[custom_adv] Rhinoplasty is performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. [custom_adv] Through these incisions, the skin that covers the nasal bones and cartilages is gently raised, allowing access to reshape the structure of the nose. An overly large nose may be reduced by removing bone or cartilage. Sometimes surgery of the nose may require the addition of cartilage grafts. [custom_adv] Most commonly, cartilage from the septum, the partition in the middle of the nose, is used for this purpose. Occasionally cartilage from the ear or rarely a section of rib cartilage can be used. If the septum is deviated, it can be straightened and the projections inside the nose reduced to improve breathing. [custom_adv] Once the underlying structure of the nose is sculpted to the desired shape, nasal skin and tissue is redraped and incisions are closed. Additional incisions may be placed in the natural creases of the nostrils to alter their size. [custom_adv] For a few days, splints and gauze packing may support the nose as it begins to heal. Get more information about rhinoplasty results. Rhinoplasty, sometimes referred to as a "nose job" or "nose reshaping" by patients, enhances facial harmony and the proportions of your nose. It can also correct impaired breathing caused by structural defects in the nose. [custom_adv] Nose surgery that's done to improve an obstructed airway requires careful evaluation of the nasal structure as it relates to airflow and breathing. Correction of a deviated septum, one of the most common causes of breathing impairment, is achieved by adjusting the nasal structure to produce better alignment. [custom_adv] A nose job (technically called a rhinoplasty) is surgery on the nose to change its shape or improve its function. It can be done for medical reasons -- such as to correct breathing problems related to the nose or correct disfigurement resulting from trauma or birth defects. [custom_adv] If you are thinking about getting a nose job, set up an appointment with your surgeon to discuss it. During that meeting, talk about your goals and tell the doctor what bothers you about your nose and how you would like to change it. [custom_adv] Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect nose. Surgery, though, can enhance facial features and emphasize your unique and natural beauty. A plastic surgeon can describe the facial features that make you unique and tell you how changes would enhance your appearance. [custom_adv] The surgeon will evaluate the structures of your nose and other facial features. After this evaluation, he or she can tell you if your expectations are realistic. The surgeon will also consider your overall health and should discuss with you the risks, recovery time, and costs involved. [custom_adv] There are various techniques for reshaping the nose. Once you decide to go ahead, your surgeon should describe exactly what he or she proposes to do. If you have health insurance, make sure you talk to your insurer in advance so you know what's covered and what you will need to pay for. Health insurance typically does not pay for procedures that are done only for cosmetic reasons. [custom_adv] A nose job is usually done as an outpatient procedure, meaning there is no overnight stay. You'll get general or local anesthesia. With general anesthesia, you'll sleep through the operation. With local anesthesia, you will be sedated and your nose will be numbed so you are relaxed and unable to feel the pain. [custom_adv] During an operation, the surgeon makes cuts within the nostrils. In more difficult cases, the surgeon may also make cuts across the base of the nose. The surgeon then reshapes the inner bone and cartilage to produce a more pleasing appearance. [custom_adv] Rhinoplasty is performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. [custom_adv] Perhaps since the beginning of time, human beings have been actively engaged in the pursuit of self-improvement. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that plastic surgery may be one of the world's oldest healing arts. In fact, there is documentation of the use of surgical means for correcting facial injuries dating back more than 4,000 years ago. [custom_adv] Physicians in ancient India were utilizing skin grafts for reconstructive work as early as 800 B.C. Later, in European countries, plastic surgery advances were slow in coming. However, eastern medicine took more readily to plastic surgery, and there are many recorded incidents of skin grafts and reconstructive surgery throughout history in that part of the world. [custom_adv] Overall progress in plastic surgery, like most of medicine, was slow over the next few thousand years, as techniques used in India were introduced to the West and then subsequently refined and adapted for new applications. However, there was progress made in medicine during the Greco-Roman period, and that progress was documented in ancient texts which were disseminated overtime throughout civilization. [custom_adv] It was during this period that Roman medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote De Medicina which laid out surgical methods for reconstructing ears, lips, and noses. Then during the early Byzantine period, Oribasius compiled a complete medical encyclopedia entitled Synagogue Medicae. This 70-volume work contained numerous passages dedicated to reconstructive techniques to repair facial defects.
