Rhinoplasty in Manhattan

by Dr. Steven Wallach

How do I avoid getting a “plastic looking nose” if I am going to get a rhinoplasty?

It was very common twenty or thirty years ago for patients to have similar rhinoplasty results typically with an over resected nasal dorsum that left a “scooped out” appearance and an over resected nasal tip which left a “pinched” look. The nose often did not “fit” the face properly and left a very “plastic looking” nose sometimes with breathing difficulties. Today, most surgeons perform a rhinoplasty that will improve the appearance of the nose but just as importantly maintain adequate function.

I want an improvement in the look of my nose but I would like to maintain my ethnicity. Is this possible?

This is a question that is asked often. Most patients want to maintain their ethnic look but often with “softer” features. Some patient’s just want a bump on their nose softened or removed, some want a flat nose to be raised, and still others desire slightly narrower noses. A natural result maintaining a patient’s ethnic features is all possible by using subtle maneuvers to achieve surgical goals.

Do you have to break the bones?

Many patients who present for rhinoplasty complain that their nose is too big and they want a bump removed. The bones are gently shaven down to soften the bump. In doing so, the normal pyramidal shape of the dorsum of the nose sometimes becomes flat. In order to restore this pyramid shape, the bones have to slide inward from both sides. This is achieved by precisely cutting the bones and realigning them to recreate this pyramid.