Rhinoplasty overview
Rhinoplasty, also commonly called a nose job, is cosmetic surgery to the nose to change its shape, or make parts of it larger or smaller. Surgery involves the cartilage and possibly bone of the bridge, tip, and nostrils. Your Charlotte, NC cosmetic facial plastic surgeon specializes in nose jobs, and is an expert in the various kinds of methods used to achieve your aesthetic goals.
Cost, pre-surgery, and recovery of your nose job
The average cost of rhinoplasty depends on the simplicity or complexity of your procedure. You will need general anesthesia for surgery on the bridge of the nose, but possibly not if you are only having surgery on the nostrils. Not having general anesthesia does diminish the cost of surgery. You will have the opportunity to discuss cost during your consultation. At that time, your surgeon will also examine your nose to ensure you are a candidate for rhinoplasty, and answer any questions you may have. Recovery involves bruising and swelling for up to ten days. Your surgeon typically does not use nasal packing. Minor swelling can last for several months after surgery.
Kinds of rhinoplasty
Closed rhinoplasty involves the cartilage and bone on the bridge of the nose. It is usually shaved down or reshaped, and stitches are hidden inside the nose. Open rhinoplasty involves the cartilage within the tip of the nose and the nostrils. If spare cartilage is needed to reshape the tip, it can be taken discreetly from the ear. Stitches are visible either between the nostrils or along the outer edges of the nostrils where they meet the face. As their names would suggest, teen rhinoplasty is a nose job performed on someone in their teens. This is more complicated because the nose is not usually fully developed until ages 14 to 16 for females and 16 to 18 for males. Revision rhinoplasty is also more complicated because it must correct or an operation or multiple operations that have already been done. This means your surgeon will be working with scar tissue and a potentially weakened structure. If you have had a nose job in the past, be sure to inform your surgeon in advance, and wait at least one year between surgeries.
Dr. M. Sean Freeman
Dr. M. Sean Freeman has been practicing cosmetic surgery since 1988, and has helped multitudes of patients achieve their rhinoplasty goals. Dr. Freeman is Charlotte’s most experienced facial plastic surgeon, and is located at the Center for Facial Plastic and Laser Surgery, a state-of-the-art facility in Charlotte. He also specializes in surgical and non-surgical procedures for the lips, cheeks, chin, eyebrows, eyelids, neck, and ears.
Contact Dr. Sean Freeman at Only Faces, Charlotte’s most experienced rhinoplasty surgeon and top facial plastic surgeon, to schedule a consultation to find out what procedure is right for you. Call today.