Cosmetic Nose Surgery

Plastic surgery for the nose, otherwise known as rhinoplasty, is one of the most common forms of plastic surgery performed worldwide. While most people choose to perform rhinoplasty for cosmetic reasons, the operation may also be performed for more functional reasons. Rhinoplasty may be necessary to correct a nose defect following trauma like a road traffic accident or for the restoration of nose function through relief of obstruction.

There are many forms of cosmetic rhinoplasty. Possibilities include bridge enhancement, straightening of crooked noses, removing nasal humps, lifting of drooping noses, nostril width reduction, closing open nostrils and tip refinements. Amongst all of these procedures, however, the most common single procedure would be the use of a nasal implant to enhance the shape and projection of the nose.

A short procedure that can be performed under thirty minutes, the nasal implant is inserted through hidden internal incisions to enhance the bridge, tip and overall length of the nose. It is an especially popular procedure amongst Asians who tend to have flat noses with low bridges.

For most rhinoplasty procedures, most patients would be back at work within five to seven days. I usually advise my patients to avoid heavy manipulation of their noses and contact sports for the first month or so, but other than that they are usually free to do whatever they wish.

Despite being a particularly common choice of plastic surgery, not all patients are necessarily suitable for rhinoplasty. I usually engage my patients in detailed discussions prior to surgery to clearly understand their desires and to ensure that both our expectations can be met. First of all, following the Hippocratic oath of “do no harm”, my primary concern would be that of our patients. I once had to reject a case who had already been operated on six times before by foreign surgeons and had developed numerous past complications. Due to the previous operations, undertaking that operation would have risked the skin of his nose dying.

As surgeons, we remain mindful that the first operation gives the highest chance of success with the least risk; therefore we must do our utmost to ensure its success.