Rhinoplasty
What is an attractive nose? Quite simply, it is a nose that fits your face. It is not too big or too small, not too pinched or too wide. More than any other feature, it can dramatically change how you, and others, see your face. With rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, people in Danville and Walnut Creek have been able to improve their nose and their overall appearance.
Dr. Mariotti is a board-certified plastic surgeon serving the East Bay. If you'd like to make an appointment, simply request a consultation online or call his office at 925-685-4533.
During Surgery
The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis under sedation and local anesthesia or general anesthesia. There are several different ways that a rhinoplasty may be performed.
- Standard rhinoplasty: Incisions are made inside the nostrils during a standard rhinoplasty. The nasal bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped to improve the external contour.
- Open rhinoplasty: Frequently used for difficult or larger noses, an open rhinoplasty involves one external incision across the columella (strut between the nostrils). Bones, cartilage, and soft tissues are reshaped.
- Tip-plasty: If only the nasal tip is abnormal and no manipulation of the upper or inner nose is required, a tip-plasty may be sufficient. Dr. Mariotti may still decide to cut the columella, if this will assist him in restructuring the tip.
- Septoplasty: Correcting a deviated septum can help improve breathing due to obstructed airways.
- Large nostrils may be reduced through tiny incisions at the outer base of the nostrils with either standard or open rhinoplasty.
In some cases, a proportionate chin will strike a better balance and harmony with the nose so an additional procedure that may enhance the results of your rhinoplasty is chin enlargement.
Showing Off Your New Look
You will go home with an external cast or splint in place which will be removed in 7 to 10 days. The nose may be packed for 24 to 48 hours. External sutures (if any) are removed in 4 to 6 days (internal sutures will dissolve naturally). The majority of swelling and bruising will subside progressively over 2 to 4 weeks. Dr. Mariotti tells his patients that their "Semifinal Results" are evident in 3 months and that the final result continues to materialize over the course of a year to 14 months. But, we are sure you will already be enjoying and showing-off your new look long before that!
