Nose surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, is designed to reshape or repair the nose by improving the appearance and/or function of the nose. Another procedure associated with rhinoplasty and often performed at the same time is septoplasty, a procedure that opens up nasal passages blocked by a bent septum.
Nose surgery may be performed for cosmetic reasons or for reconstructive purposes, such as correcting breathing problems. Nose surgery can change the size of the nose as well as its width and profile. The nose tip, shape of the nostrils and balance of the nose (nasal symmetry) can also be altered.
Nose surgery aims to achieve the following results:
- – Straighten a crooked nose
- Make the nose look more symmetrical (keeping in mind that perfect symmetry is not always possible)
- Make the nose a little smaller or larger
- Restore the height of a flattened area
- Alter the appearance of the nasal tip
- Reduce the size of large nasal openings
- Correct a hump deformity Improve the look of the nose in relation to the upper lip
- Correct birth defects
- Repair damage caused by injury
- Repair damage caused by disease, such as infection or cancer
- Open up nasal passages and improve breathing often by performing a septoplasty (surgery on the nasal septum as well as rhinoplasty)
Despite careful surgery, about 10% of patients require secondary surgery to correct something about their result which is not ideal.