Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) in Boston, MA

Nose surgery is one of those procedures that patients have typically thought about for years, even decades. Cosmetic findings with the nose are always right there in front of your face in the mirror every morning. The first thoughts of making changes usually surface in a person’s teenage years and can be a lasting point of dissatisfaction with a person’s self-image.

Reality? Pretty much anyone who doesn’t like his or her nose is a good candidate for nose surgery. The one qualification is age: the patient’s nose has to be fully-grown. This occurs commonly at 15 to 16 for a girl, at 17 for a boy. There are many reasons people seek to change their nose. They usually fall into three categories:

Appearance

This is the most common reason for nose surgery, to change the look of the patient’s nose. The surgery can really impact a person’s self-confidence. These are some of the most common reasons for cosmetic nose surgery:

• The tip droops or plunges
• The tip is enlarged or bulbous
• There is a bump or depression on the bridge
• The nostrils are excessively flared
• The nose is too wide or too large proportionally
• The nose is crooked or off-center

Injury

Sport injuries, car accidents, and other trauma can leave the nose misshapen.

Breathing

Some people are born with constricted nasal passages. Rhinoplasty can open the nasal passages and improve function.

Yes, frequently patients do end up combining both a functional and an aesthetic rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty is a very centralized surgery, so it is possible to combine it with another procedure into a single surgical session. Some patients opt to change the shape of their chin by having Dr. Lin place chin implants. The combination of a more defined chin complements the changes made with your nose. Eyelid surgery would be another option to rejuvenate your eyes while making the changes you’ve always sought for your nose. Your nose surgery will exacerbate the swelling around your upper cheeks and eyes to some degree, but it won’t affect an eyelid procedure.

If you’d like to consider combining procedures, this is something to discuss with Dr. Lin during your consultation.

In cases primarily of improvement of function, insurance plans do cover procedures usually. Any cosmetic or nose shaping regarding outside appearance is not covered by insurance.

In the majority of cases, functional nasal procedures inside the nose do not change the shape of the nose.

Dr. Lin will address what you need to do before coming to the surgery center. This is not a “set” procedure, meaning there are many variables based on the patient’s individual needs. The two of you will decide whether local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia is the way to go. Currently, COVID testing is required 48 hours before surgery.

As discussed in the procedure section, this surgery may be performed using the open method through an incision at the columella between your nostrils or closed with all the incisions made inside the nose. If you are augmenting your nose size, Dr. Lin will likely take cartilage or bone from your rib in rare cases, or he may use implant material. This can create another, albeit minor, recovery site.

After your surgery, you’ll be in bed with your head raised to reduce bleeding and swelling. There will likely be internal dressings that will stay in your nose for one to seven days. Dr. Lin will also tape a splint to your nose for protection and support. Slight bleeding and drainage of mucus and old blood are common for a few days after the surgery.

You’ll need to avoid any strenuous activity for a month, so as not to raise the blood pressure to your face. You can’t blow your nose, and it is best to take baths rather than showers while you still have bandages on your nose. Wear only clothes that button to avoid pulling clothes over your head and hitting your nose.

After your surgery, your nose will be splinted frequently. This protects and supports the new structure. You’ll need to keep your head elevated as much as possible during your first few days of recovery, including while sleeping. You’ll have swelling and both eyes will likely blacken. The splint will come off in one week or so, but your nose will remain swollen for 2 months and up to 1 year for swelling to go down. After that, you will have some residual swelling that can persist for weeks, especially late in the day and at night. Strenuous exercise will have to be put off for several weeks. Obviously, any sport that can impact your nose will need to be avoided for a few months.

On average, one week is enough time to recover. There are patients who take more or take less time following a nose job however.

The first steps in having rhinoplasty involve understanding a few things: is the reason for having a procedure functional in nature or cosmetic/interest in changing the appearance of the nose? If one is interested in changing the shape of the nose, what specific areas are of interest? Having a rhinoplasty requires significant thought and consideration before the procedure.

Rhinoplasty is the most common facial plastic surgery. It is also one of the original plastic surgeries, the first documented rhinoplasty being performed in 1887. This is surgery, so it entails all of the risks inherent with that: excessive bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, infection, and the like. These are all very rare with nose surgery.

Specific to this procedure, there are risks of permanent numbness in and around your nose. Breathing difficulties can develop. The main risk is the patient won’t be satisfied with the changes in his or her nose.

Again, that’s where the experience and training of Dr. Lin benefits patients. Dr. Lin is double board certified in both plastic surgery and in otolaryngology — head and neck surgery. His extensive experience and skill set is fully employed to make sure as best possible that you are pleased with your new nose.

If Dr. Lin uses the closed method, all incisions are made within the nose, so there isn’t any scarring. However, even with the open method, Dr. Lin makes a single incision across the columella, the area at the bottom of your nose separating your nostrils. This is a small incision and it heals quite well. It becomes virtually invisible, plus this is an area that isn’t seen by anyone.

For rhinoplasty surgery, it is advised to usually wait at least a week to three weeks after surgery to fly.

You’ll want to wear makeup to cover some of the bruising after this procedure, which often blackens both of the patient’s eyes. There aren’t any limitations on wearing makeup, as there aren’t any incisions involved other than the small one on the bottom of your nose. The key is not to push on your nose, so as long as you place any makeup carefully it’s not a problem. One thing to consider, however, is that you’ll also have to use care taking it off, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

It’s not makeup, but wearing glasses is a problem after nose surgery. Once Dr. Lin removes your splint, you’ll need to not wear any type of glasses for about 4 weeks. This is to avoid creating a permanent dent in the top of your nose while the bones are healing. If they are absolutely necessary and you cannot switch to contact lenses, you can hold your glasses in place (and off the bridge of your nose) by taping the bridge of your glasses to your forehead using skin-colored tape.