Reconstructive Nose Surgery

About

Before and after rhinoplasty

Enlarge

Mayo Clinic surgeons trained in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery have extensive experience performing complex surgeries, including all types of nose surgeries.

Before your surgery, your surgeon will take into account your nose (nasal) features, the overlying skin and shape of your nose and your preferences. Your surgeon will determine how to help your nose function effectively, and how to reconstruct your nose to its most functional form and pleasing appearance. Your surgeon and treatment team will discuss with you prior to your surgery what to expect before, during and after your nose surgery.

During nose surgery, you'll have local or general anesthesia. Your surgeon may make incisions only inside your nose (closed procedure), or he or she may make an incision across the tissue separating your nostrils (open procedure). Your surgeon then will lift the flaps of skin and soft tissue covering your nose so that the surgery can be done. This allows your surgeon to alter your nose shape, repair a deviated nasal septum or perform other procedures.

Nose surgery can modify bone (the upper third of the nose), cartilage (the lower two-thirds) or both. Some nose surgeries require changing the position of skin from your forehead or cheek to your nose. Some procedures rebuild the nose using tissue from other areas, including cartilage removal from the partition in the middle of your nose (septum) or ear, bone removal from other areas of your body or use of artificial materials.

Once your surgeon has completed the procedure, your surgeon will replace the flaps of skin and soft tissue to cover your nose and close your incisions. Incisions may be placed in the natural creases of your nostrils. You may have a splint outside your nose, and/or splints or dissolvable material inside your nose for about a week as your nose heals.

You may have one of several types of nose surgery.

• Nasal reconstruction. You may have nose (nasal) reconstruction surgery if your nose has been injured or altered due to trauma, previous surgery, tumors (nonmelanoma, melanoma or internal nasal tumors) or other problems.
• Nasal septal reconstruction (septoplasty). You may have a septoplasty to repair nasal airway problems due to misalignment of the cartilage and bone structure that supports your nose and separates it internally into two sides (deviated nasal septum), which may result from trauma or other conditions. Surgeons may perform this surgery to improve your breathing or nose function, and this surgery usually doesn't alter the external appearance of your nose. Surgeons may perform the surgery with no external incisions, or with the open approach. Sometimes surgeons also will use a tube with a light and small video camera attached (endoscope) that projects images onto a computer monitor (endoscopic septoplasty).
• Rhinoplasty. You may have a rhinoplasty, a procedure that alters the external appearance of your nose, either for cosmetic reasons (cosmetic surgery) or to help with nasal airway function. In rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, your surgeon may alter various parts of your nose, which your surgeon will discuss with you before the surgery. This procedure may shorten or lengthen your nose, change its shape or contour, narrow your nostrils, or lift and define your nasal tip. Revision rhinoplasty sometimes may be performed as a second procedure if you've previously had nose surgery. Your surgeon may recommend additional procedures, including chin enhancement, to further improve your profile.