Nose (Rhinoplasty)

Nasal surgery can improve the shape or size of your nose by raising or refining the tip, removing the hump, or narrowing the bridge. At times this is combined with procedures inside the nose to improve the breathing passages such as septoplasty or turbinate removal.
Most of the incisions are made inside the nose. However, at times well hidden incisions can be made in the skin to narrow the nose. At surgery, excess bone and cartilage are removed and the nose is reshaped.

Patients are usually most comfortable if they are asleep during the surgery. The skin may have bruising for a few weeks.

Swelling slowly goes down over several months. It may take up to a year to see the final refined results, especially in the tip area. A small splint is worn the first week to protect the nose.

Sometimes the nasal passages are bandaged with a sponge-like material; "old-fashioned packing" is no longer necessary. The sponge dressing is usually removed in just several days. A person's insurance can help cover the costs of nasal surgery if it is required to repair the damage done as a result of an injury or to correct breathing problems.