Rhinoplasty

You may have heard your friends call it a "nose job": Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that reshapes, resizes and otherwise improves the appearance of the nose. This nose surgery also addresses breathing problems for people with a deviated septum.

Dr. Levi Young is a board-certified plastic surgeon performing rhinoplasty and other procedures in Leawood, KS. You can see examples of the facial plastic surgery he has performed in our gallery. To arrange a consultation with Dr. Levi Young, please call our staff at 913-341-2188.

Rhinoplasty Candidates

Nose surgery improves the overall appearance of your face. Common reasons for seeking rhinoplasty include the following nose characteristics:

Too large or too small
Undesirable shape
Asymmetry
Humped bridge
Depressions in the bridge
Crooked bridge
Drooping nose tip
Upturned nose tip
Bulbous nose tip
Large, wide or asymmetrical nostrils
Correction of a deviated septum

This effective, popular procedure dramatically improves the balance and proportions of your face with the most subtle of changes. Hundreds of thousands of people undergo this procedure in the U.S. each year.

Your nose has a strong influence on your overall facial appearance. Sometimes, the nose is not shaped or sized in a way that is harmonious with your eyes, forehead, chin and other facial features. Rhinoplasty improves balance and symmetry when looking straight at the face and in profile. The procedure can also provide certain medical benefits for some patients as well.

What is the best age to have a Rhinoplasty?

There isn’t an upper limit age to have rhinoplasty, although patients do need to be able to handle the stress of surgery and recovery. The only real age limitation is on the lower end. While teenagers may hate some features of their nose, it’s necessary for the nose to be fully grown to have this surgery with Dr. Young. For girls, the nose is fully developed by the age of 15 or 16. Boys finish a bit later, at 17 or 18. You cannot have nose surgery prior to those ages.

Nose Surgery Techniques

The nose job – as you may hear people call it – is a plastic surgery procedure. Using state-of-the-art operating facilities, equipment and technology, Dr. Young will complete the procedure with results tailored to your goals. In general, there are two nose surgery techniques:

A closed rhinoplasty, in which incisions are confined to the inside of your nose. Dr. Young re-shapes the underlying structure of your nose using these incisions.
An open rhinoplasty, in which an incision is made across the strip of flesh between your nostrils. This strip is called the columella, and the incision is well-concealed once it heals into a small scar. This technique gives Dr. Young optimal access to the underlying structures of your nose.

The right technique depends on your nasal structure and what areas are going to be re-shaped. Rely on Dr. Young to provide you with complete information about the rhinoplasty procedure and what to expect.

Is the Rhinoplasty recovery painful?

You will experience swelling, bruising, and some potential minor bleeding within your nose. What about pain? The pain is usually not much of an issue. Remember, the incisions made by Dr. Young are very short, so their healing is not painful.

Moving the tissues off the underlying cartilage sounds as if they would be painful, but that’s not the case. Although not painful in the nerve sense, most patients find the subsequent congestion following their nose surgery to be a pain.

You need to expect this, as your nose will be packed to protect it and to handle fluid discharge. You’ll need to breathe through your mouth while your nose is packed. But this comes out, usually 24 hours after your surgery, and you’ll feel less congested and plugged up moving forward.

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Expect to swell and bruise around the nose and eyes. The staff will provide you with tips for reducing swelling and bruising, such as icing the treatment area and sleeping with your head elevated. Your nose will be wrapped in gauze and supported by a splint. The splint will help your nose conform to its new shape and contour as it heals. The splint also protects your nose from bumps and other harmful run-ins. Bandaging and the splint are typically removed with 7-10 days.

Swelling will persist for a few weeks, although a noticeable amount of swelling will dissipate after a week or two. After a few weeks, you will be looking at the new shape of your nose! Very minor amounts of swelling will remain for up to a year, although you are unlikely to detect it because it is so minor. You can assume you are seeing the final shape and contour of your nose after a year.

You will need to take time off from strenuous activity for several weeks. After we find out what your normal activity and exercise routine is, we can give you an exact timeline for gradually re-entering those activities.

You will need to stay home from work for at least several days. Because of the bandaging and splints, some people take additional time off. We'll help you decide what's right for you.

The results of rhinoplasty are permanent. Nothing can stop age-related changes to the nose: As you grow older, gravity can cause your nose to droop or sag slightly. But the overall shape that was achieved with rhinoplasty will be lifelong.

Patient Testimnonial

"Love the new look! One of the best decisions I ever made was trusting Dr. Young and his staff. Thank you for your kind spirit, warm and thoughtful bedside manner, and brilliant surgical expertise."

How soon after Nose Surgery can I exercise again?

The problem with exercise after rhinoplasty is blood flow to the face. Working out too strenuously too soon after your surgery can lead to bleeding. In most cases, light walking is all that should be done. Dr. Young allows patients to begin gentle, not-impact exercise, such as swimming (no diving) or bicycling, in three to four weeks. Running and impact exercise needs to wait. You really need to be patient here, as you can create problems with your healing if you rush things. After about six weeks, your nose structures should be healed, and you can return to most exercise routines. Contact sports may need to wait even a couple weeks more. Ask Dr. Young about this if you participate in sports such as hockey or basketball.

Will I have noticeable scarring from the procedure?

Scarring is not an issue with nose surgery. For the open method, Dr. Young makes a small incision along the columella, the skin at the bottom of the nose between the nostrils. This incision becomes virtually invisible in just a few months. If Dr. Young uses the closed method, the incisions are made within the nose, so there isn’t any visible scarring.

Wearing glasses or contacts after your Rhinoplasty procedure

You can wear contact lenses immediately after your nose surgery, but eyeglasses are a problem. While Dr. Young has your nose in a splint, you can wear your eyeglasses as you normally would. But once the splint is removed, you cannot place eyeglasses on the bridge of your repaired nose.

You will need to tape them to your forehead for a period of at least three to four weeks. This can be frustrating, but your nasal structures are very fragile during the early recovery. Any added pressure, force, or weight can cause damage and potentially impact your final results.

How long before I see my results of the Rhinoplasty procedure?

You’ll be able to see your results immediately, but there will be swelling that will mask things somewhat. Most of your swelling should resolve within three weeks. At that point, although quantifying is difficult, you’ll probably be able to see about 80 percent of your final results.

The problem is residual swelling, particularly at the nasal tip. This can take a full year to completely resolve. It can resolve earlier in some patients. Still, you’ll love most of the changes within that first month after your surgery.

Schedule your Nose Surgery Consultation today

Are you interested in nose surgery to reshape or modify some aspect of your nose? If so, we encourage you to arrange a consultation with experienced Leawood rhinoplasty surgeon Dr. Levi Young. Dr. Young is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has been performing cosmetic procedures of the face, body and breasts for many years. He is personally driven by creating beautiful results for his clients. Please call us today, at 913-341-2188, to learn more about our practice.