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Rhinoplasty, or what is sometimes referred to as a ‘Nose Job’, is a nose reshaping surgery to change the appearance of the nose.
The word ‘Rhinoplasty is derived from the Greek words ‘Rhinos’ that means ‘Nose’ and ‘Plassein’ that means ‘to shape’. This surgery improves the nose aesthetically and can also correct any breathing problems. Rhinoplasty is an art form and is also one of the most difficult procedures in cosmetic surgery, and therefore choosing the ‘right’ surgeon is extremely important.
The goals of Rhinoplasty:
The goals of Rhinoplasty are numerous and may include removal of a prominent hump, reduction of the nasal tip, narrowing of the nasal base, and/or elevation of the nasal tip. This operation can change the shape of the tip, reduce or increase the size of the nose or narrow the width of the nostrils. This can be done singularly or in conjunction with internal Septoplasty – a procedure to improve nasal airway problems. Often, improvements to breathing involve reducing turbinates (long and narrow curved bone shelves). Occasionally it is necessary to support collapsed nasal valves.
The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital facility. Once you are anaesthetised, Dr Shahidi will make the necessary cuts just inside the rim of each nostril and will then work through these incisions to shave any excess bone and cartilage. This will reduce the hump; he then repositions the cartilage and bone to narrow the nose and sculpt the nasal tip. In some cases, Dr. Shahidi may make an additional incision across the base of the nose between the nostrils. This incision is usually undetectable once it has healed.
To straighten a crooked nose or to narrow its width, nasal bones are cut. This is done in a controlled way with a specialised instrument and this minimises pain and bruising.In some instances additional support is needed to strengthen a droopy tip. Dr Shahidi will usually construct a graft from your own cartilage or, on occasion, artificial cartilage may be required.
After correcting the framework of the nose, the skin is re-draped and the incisions are closed with sutures. A small splint is applied to the outside of the nose and in most cases an internal splint is inserted to keep the framework of the nose intact.
If your initial consultation reveals nasal blockage, breathing concerns or sinus problems, a procedure called Septoplasty may be performed. In this procedure the partition between the left side of the nose and the right side called the ‘septum’ is reconstructed. This procedure combined with Rhinoplasty can improve the function and the appearance of the nose.
If you are suffering from chronic sinus problems, this can be evaluated with a CT scan of the sinuses. Dr. Shahidi will advise whether a procedure can be done in conjunction with your nasal operation in order to manage sinus symptoms.The Diced Cartilage Fascia graft or DCF graft is a novel technique in augmentation rhinoplasty. It uses a small piece of deep fascia harvested from the temporal region shaped into a small roll and filled with the patient’s own diced cartilage, that can be harvested either from nose, ears or ribs. It is a particularly useful technique for Asian rhinoplasty, as the patient’s own natural tissues are used rather than the use of an implant, that can cause problems such as infection, extrusion or displacement in the long term. The DCF graft works extremely well in patients who have had too much of the dorsum shaved off in a previous rhinoplasty surgery or in cases of a collapsed dorsum from past injuries.
06/06/15
Dr Shahidi is an Australian trained and qualified Specialist Surgeon in Facial Plastic and Ear, Nose & Throat surgery.
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