Dr. Lee performs rhinoplasty in order to reshape the nose. Appearance can be improved for those people who are dissatisfied with the shape and size of their nose. Nasal reconstruction was one of the first cosmetic procedures ever developed and is among those most frequently performed today. Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure in which deformities of the nose are corrected by removing, rearranging or reshaping bone or cartilage. Indications for surgery include reducing the size of the nose, removal of bumps as well as improving the angle of the nose. Conditions may be natural or due to external trauma to the face. The operation can be performed on all age groups, including teens and the elderly.
In most cases involving a reduction in shape or size of the nose, angle or removal of a hump, the skin of the nose is separated from the underlying skeleton of bone and cartilage. The bone and cartilage are then reshaped and the skin redraped over the surface. The incisions are placed inside the nose, unless Dr. Lee uses an open approach, in which an incision is made across the tissue between the nostrils connecting the incision placed inside the nostrils. In cases where the nostrils flare, the surgeon may make an incision at the junction between the nose and the skin of the upper lip to narrow the flared appearance. It is not unusual to combine rhinoplasty with chin augmentation to improve the profile.
Most patients will resume their normal activities within one to two weeks. Following surgery, a lightweight splint is applied to maintain the new shape of the nose and is removed usually at the one week follow up appointment. There is always some stuffiness of the nose, especially when work has been done on the nasal septum. Bruising can occur around the eyes, but will begin to fade within a few days after surgery and the discoloration will usually diappear in two weeks.