Many men and women wish to reshape
their nose to better fit the proportions of their
facial features. In fact, changing the nasal shape
is one of the most common reasons an individual
consults a plastic surgeon. If you want to decrease
or increase the size of your nose, change the
tip or bridge shape, narrow the span of the nostrils,
or alter the angle between your nose and upper
lip, Dr. Mills can perform a rhinoplasty to reshape
your nose. Dr. Mills can also use this procedure
to correct a birth defect or injury, or in some
cases to help relieve some breathing problems.
While there is no age cap for rhinoplasty,
Dr. Mills prefers not to operate on individuals
until they have hit the mid to late-teens, when
the nose is near full development. Typically,
Dr. Mills recommends the earliest age of around
16 years for girls and about 18 for boys. This
standard typically yields the best result, as
one’s facial proportions tend to change
significantly through puberty.
Dr. Mills performs a variety of
rhinoplasty techniques and will determine what
best suits your needs and expectations after a
comprehensive consultation. His recommendations
will be based on your facial and nasal structure
and your personal objectives. (We suggest that
you bring pictures of nasal shapes that you like.)
In your consultation, Dr. Mills will take photographs
of you and review your various options. Typically,
Dr. Mills uses a closed surgical approach for
simple refinement and an open approach to complete
more extensive re-sculpting work. Dr. Mills uses
tiny incisions that will be very hard to find
after several months following your surgery.
• Learn about the Closed Nose Reshaping Procedure in 3D
• Learn about the Open Nose Reshaping Procedure in 3D
Several weeks prior to surgery,
you will meet with our pre-operative patient coordinator.
She will review all of your pre-operative instructions
with you and make sure that you complete all the
necessary laboratory tests and health screenings.
If you are a smoker, you will be advised to quit
smoking at least one month prior to surgery and
not to resume for at least one month after your
surgery. Additionally, there are certain medications,
herbs and potions that she will ask you to cease
taking from two weeks prior to surgery to two
weeks post-surgery. This appointment will also
be a time for you to ask any final questions,
so that you ready for surgery and have an optimal
recovery period.
On your day of surgery, you will
need a responsible adult to accompany you to and
from the surgery center. This individual will
need to be available by phone, so that they are
ready upon your discharge. You will need someone
to stay with you for your first 24 hours following
surgery, since you will be under light general
anesthesia.
You should allow approximately 4
– 5 hours for pre-operative surgical admission,
surgical time and post-surgical recovery on your
day of surgery. You will be in the hands of our
experienced surgical staff, several of whom Dr.
Mills has been working with for more than 15 years.
Our surgical team includes Dr. Mills, a nurse
anesthetist, a circulating nurse and a surgical
technician. All team members share in Dr. Mills’
values and are committed to providing superior
patient care.
After your surgery, you will have
a splint or ‘cast’ on the outer aspect
of your nose and may have gauze packing in your
nose. You will also have a ‘drip bandage”
taped under your nose to catch any surgical drainage.
Dr. Mills recommends that you remain upright as
much as possible for the first few days. We suggest
propping yourself with several pillows and a wedge
to maintain an upright position. This position
will help you breath and sleep easier. You should
expect to breathe through your mouth for the first
several days and we encourage you not to sneeze,
blow your nose, or put your head lower than your
heart.
Your face will likely feel swollen
and puffy for at least the first 24 hours after
your surgery. In addition to sitting upright,
Dr. Mills recommends that you pack ice around
the surgical area for the first 3 days to relieve
discomfort and reduce swelling and bruising. You
will likely bruise around your eyes and cheeks,
but this should decrease within 2 – 4 days
and markedly fade within 2 weeks. You will likely
have some bleeding and drainage from your nose,
so the ‘drip bandage’ will need to
be changed periodically for the first several
days.
In the first days and weeks following
surgery, you will begin to see your new look.
Typically, Dr. Mills removes the packing at 1
– 3 days post-operatively and the splint
5 days post-operatively. You will likely experience
some swelling for the first 3 months, so the final
result may not be apparent for a year or more,
as you continue through the healing process.
Your healing will depend significantly
on how well you follow your post-operative instructions.
You will likely feel pretty good within a couple
of days, but will want to wait to return to work
or school until after about 5 days. (We see patients
return to work or school anywhere from 5 –
14 days after surgery.) Sutures, if any, will
be removed 5 – 7 days post-operatively.
At 2 weeks, you will likely feel close to 100%,
but Dr. Mills advises that you not resume any
physical activity for at least 4 weeks post-operatively.
Until Dr. Mills advises otherwise, you will also
need to avoid any contact sports.
It is important for you to closely
monitor and control contact with your nose to
ensure proper healing. You need to avoid bumping
your nose or face, blowing your nose, and contact
with heavy glasses (or sunglasses) for about the
first month. Lastly, you will want to be careful
with any sun exposure to your face for 2 weeks
before surgery to 8 weeks after surgery.
Dr. Mills will schedule frequent
follow-up visits in the months following your
surgery to closely monitor your healing. If you
experience any unusual symptoms between visits,
we encourage you to call our office.
With rhinoplasty, the complications
are infrequent and usually minor. There is always
a possibility of infection, nosebleed, or reaction
to anesthesia. In rare cases, a secondary procedure
may be required. Examples include correcting a
mild deformity and/or further refinement.
We understand that changing any
facial feature is a very significant decision
and want you to feel comfortable before opting
for surgery. We look forward to meeting you
in consultation to hear your goals and objectives
and encourage you to bring pictures of what
you are looking to achieve. In the meantime,
feel free to email any questions to our patient
coordinator through our
contact us page.
| Rhinoplasty
Post-Operative Information |
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You can expect: |
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To drive after you are completely off your
pain medications, which is usually about 5
days. |
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To resume normal activities after 5 –
14 days, depending on how you heal. |
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To avoid strenuous workouts for the first
4 weeks after surgery. |
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To visit our office frequently in the first
several months after your surgery. |
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To avoid any type of contact with your nose,
including sun exposure, use of glasses and/or
nose blowing for at least a month. |
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To see your final result after about 9 –
12 months, after the swelling has subsided. |
| Does nasal surgery hurt? |
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| Most of Dr. Mills’ patients have
said the recovery is not very painful, but
there is some discomfort. We recommend ice
to treat the discomfort and do prescribe
pain pills for the recovery process. Most
patients only need the pain pills for the
first couple of days. |
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| Will my nose look drastically different? |
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| Dr. Mills likes to be a little conservative,
so that he does not make you look completely
different. However, Dr. Mills recommends
that you bring pictures of noses that you
like, so that he can visually see what kind
of change that you are looking for. |
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| How much time should I take off of work? |
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| Since most people do not want their co-workers
to see their bruising, most rhinoplasty patients
take about 7 –10 days before returning
to work. |
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