Rhinoplasty, also called a “nose job”, is a procedure to improve the appearance and/or function of the nose. Dr. Jeremy Silk is our Rhinoplasty expert at Salinas Valley Plastic Surgery and considers the procedure to be one of his “specialties”.
There are primarily two reasons for a person to opt for a rhinoplasty: aesthetic reasons and functional reasons. Aesthetic reasons any include corrections of a nose for appearance alone. Common issues are a nose too large, too small, perhaps with indentations or bumps in the nose; or to change the shape or size of the nostrils. Functional reasons could be any number of issues in the nose structure making it difficult to breathe through the nose. Oftentimes patients may have both aesthetic and function reasons for opting for rhinoplasty, and they can be combined. Generally Dr. Silk does not perform solely functional surgery (such as a septoplasty), but is happy to combine these procedures when cosmetic improvement is also desired.
Rhinoplasty is a very individualized procedure. Every nose is unique and there are literally hundreds of small surgical modifications available to improve the appearance or function of a nose. The combination chosen is different for every patient, and Dr. Silk spends a great deal of time making sure each issue is properly addressed, both in the office and in surgery. Our state of the art Vectra simulation tool helps define the new nose and make sure the patients will be happy with the plan.
The surgery usually takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and patients go home the same day. It is performed in a surgery center with an anesthesiologist present and the patients are completely asleep. Recovery varies depending on the exact procedure performed. If you are interested in learning more about rhinoplasty, contact our office today to schedule your consultation.