Patient's Experience Having Rhinoplasty Performed by Dr. Kim

http://plasticsurgerybh.com

Observe the experience of an actual rhinoplasty patient from initial consult to final result and learn more about nose surgery from Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. David E. Kim.

Often referred to as "nose surgery," rhinoplasty is designed to reshape a person's nose by reducing or increasing its size. This procedure can help to create better balance, improve facial contour, and enhance appearance by:

Changing the shape of the tip or the bridge

Narrowing the span of the nostrils

Changing the angle between your nose and your upper lip

Correcting a birth defect or injury

The main focus of rhinoplasty is to alter the bone and cartilage of your nose, because your skin and connective tissue essentially "hang" on a "frame" of cartilage and bone. During your surgery, small incisions are made on the inside of your nose, or in the columella (skin that separates the nostrils), before a selective amount of soft tissue is separated from the cartilage and bone. The surgeon will than alter the cartilage and/or bone to achieve your desired look; for example, bone may be removed or cartilage may be reshaped. During you consultation with Dr. Kim, you will learn which technique -- "open" or "closed" rhinoplasty -- is best to utilize for your surgery.

Rhinoplasty is typically performed while under general anesthesia or, depending on the type of nasal procedure, under local anesthesia with a sedative. The length of the surgery depends on the intricacy of the surgery. For instance, altering the size of the nostrils along with the nose can take about one to two hours, but surgery to correct a birth defect is known to last longer because it can be more complicated.
The final step of surgery is the reattachment of soft tissue. Your nose then will be held in place with a splint (similar in idea to splinting a broken arm); a plastic or metal splint will be taped to the outside of your nose, and smaller splints may be placed within your nostril to allow your new nose to heal properly.

Video produced by Spore Medical,
http://www.sporemedical.com