Rhinoplasty in Salt Lake City UT
Meet Utah’s Leading Rhinoplasty Surgeon
WITH OVER 200 RHINOPLASTIES A YEAR, DR. WARD IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEONS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
The nose is the most prominent feature of the face and, as such, even small deformities or abnormalities can lead to distracting disharmony and facial imbalance. Interestingly, despite its prominent position, the nose is not a feature of the face that is associated with beauty. As humans, we typically recognize the eyes and lips as the source of facial beauty and a nose that is in disharmony with the rest of the face causes the nose to overshadow the eyes and lips. A natural looking nose that blends into the background of the face allows the features of the face that are associated with beauty, e.g., the eyes and lips, to be more noticeable and attractive. You should feel comfortable with your surgeon to ensure that you are on the same page before surgery and you should also feel comfortable voicing any concerns or questions before and after the surgery. We invite you to contact our office to schedule a consultation for rhinoplasty at our Salt Lake City location.
I’m so glad that I put my trust in Dr. Ward. His skill and sense of aesthetic are impeccable and the surgery has changed my life for the better! In addition, his staff is also incredible and hand-picked. They helped ease my nervousness and told me what to expect pre and post-op.
What to Expect for your Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) Procedure
The Consultation
The rhinoplasty consultation is the chance for you and your surgeon, Dr. Ward, to meet and get to know each other. This relationship is important for several reasons. You should feel comfortable with your surgeon to ensure that you are on the same page before surgery and that you will feel comfortable voicing any concerns or questions before and after the nose surgery.
Dr. Ward will evaluate your nose and talk to you about your desired results. He will give you honest and realistic expectations and inform you of any potential risks involved. These risks can vary based on each individual person, so it is important to be honest and upfront during your consultation. Common risks associated with rhinoplasty or any nasal surgery include bleeding, infection, swelling, scarring, septal perforation (hole in the septum of the nose), poor cosmetic result, saddle nose deformity, difficulty breathing, bruising, and temporary tooth numbness, amongst others. Our aim is to decrease the probability of each of these complications from happening, and we will do whatever we can to prevent them from happening.
At the consultation you will have photographs of your nose taken, which can be used for computer imaging; this can be extremely useful when you want to see how you’ll look with a different nose before going through the surgery.
Follow up after rhinoplasty is important and you will be seeing Dr. Ward frequently following the procedure. This is to help ensure that you are healing properly and that you are happy with your results. If you are not happy, we want to know! It can take 18 months before you are fully healed and see the final result, and we will monitor you carefully during this period to ensure proper healing.
Nose Job Simulator
How Much Does Rhinoplasty Cost?
There is not a “set” procedure for rhinoplasty; different patients require different degrees of change. Because of that variability, there isn’t a set cost for nose surgery. The only way to get a firm idea of the cost of a possible procedure would be to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ward. During that consultation, the two of you can discuss the goals of a potential procedure and Dr. Ward can then have a better idea of what would be involved with your surgery, and give you an idea of the cost of the procedure.
Does Insurance Cover Rhinoplasty?
Insurance will not cover a purely cosmetic rhinoplasty, if you want to remove a bump on the bridge, for instance. But if your rhinoplasty is for functional purposes, such as to improve breathing, it could be covered by insurance. In some cases, this could be mutual. For instance, if your nose was broken years ago and you now want to fix it, this could be to improve the nasal passages that were compressed when the nose was broken. Of course, while the surgery will improve function, it will also improve the aesthetics. Dr. Ward can discuss with you if at least a portion of your surgery could be covered by insurance.
What Financing Options Are Available?
Dr. Ward offers financing through several different third parties, such as Prosper and OnSpot Financing.
The Rhinoplasty Procedure
Rhinoplasty is a procedure that usually lasts between 90 minutes and 3-4 hours, depending on the complexity of the case. It is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning that you are not admitted to the hospital after the procedure. The incisions vary depending on what needs to be done, but usually involves a small incision on the columella of the nose (the soft tissue between the nostrils) as well as small incisions inside the nose. These incisions are closed with a dissolving suture and the incisions heal remarkably well, with little to no scar. At the conclusion of the procedure, a splint is usually placed over the nose and splints are usually also placed in the nose to help provide support as the nose heals. The splints are usually removed 6-10 days after the procedure.
Why do people have rhinoplasty?
Patients usually have three areas that come into play when considering nose surgery: cosmetic issues, injury repair, or to improve function.
Cosmetic – If a person feels his or her nose it too bulbous or there’s a bump on the bridge, it can be a real issue. Here are common aesthetic reasons patients seek to make some changes:
- There is a prominent bump on the bridge.
