to the lift the skin off the tip of the nose, and gives a precise shape to the cartilage. Once the healing is complete, a small scar is left underneath the nose. Even though the scar is an unwanted result, some surgeons find Open Rhinoplasty a better option in specific cases.

Closed Rhinoplasty

Many surgeons as well as patients prefer the Closed Rhinoplasty procedure because it achieves the same results without the risk of external scars. In this procedure, the incision is made inside the nostril, making it completely invisible from the outside. Even though the freedom of the operating surgeon is curtailed to some extent compared to the Open procedure, Closed Rhinoplasty still allows for many reshaping possibilities. Removal of bone or cartilage, or insertion of an artificial implant can be done with equal efficiency under this procedure.

In Open and Closed Rhinoplasty, there is not much difference except for where the incision is made. Therefore, the pre-op preparation remains quite the same in both cases. General anesthesia is the norm in this surgery, though some surgeons may opt for local anesthesia instead.

While making the choice between the two procedures, the operating surgeon has to consider whether he or she will get enough access to the interior of the nose without the external incision. Secondly, the surgeon has to determine whether getting that access will be worthwhile for the patient, irrespective of the little scar that it will leave.

When the reshaping of the nose is complete, the incision is closed. The stitches that go inside the nostril are dissolvable stitches that do not need to be taken out later. But it takes full three months for the nose to gain its new shape, and the results to finally reveal themselves fully. So even though 90 percent of the result is visible within a week, the remaining 10 percent takes three months to come around.

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