Rhinoplasty is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. It can be used to:
Reduce or increase the size of the nose
Change the shape of the tip or the nasal bridge
Narrow the opening of the nostrils
Change the angle between the nose and the upper lip
Correct a birth defect or injury
Help relieve some breathing problems
Rhinoplasty can be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the extent of the procedure and the patient's preference. It may be performed in a surgeon's office-based facility, a hospital, or an outpatient surgery center. Complex procedures may require a short inpatient stay. The procedure usually takes an hour or two, but may take longer.
With local anesthesia, the nose and the surrounding area is numbed. The patient will usually be lightly sedated, but awake during the surgery -- relaxed and insensitive to pain. General anesthesia allows the patient to sleep through the operation, and is typically used in children.
The surgery is usually done through the incision inside the nostrils.
