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Rhinoplasty in San Francisco with Dr. Roy Kim

July 5, 2018

Are You a Candidate for a Rhinoplasty?

What Are Common Nose Refinements?

How Does A Rhinoplasty Enhance Your Facial Features?

What is the Recovery from a Rhinoplasty Like?

What Should You Expect With Your Long Term Rhinoplasty Results?

How Do You Book a Consultation?

 

 

Am I a Candidate for a Rhinoplasty?

If you feel that your nose is too big for you facial features, there is a bump on your nose which detracts from your profile, your nose is too wide in proportion to your face, you have asymmetry of your nose that detracts from your overall aesthetics, the tip of your nose is a bit wide compared to the rest of your nose, or you have previous nasal trauma and difficulty breathing, then you are probably a great candidate for a rhinoplasty.

There are many other reasons for wanting a rhinoplasty, but in general, the above mentioned reasons are the most common as to why patients seek my expertise in nasal surgery to help them achieve their aesthetic goals.

You are not a candidate for rhinoplasty if you have a medical condition that prevents you from having general anesthesia, or you have a bleeding disorder that is not controlled.

Also, if you have had a previous rhinoplasty, then you may not be a good candidate for revision rhinoplasty. Scar tissue and concerns about blood flow may limit your ability to heal and have most aesthetically pleasing result.  

 

What Are the Common Nose Refinements?

If your nose is too large compared to the rest of your face, then a rhinoplasty that refines your nasal bone, cartilage, tip, or other features may help you achieve more facial balance.

If you have a bump on your nose that is noticeable from a profile view, then a rhinoplasty can remove the bone or cartilage. The profile of your nose should be straight after your rhinoplasty, and your profile will be more in line with your chin and the rest of your face.

Your nose may be too wide in the bony part of the nose, just under your eye areas and near your cheeks. Usually I would have to create a break in your nasal bones, also known as a nasal in fracture. Then, I carefully place your nasal bones closer together, with the final result of a more narrow nose.

If your nose is wide near the sides of your nostrils, then I remove the skin, cartilage, or both at the sides of your nostrils to narrow them and provide more in harmony with the rest of your nose and face. The incision is difficult to impossible to see, even with no makeup, because the incision is hidden in the natural fold of your nose at the side of your nostrils.

If you have any asymmetry of your nose, then a rhinoplasty can surgically address these concerns.  It’s common for my patients to ask me to correct asymmetry in the bone areas of the nose, or in the cartilage areas of the nose near the tip and base of the nose.  

Sometimes the columella – the area of nose cartilage that is between your right and left nostrils – is asymmetric or is too big in proportion to the rest of your nose. This can be corrected using sutures, extra cartilage strengthening graft, or similar procedures to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing nose.

If the tip of your nose is too wide compared to the rest of your nose and face, this is called a “bulbous tip,” and can be treated by tightening the cartilage at the nasal tip, removing the excess cartilage that is causing the increased nasal width, or repositioning existing cartilage in the nose to have a more narrow nasal tip.  

If you have had a broken nose or septum in the past, you may have noticed some asymmetry, difficulty breathing, or sinus problems. With rhinoplasty, I can address these problems. A septum that is more straight should allow you to breathe more easily. To fix the bone in your nose, I may have to re-break your nasal bones and reposition them to get them to be more straight.

 

How Does A Rhinoplasty Enhance Your Facial Features?

The nose is the central area of your face and your eyes are drawn to it naturally. Certain aspects of your nose may draw further attention to it, and refining these areas should help you get an better overall aesthetic result that is in harmony with the rest of your facial features.

 

How is a Rhinoplasty Done?

Most of my rhinoplasty procedures are done with an “open approach.” I make a very tiny incision in the skin between your right and left nostrils, carefully separate the nose skin from the cartilage and bone under the skin, and then do the surgical maneuvers we agreed upon to enhance and address the areas of your nose.

Occasionally I need to use material to build up certain areas of your nose. The most common material is your own cartilage, either from the septum or the ear. Rarely I need to use rib cartilage to enhance your nose.

If you have a wide nose, I will need to do a nasal in-fracture, which means that I need to break your nose at the sides and then bring them in to make your overall nose more narrow.  

What is the Recovery from a Rhinoplasty Like?

Recovery right after your rhinoplasty varies depending on what maneuvers I need to do and if you need your bones adjusted. In general, the more procedures you need for your nose, the more swelling you will have and the longer it will take for you to fully heal.

Although most healing occurs within 1-2 months, it takes 6-12 months, and sometimes longer, for all of the swelling of your rhinoplasty to dissipate.  

 

What Should You Expect With Your Long Term Rhinoplasty Results?

Long term results after rhinoplasty are fairly stable and should last for years. Just be patient with healing and swelling – nose swelling after rhinoplasty takes a long time to fully settle down, typically a year and occasionally longer than that.  

 

How Do You Book a Consultation?

Please call my awesome Patient Care Coordinators at (415) 362-1846, or email them at info@drkim.com. They will answer any specific questions you may have, and then schedule your consultation and surgery.  

If you would like to figure out if you are a candidate for rhinoplasty before formally meeting me in my office for a consultation, I can look at your photographs and answer any questions you may have beforehand. There is no charge for this service! Contact my Patient Care Coordinator at info@drkim.com to be able to send your photos securely and privately.

I do charge $150 for a formal in office consultation. During our time in the office, we will collaborate to come up with a plan for your procedure, go over any further questions you may have, and be able to schedule your procedure. I personally do the consultation – I do not outsource the consultation to anyone else.

Do you have any questions or comments? Feel free to ask!

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