A nose job, also known as rhinoplasty, is a common plastic surgery procedure that can reshape the nose to give it better proportion and symmetry with the face. For those looking into rhinoplasty, it’s important to have realistic expectations of what to expect, both during and after surgery.

Consultation
With a nose job, the surgeon will first speak with you about why you want the surgery; he will also you on the risks and benefits of such a procedure. He will discuss the exact details of reshaping your nose, placing special emphasis on proportion and symmetry. The surgeon will outline each step of the procedure, from checking in to discharge, as well as the weeks that follow the surgery.

Surgery
All nose jobs are performed while the patient is asleep under general anesthesia. A surgeon will make the incision up inside the nose and raise or lower the soft tissues that give the nose its shape. In a nose reduction, cartilage is shaved away until the desired shape is achieved. When a nose needs to be built up, cartilage grafts from elsewhere in the nose, or often from the ear, are used. The incision is closed with small sutures and the patient is moved to a recovery room.

Because the nose is made of bony parts and cartilage, different tools are used to shape the nose. Soft cartilage will be sculpted with a surgeon’s scalpel, while bony sections of the nose are reshaped with an osteotome, also known as a surgical chisel. Files will smooth out rough sections of bone or cartilage. Techniques that can reduce nose bumps, narrow nostrils or build up sections of the nose are all implemented to get the nose to the shape desired.

Upon recover, patients will find that they have a nose splint and likely internal tubes of gauze that support the nose. Most patients are required to keep tubes and splints in place for at least a week as swelling and bleeding subsides. After seven to ten days, a follow up exam will take place for the doctor to check on the healing and keep an eye open for complications.

There are some risks associated with nose surgery that include infection, pooling blood, nasal airway constriction and complications with anesthesia. Other effects, while not common, are asymmetry, scarring, irregularities and nerve damage.