Rhinoplasty FAQs
In my rhinoplasty practice in the San Francisco/Palo Alto/Bay Area, I have found several questions that are commonly asked. Here are a few of them. I may update this regularly. If you have a question that you’d like to ask that is not addressed here, please email info@drmost.com. Or, for more information you can visit www.drmost.com and www.sfrhinoplasty.com.
Rhinoplasty FAQs
Will a septoplasty change the shape of my nose?
Septoplasty is typically done without changes to the shape of the nose. Certainly, it is not the goal of the procedure. In cases where the caudal (bottom) of the septum, near the nostrils, is deviated, correction may result in a difference in appearance.
Note that many patients will elect to have a rhinoplasty (to change the shape of the nose) at the SAME TIME as the septoplasty. Commonly, Dr. Most sees patients in his office for revision surgery who say they had a ‘septoplasty’ many years earlier. In most cases, a rhinoplasty was also performed.
What is the recovery from rhinoplasty like?
Most patients feel the need to take a few days (up to a week) off from work. Typically, the nose is taped for 6-8 days, and this alone often is reason enough to ‘lay low’ for a few days. Usually, the pain is quite well tolerated, and patients are provided with pain medicine to ensure their comfort. We recommend patients follow this schedule:
First week: No strenuous activity
Second week: May begin light aerobic exercise
Third week: May begin lifting weights
Sixth week: May resume full activity
I heard that it takes a year to recover from rhinoplasty—is that true?
Actually, no. However, it can take a full year for the result of rhinoplasty to be ‘finalized’. That is, while most of the swelling, etc. will be gone within weeks, the final tiny amount of swelling within the skin, and changes due to the healing process, can take a year. This is common knowledge amongst those familiar with rhinoplasty, and is probably where the above statement originated.
What is “Ethnic rhinoplasty”?
This term is used to describe rhinoplasty in the non-Caucasian nose, and is perhaps not a good term. Many of the aesthetic ‘norms’ used to describe the ‘ideal’ nose were based upon the Caucasian nose (particularly the female Caucasian nose). Thus, these ‘ideals’, if applied to everyone, would result in disharmonious results. In other words, the nose would not fit the face. Dr. Most realizes this and is one of the first to promote ethno-centric rhinoplasty. In other words, there are no ‘cookie-cutter’ rhinoplasties. Each patient is evaluated individually and surgical goals are made together, with the patient, to achieve a natural result. The result is a natural rhinoplasty, with a form that is in harmony with the other facial features.
Are there special considerations for Asian rhinoplasty?
Yes (see above). Dr. Most’s philosophy is to evaluate each patient individually. In Asian rhinoplasty, there are typically a few commonalities in anatomy that must be looked for and recognized if present. For example, the request is often made to ‘raise the bridge’ of the nose. Some surgeons perform the same surgery for all Asian rhinoplasty surgeries. However, not all noses are the same. Furthermore, not all patients with the same nose will want the same look from surgery. Therefore, it is imperative to have surgeon with both experience and the patience to listen to your concerns/desires before proceeding with Asian rhinoplasty.