5 SurprisingFacts About Open Rhinoplasty
Open rhinoplasty or closed rhinoplasty? The two approaches to rhinoplasty surgery certainly have their pros and cons, but top Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Buonassisi sees one as more superior to the other. He discusses misconceptions of open rhinoplasty versus closed rhinoplasty in the above video, and details them below as 5 facts that may surprise you as well.
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Before we continue on about open rhinoplasty, we would like to mention that at 8 West Clinic, we believe at the forefront that educated patients are happy patients, and this is why Dr. Buonassisi has compiled his 20 years experience performing rhinoplasty into a must read eBook. This is an essential tool for anyone considering cosmetic nasal surgery. Download your free copy now.
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Open Rhinoplasty
Open rhinoplasty is recommended for patients who would benefit from significant changes to the tip area of their nose. When I speak to rhinoplasty candidates, they often tell me, “I don't want open rhinoplasty because I'm afraid of scars,” or, “If I have open rhinoplasty, won't my recovery time be longer?” While the thought of an open rhinoplasty can be a little off-putting, the reality is that it causes less disruption of the underlying nasal tip cartilages, doesn't lengthen recovery time in any way, and allows your surgeon to use an extensive array of tip sculpting techniques that are not an option with a closed approach.
1. Imperceptible scars.
The columellar incision used for an open rhinoplasty is made in an inverted V shape so that when it heals, it's almost imperceptible. This “v-plasty” technique is used by plastic surgeons specifically to disguise scars - surprisingly, straight incision lines are far more noticeable when healed and that is why the inverted v is used.
2.Hidden location.
Besides the v-plasty technique, the incision is not visible in open rhinoplasty because it is placed in the columella (the skin that separates the nostrils). This skin is oriented in such a way that it faces the ground and is not visible on front or side view. The vast majority of patients are hard pressed to find the scar once it has healed.
3. Subtle, natural changes.
Surgeons use open rhinoplasty to make noticeable and lasting changes to the nasal tip. For example narrowing and rotating the tip can have dramatic effects on overall facial balance. Precise and long lasting reconstruction of the tip cartilages is facilitated by the excellent exposure of the the nasal anatomy afforded by the open approach. Only so much can be done to the tip through closed rhinoplasty—but the options are wide open (pardon the pun!) with open rhinoplasty.
4. Less trauma.
Contrary to popular belief, the underlying nasal structures are disrupted less with open rhinoplasty (as opposed to closed where cartilages often need to be separated from one another to allow for exposure of the nasal bridge. With the open approach the nasal skin is elevated over the tip cartilages allowing them to maintain their natural relationships. This allows unparalleled exposure, more room to work, and less trauma to the tip structures.
5. You still have options.
After doing your research and speaking to Dr. Buonassisi during your consultation, you may still be set on closed rhinoplasty. Good news: as a rhinoplasty expert, Dr. Buonassisi can likely make changes you will be happy with using a closed approach—so long as you have the proper expectations of what is possible. The most important thing is to discuss the possibilities and determine whether there are any cosmetic limitations that you should expect from the approach you choose. Computer imaging will help immensely with this discussion during your consultation.
Find out which rhinoplasty approach will work best for you. Book a consultation with Dr. Buonassisi today.