Nose Reconstruction

Reduction Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure performed to make your nose smaller. The Surgeon will usually make cuts inside your nostrils to reach the bone and cartilage of the nose. Sometimes, a cut is also made across the skin between your nostrils (the columella) and this technique is called ‘Open Rhinoplasty’. Some of the bone and cartilage will be removed or rearranged to achieve the shape you have agreed with your Surgeon. The skin over your nose won't be touched – it will shrink down to its new shape.

It may be necessary to make your nostrils smaller to keep your features in proportion. Your Surgeon will need to make cuts in the skin of your nostrils to do this. This will leave fine scars on each side.

Augmentation rhinoplasty can make your nose larger or give it more bulk. Your Surgeon may make a cut inside or between your nostrils and reshape the bone and cartilage. You may need extra bone or cartilage (a graft) to build up your nose. Your Surgeon may take cartilage from your ears or ribs, and bone from the back of your elbow, your skull or your hip bone. Sometimes artificial implants are used instead.

The cuts inside your nose are usually closed with dissolving stitches so they don’t need to be removed. If you have stitches on the outside of the skin, these will usually need to be removed. This is usually done about a week after your operation at a follow up appointment in Kingsbridge Private Hospital.