A Consultation Will Allow Your Plastic Surgeon To Decide How To Approach Your Nose Job Procedure

Many men and women wish to reshape their nose to better fit the proportions of their facial features. In fact, changing the nasal shape is one of the most common reasons an individual consults a plastic surgeon. If you want to decrease or increase the size of your nose, change the tip or bridge shape, narrow the span of the nostrils, or alter the angle between your nose and upper lip, a plastic surgeon can perform a rhinoplasty to reshape your nose. The surgeon can also use this procedure to correct a birth defect or injury, or in some cases to help relieve some breathing problems.

While there is no age cap for rhinoplasty, many plastic surgeons prefer not to operate on individuals until they have hit the mid to late-teens, when the nose is near full development. Typically, plastic surgeons recommend the earliest age of around 16 years for girls and about 18 for boys. This standard typically yields the best result, as one's facial proportions tend to change significantly through puberty.

Plastic surgeons perform a variety of rhinoplasty techniques and will determine what best suits your needs and expectations after a comprehensive consultation. The surgeons recommendations will be based on your facial and nasal structure and your personal objectives. (Most surgeons suggest that you bring pictures of nasal shapes that you like.) In your consultation, your plastic surgeon will take photographs of you and review your various options. Typically, the plastic surgeon uses a closed surgical approach for simple refinement and an open approach to complete more extensive re-sculpting work. Many plastic surgeons use tiny incisions that will be very hard to find after several months following your surgery.

Several weeks prior to surgery, you will meet with your pre-operative patient coordinator. He or she will review all of your pre-operative instructions with you and make sure that you complete all the necessary laboratory tests and health screenings. If you are a smoker, you will be advised to quit smoking at least one month prior to surgery and not to resume for at least one month after your surgery. Additionally, there are certain medications, herbs and potions that he or she will ask you to cease taking from two weeks prior to surgery to two weeks post-surgery. This appointment will also be a time for you to ask any final questions, so that you ready for surgery and have an optimal recovery period.

On your day of surgery, you will need a responsible adult to accompany you to and from the surgery center. This individual will need to be available by phone, so that they are ready upon your discharge. You will need someone to stay with you for your first 24 hours following surgery, since you will be under light general anesthesia.

You should allow approximately 4 to 5 hours for pre-operative surgical admission, surgical time and post-surgical recovery on your day of surgery. You will be in the hands of an experienced surgical staff, several of whom your plastic surgeon has been working with for a while. Most surgical teams include a plastic surgeon, a nurse anesthetist, a circulating nurse and a surgical technician. All team members share in their plastic surgeons' values and are committed to providing superior patient care.