FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What will my nose look like after surgery?

In general, rhinoplasty, cosmetic nose surgery, is designed to reduce excess cartilage and bone in the nose, removing irregularities and bumps to give a straightened, smooth and, usually, smaller appearance. Adding tissue to enhance certain features of the nose can also occur. The overall trend in modern rhinoplasty is away from over-reduction of tissue which can reduce the ability to breath through the nose and towards individualized treatment of each segment of the nose to give a balanced and refined look without compromising function.

How long does the surgery take and what kind of anesthesia is used?

Usually, Rhinoplasty takes from one to three hours depending on the complexity of the condition of the nose. Most patients have sedation prior to and during the procedure while some patients request a general anesthesia. Nearly all rhinoplasty operations are done as outpatient surgeries.

Is there a lot of bruising afterwards and how long will it last?

This depends again on how complex the procedure is, but in general most patients experience five to seven days of purple discoloration and swelling around the eyes and upper cheeks. The nose itself will be swollen for around ten to fourteen days or longer, but subtle resolution of the swelling at the tip of the nose can take many months after surgery to go away.

I have trouble breathing through my nose and have terrible sinus problems. Will my insurance policy pay for rhinoplasty?

The condition described is usually associated with a deviated septum or a bent internal framework of the nose. Most of the time this results from trauma such as a broken nose but many patients with this condition cannot recall an episode where this might have occurred. The condition described in this question however, could also result from allergies or the two conditions can exist simultaneously. Careful examination is needed before surgery to separate the two conditions. While individual insurance policies can vary, in general, functional surgery to improve breathing is considered a covered benefit in many group policies. If additional correction of a cosmetic deformity of the nose is done at the same time the cost of this part of the procedure is usually not covered by insurance.

Where are the incisions placed during nose surgery?

In general, most or all of the incisions in rhinoplasty are hidden in the inside of the nostril. While external incisions hidden in the creases where the nose meets the cheek can be used to narrow the nose, incisions on the bridge or tip are not usually used in cosmetic surgery of the nose.

Will my nose grow after surgery?

In general, our noses tend to elongate as we enter the middle years of our life and drooping of the tip of the nose can occur in the later years as elasticity disappears from the body. While undergoing a cosmetic rhinoplasty as a teenager or young adult will not prevent the effects of aging on the nose, the final shape that results from this surgery is expected to last a lifetime and regrowth of bumps and deformities corrected by the operation is a rare occurrence.