Nose Reshaping Patient #2

This patient presented to Dr. Sweis concerned about her nose. She had broken it several times earlier in her life and now felt it was too big for her face. She wanted a smaller nose with a more defined tip, but with a very natural appearance. Dr. Sweis performed an open rhinoplasty placing a small incision along the columella. This approach allows for excellent visualization of the underlying cartilage and bone, giving the surgeon more control over trimming and removing the appropriate amount of cartilage and bone, as well as better visualization if using special suturing of the cartilage.

In this patient, Dr. Sweis trimmed and approximated the lower cartilages to better define the tip, trimmed the caudal septum to improve the hanging columella, and broke the nasal bones to narrow the nose (called an infracture). Her post-operative results are only one month after surgery. She should continue to see greater improvement in the definition and size of her nose as the swelling subsides over the first year after surgery.