Health Library

Nose surgery - series

Normal anatomy

The nose is made up of bone and cartilage. The size and relationship of the bone and cartilage which make up the nose determine the size and shape of the nose.

Indications

Nose surgery (rhinoplasty) offers improvement in the appearance in cases in which the nose is cosmetically unappealing. Age may also be a consideration.

Many surgeons prefer not to perform cosmetic (elective) rhinoplasties until the growth of the nasal bone is completed (around 14 or 15 for girls, a bit later for boys).

Procedure

With local anesthesia, the nose and the surrounding area is numbed. The patient will usually be lightly sedated but awake during the surgery, and relaxed and insensitive to pain. The surgery is usually done through the incision inside the nostrils. Instruments inserted through the nostril, are used to reshape the bones which make up the nose.

Aftercare

The results of surgery are variable, depending on the initial shape of the nose, but rhinoplasty offers significant improvement in appearance in many cases.

Review Date: 3/2/2023  

Reviewed By: Tang Ho, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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