Open and Closed Techniques in Rhinoplasty

    /24-7PressRelease/ - MANHATTAN, NY, December 30, 2007 - The rhinoplasty procedure is inarguably one of the most difficult and complex cosmetic surgery procedures. Patients who desire a change are faced with the task of choosing the ideal "new nose" for their face while cosmetic surgeons must work with the existing structures to sculpt and reshape the nose to meet their patients' goals.

Your cosmetic surgeon will decide whether or not certain changes are possible, and how feasible subtle or dramatic changes may be. In addition, they will use their eye for aesthetics to advise for or against certain alterations based on the results that you would like to see.

In the midst of all of the decision-making that occurs before rhinoplasty surgery, your cosmetic surgeon will also choose the technique that will give you the best results. The two most common techniques are the open and closed rhinoplasty procedures:

· Open rhinoplasty - The internal nose structure is accessed through an incision in the columella (the fleshy part that separates the nostrils). The surgeon pulls back the layer of skin to access the nose for reshaping. The open option allows your surgeon access to more of the nose structure - he or she can see and feel more of the cartilage and nose tissue through the incision site, whereas some of the alterations using the closed technique are done without a visual. The scar from open rhinoplasty is small and heals well on most patients.

· Closed rhinoplasty - The incisions are made on the inside of the nostrils. The skin is then pulled and lifted to reveal underlying bone and tissue. For some reshaping efforts, the surgeon must feel his or her way around the nose structure without the benefit of a visual guide. Although this technique may be more difficult to maneuver, it is less invasive, less time consuming, and patients may move through the healing process faster with no visual scarring.

You may be wondering which procedure will give you the results you desire. The best thing to do is to allow your cosmetic surgeon to evaluate your desired results and make a recommendation for the type of procedure they will perform. Depending on his or her background, experience, and personal preference, they may be more comfortable with one technique in particular; others may practice both on a regular basis.

Some physicians feel the level of accuracy is better with the open technique, particularly when performing extensive rhinoplasty revision procedures. Your best technique will depend, on the nature and complexity of your nose reshaping. If you are making significant changes to several parts of the nose (bone, cartilage, tissue), the closed technique may not allow you to make certain extensive changes.

For more information on the open and closed rhinoplasty procedures, visit the website of New York-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Howard T. Bellin, a respected physician who has performed more than 4,000 rhinoplasty procedures.

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