What is rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, is a surgical procedure designed to change the appearance of the nose by altering its bone structure and/or cartilage. Rhinoplasty is the most common plastic surgery today. It’s best to contact a qualified surgeon for Rhinoplasty in Orange County to get more personalized information and figure out if this intervention is for you.

What is the nose like?

The anatomical structure of the nose is pyramidal (nasal pyramid) and comprises the nasal bridge, the nasal wings - located at the sides, at the bottom; the nostrils - located at the front, also at the bottom; the nasolabial and nasopalpebral groove - forming the lateral edges and the back of the nose.

The nose is also made up of several layers, namely:

- dermal layer (the skin covering the entire nasal region, inside and outside, with a protective role)

- subcutaneous cellular tissue

- the muscular layer (muscles that facilitate facial expressions and are located in the central area of the nose, at the level of the nasal wings and at the root of the nose)

- the osteo fibrocartilaginous layer (comprising a bony skeleton, comprising the nasal bones and the maxillary extension, and a cartilaginous skeleton, comprising the cartilages of the nasal, lateral and auxiliary wings)

- mucocutaneous layer (nasal mucosa)

The inside of the nasal pyramid is separated from the nasal septum into two chambers, called nasal fossae. Each nasal fossa has 4 walls, at the level of which there are several structures, including the sinus ostium, the inferior, middle and superior nasal concha, the orifice of the lacrimal duct, etc.

Nasal cavity

The nasal concha is also called the turbinate and is a particularly important defensive structure of the nasal cavity.

Sinuses

Sinuses are air-filled cavities inside the nose that communicate between the nasal and paranasal cavities. Sinuses also play a key role in rhinological diseases (rhinitis, sinusitis).

Corrections that can be made by rhinoplasty

Resizing the nose and harmonizing with the facial structure

Resizing the nose to harmonise it with the facial structure can usually be done by one of two types of rhinoplasty, namely reductive or augmentative, depending on the need. Thus, reductive rhinoplasty means correcting the shape of the nose if there is a nasal protuberance, and augmentative rhinoplasty means enlarging certain parts of the nose to achieve balance in the facial structure.

Reshaping the nose and correcting the nasal profile

Sometimes the problem is not, as we would expect, related to the overall size of the nose or the existence of a protuberance at the bridge of the nose, but may be due to nostrils that are too large, a bridge of the nose that is too wide, or simply a nose shape that does not fit symmetrically with the rest of the face. Rhinoplasty can also be used in these cases, for a more pleasing appearance and increased self-esteem. As for the nasal profile, a 3D simulation of the patient's desired appearance can be requested to know in advance the shape that will be achieved by surgery.

Restoring nasal symmetry

Restoring nasal symmetry may be necessary after suffering an accident that has resulted in a deformed nose or to correct a birth defect (a congenital malformation such as cheiloschisis or a cleft lip).

Repair of nasal deviations

Nasal septum deviation is one of the most common conditions requiring intervention on the nose. The deviation can be corrected by a separate procedure called septoplasty, but most of the time the patient will also require a change in the aesthetic appearance of the nose - this is because often the shape of the nose is slightly, or more pronouncedly, altered by the deviated septum.

Reducing or eliminating snoring

To remedy snoring, either septoplasty or nasal turbinate reduction, or sometimes both, is needed. In this case too, rhinoplasty can be used to correct the above and to restore an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the nose by correcting the nasal profile.