Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery)
in Irvine, CA
Rhinoplasty, also called nose surgery, performed in Orange County by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Smith, can change the appearance of the nose by refining the contours or reducing overall size.
The procedure also can be used to improve airflow for some patients who have breathing problems. Dr. Smith has years of experience and extensive specialized training in nose reshaping.
If you would like to learn more about your unique options for rhinoplasty Irvine and Orange County residents are encouraged to call and schedule a consultation with Dr. Andrew Smith at (949)-653-7000.
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Irvine rhinoplasty provider Dr. Smith regularly performs this procedure for patients of all ages, from teenagers (once the nose has finished growing) to the elderly. People seek rhinoplasty to correct conditions including:
In some cases, rhinoplasty may be covered by your insurance plan. To find out if it will be, check your plan documents and talk with a member services representative with your carrier.
Some plans will cover all or a part of the cost of this procedure if it is performed to correct breathing difficulties or is a reconstructive rhinoplasty. Unfortunately, purely cosmetic nose surgery is not covered by insurance, though our practice offers several affordable financing options to help you fit cosmetic surgery into your budget.
During rhinoplasty surgery, the skin is lifted from the underlying framework of bone and cartilage.
Dr. Smith then reshapes the bone and cartilage before re-draping the skin. Those with a deviated septum can have this condition corrected as part of their procedure. Two approaches may be used. In the “closed” approach, the incisions are placed inside the nose with no visible scarring. An “open” rhinoplasty requires Dr. Smith to make an incision on the columella, the strip of skin that separates the nostrils. In this case, a small scar will be visible for a few months after surgery.
For the correction of flared nostrils, a second incision may be made between the nose and the skin of the upper lip to reduce the diameter of the nostrils. It is fairly common to add a chin implant to this procedure to enhance the profile and improve facial balance and harmony. The operation is done under either local anesthetic with sedation (you are awake) or general anesthetic (you are asleep). Most Irvine rhinoplasty patients choose to have surgery under general anesthesia. Most rhinoplasties Dr. Smith performs are outpatient operations, meaning that a stay in the hospital is not needed.
You will awake with your nose bandaged and splinted for stability during the healing process. Many patients feel congested and achy after rhinoplasty, but pain medication will be prescribed for this.
You will receive specific after care instructions from Dr. Smith, who will follow up with you in the days immediately following your surgery. Recovery from nose surgery generally takes 1 to 2 weeks. Most people are back to work in this time frame. While the nose will look dramatically better within a month, it may take a full year for final results from rhinoplasty.
Contact Andrew Smith, MD FACS Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Irvine, Orange County to schedule your consultation.
18 Endeavor Suite 102, Irvine, CA 92618