- The nose droops or hooks downward.
- The nostrils are overly flared.
- The nose isn’t proportional with the rest of the face.
- The nose is too big or too small.
- The nose has a bulbous tip.
- The nose is too wide or flat.
- The nose is crooked from a prior injury.
Injury – People often injure their nose, but don’t always opt to correct it. Things like touch football games or even simply bumping into an unseen wall in a dark room can alter the look and the function. Dr. Ward can correct both the appearance and the function.
Function – Some people are born with nasal passages that are too narrow. Restricted airflow can lead to snoring and even sleep apnea. Rhinoplasty can open constricted airways and vastly improve breathing function.
My nose is too wide. Am I a candidate for rhinoplasty?
If you’ve thought this through and considered the cost and benefits, I think that you would be very happy with a rhinoplasty that adds more tip definition and more height to your nasal bridge. This can be done without making the nose look fake or like it has obviously had surgery. You will likely need to have grafts taken from elsewhere in the body, such as the rib. The cartilage from your septum or ear could be used, but in many cases, that won’t be strong enough to provide good, long-term support.
What is Costal Cartilage Grafting?
Costal cartilage grafting is when a surgeon harvests cartilage from one of the patient’s ribs for use in rhinoplasty surgery. Costal cartilage is preferred because it is easy to access, there is minimal pain and discomfort during and after the harvest, and there is low scar visibility. In addition, the cartilage is firm, straight, and plentiful. Costal cartilage is the superior graft choice when septal cartilage is unavailable. Costal cartilage and perichondrium is plentiful, and donor site morbidity is minimal. Warping of the cartilage is also easily managed.
What if I don’t want a full rhinoplasty? Are there any smaller surgeries that would help me feel more confident with my nose?
A: Yes, there are many options! For an answer specified to you, personally, please come in for an appointment. You may want a non-surgical rhinoplasty, which provides real results, but the results, unfortunately, are not permanent. There are also smaller, less invasive options to improve the appearance of the nose.
Would a surgical or non-surgical rhinoplasty give me better results?
Non-surgical approaches work for smaller procedures, however, depending on the level of change you want, a surgical rhinoplasty is likely a better option for dramatic or permanent results.
Is Rhinoplasty Painful?
Rhinoplasty recovery doesn’t involve severe pain in the vast majority of cases. There are some dull aching and potential headaches for a short time. Most patients take pain medication for the first day or two after surgery and then can switch to over-the-counter pain medication.
There will be swelling, bruising, and congestion, but this is not associated with pain. Dr. Ward will place a splint on your nose and may place a splint in your nose. He does not pack the nose after surgery. The splints will stay in place for about one week. A cold compress will help minimize swelling. You’ll need to keep your head elevated as much as possible, even when sleeping, for about a week. You’ll need to avoid strenuous exercise that increases blood flow to the face for a number of weeks.
What Are The Risks of Rhinoplasty?
There are general risks that accompany any surgery: anesthesia reaction, infection, bleeding, poor wound healing, scarring, and changes in skin sensation. Specific to this procedure, the patient may have temporary difficulty breathing through the nose, skin discoloration, or continued swelling, possible perforation of the nasal septum (hole in the septum of the nose, or poor cosmetic results. If further changes are needed, revision surgery may be necessary.
The Recovery
The recovery usually lasts about one week. However, there are some patients who may require a longer period of recovery. There is usually bruising that may show up as black eyes or bruising on the cheeks. This usually resolves by about one week but may last longer. All patients have swelling and although the majority of swelling goes away by about three months, the swelling can take 12-18 months to resolve.
How soon can I resume normal activity again if I get a rhinoplasty?
For most patients, normal activity can be resumed after about six weeks following rhinoplasty surgery. Always be sure to check with your surgery in case there are specific issues that apply to your situation.
How long will my nose appear swollen or bruised after a rhinoplasty?
This surprises many patients to hear, but the nose can remain swollen for eighteen months or longer. Depending on the patient, taping the nose, steroid injections, or massaging the nose may be recommended to even out uneven levels of swelling.
Rhinoplasty Before and After
This patient didn’t like the bulbous nature of her nasal tip and the hump on the nasal dorsum (the bridge of the nose). She underwent rhinoplasty with lateral crural repositioning. The lateral crura are the lateral extensions of the cartilages that form the nasal tip. In this patient’s case, her cartilages were angled too much in the vertical dimension (toward the inner corner of the eyes) and not enough in the horizontal dimension (they should point toward the outer corner of the eyes). By removing the dorsal hump and repositioning the lateral crura to a more appropriate position, her nose gained a more refined appearance.
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