Some people have hated their nose for as long as they can remember. Fortunately for some they have learned to live and love some rather large proboscises — yeah, we’re talking to you Karl Malden and Jimmy Durante! But you don’t have to learn to love your nose. You can change it with nose surgery by Dr. Lavey.
Why you should think about nose surgery
Colloquially known as a nose job, nose surgery has been around a long time. It is one of the longest tenured cosmetic procedures. The reason for this popularity is that, after the eyes, the nose is the focal point of the face. Sometimes a person feels his or her nose is too large and out of proportion with the rest of their face. There may be a bulge on the middle of the bridge of the nose. The tip may be bulbous and round. The nostrils may be flared.
Or sometimes your nose may not function well, whether due to an injury or from birth. If you’ve had your nose broken it may never have healed correctly so it may be off-center and one or both of the nasal passages may be somewhat blocked. Or the defect may be congenital.
How the procedure is done
Dr. Lavey uses general anesthesia for most of his rhinoplasties. This is because the procedure can be very involved, lasting up to five hours.
He uses an “open” technique for surgeries where bigger changes are desired. This allows him to precisely change the shape of the nasal tip and remove bulges on the bridge. This is the method where the incisions are created across the tissue between the patient’s nostrils. If the goal is to reduce the nose size or shape, or to straighten it, the skin covering the underlying bone and cartilage will be separated and pulled up, allowing the cartilage and bone beneath to be reshaped. Once this has been done, the skin is then re-draped over the surface. Flared nostrils can be narrowed by creating an incision at the junction between the nose and the skin of the upper lip.
If the patient desires changes mainly in the upper two-thirds of the nose, Dr. Lavey may use the “closed” method where all incisions are made within the nose itself. This method is used when smaller refinements are needed; it’s not right for more dramatic changes in the nose shape.
Recovery
Recovery from nose surgery can look worse than it is. There will be bruising and swelling. It may look like you just lost the light heavyweight championship of the world. Immediately after surgery, you’ll be wearing a lightweight splint to maintain the shape of the nose and protect it somewhat. This splint is removed after a week following surgery. Obviously, you can’t sleep on your face until fully healed. Stuffiness is expected after surgery, especially when changes have been made to the septum. Recovery usually takes one to two weeks, but there can be periods of swelling for months, often later in the day or early evening.
If you hate your nose, you don’t have to live with it like a bad roommate. Evict your old nose and have Dr. Lavey reshape it into one you love. Call us at 925-820-3633 and let’s talk about nose surgery.
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