Most of us have things about our appearance that we would change if we could. Unfortunately, some of them we can’t do a whole lot about. For instance, if you’d like to be taller really the only thing you can do is to wear bigger heels. Or if you don’t like the size of your feet, not much you can do about that.
But your nose…that can be changed.
You may think of the procedure as a nose job, but the clinical title is rhinoplasty and Dr. Fedele is expert in all facets of the surgery. The goal is usually to either improve the look or balance of the nose, or to correct its function.
Changing your nose
A bump on the bridge. A bulbous tip. Nostrils that are too pronounced. A nose that isn’t proportional with the rest of the face. There are many things people don’t like about their noses. That’s why rhinoplasty is such a popular procedure.
Nose surgery removes, rearranges, or reshapes the bone or cartilage of the nose to correct irregularities. As one of the main focal points of the face, the nose has a big impact on how people see themselves. In 2015, half a million people opted to have rhinoplasty to change their nose. That’s a lot of people who decided they didn’t have to look at the same old nose every day.
Deciding on your new nose
During your consultation with Dr. Fedele you will discuss how you want to change your nose. The more specific your expectations the better. This should include some research on your part.
An additional advantage of having Dr. Fedele perform your nose surgery is that you can see your changes beforehand. Thanks to Dr. Fedele’s digital imaging capability, we can take your current nose and show how it can change with various surgical options. You can see what the changes will look like step by step and in a before/after format. This takes much of the anxiety out of the procedure.
Benefits of rhinoplasty
These are some of the issues we correct with nose surgery:
- Modifying the bridge
- Reshaping the tip
- Removing a bump on the bridge
- Increasing or decreasing the overall size
- Reshaping or resizing the nostrils
- Repairing a formerly damaged nose
- Improving breathing capacity
The procedure
For nose surgery, Dr. Fedele uses general anesthesia because the surgery can be quite involved. An “open” approach in most common. This is the method where the incisions are created across the tissue between the patient’s nostrils. It allows more significant changes to things such as overall nose size. 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, allowing the cartilage and bone 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 situation is right, Dr. Fedele will use the “closed” method where all incisions are made within the nose itself. This method is used when smaller refinements are needed.
Recovery
After surgery, Dr. Fedele will have you wearing a lightweight splint to maintain the shape of the nose and protect it somewhat. This splint is removed after a week following surgery. Stuffiness is expected after surgery, especially when changes have been made to the septum. You will have bruising and swelling, but a cold compress helps a good deal. Recovery usually takes one to two weeks, but there can be periods of swelling for months, often later in the day or early evening. This is normal.
Who says you have to put up with a nose you hate? Call Dr. Fedele at 216-464-1616 and let’s discuss what nose surgery can do for you.