Rhinoplasty

Primary and revision rhinoplasty performed by Northwestern University board-certified plastic surgeons using open or closed technique depending on the structural changes required. The procedure reshapes the nasal bridge, tip, base, and nostrils for improved facial harmony and proportion. Cartilage grafting from septum, ear, or rib is incorporated when structural augmentation or support is needed. Correction of both cosmetic and functional airway concerns is addressed in the same surgical session when indicated.

Rhinoplasty at Northwestern Plastic Surgery is performed by attending plastic surgeons with full Northwestern University academic affiliation, providing access to the comprehensive operative and perioperative resources of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Both primary rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty — which requires navigating the altered anatomy, scar tissue, and potential cartilage deficiencies that characterise previously operated noses — are offered within the practice. The open rhinoplasty approach uses a small transcolumellar incision connecting the intranasal incisions, providing maximal visibility of all nasal structures including the lower lateral cartilages, upper lateral cartilages, septum, and nasal bones, and is preferred for cases requiring significant structural modification. The closed rhinoplasty approach confines all incisions within the nasal vestibule and leaves no external scar, making it suitable for more limited modifications where the degree of structural exposure required is less extensive. Common aesthetic concerns addressed include dorsal hump reduction (the nasal bridge bump), tip refinement for bulbous or poorly defined tips, base reduction for wide or flared nostrils, correction of asymmetry, over- or under-projection correction, and columellar modification. When reduction rhinoplasty would result in inadequate structural support, or when augmentation is the primary goal, cartilage grafting is employed — using harvested septal cartilage preferentially, with conchal (ear) cartilage or costal (rib) cartilage as secondary donor sites when larger grafts are required. Concurrent correction of a deviated nasal septum causing breathing obstruction (septoplasty) and turbinate reduction for nasal airway improvement can be performed simultaneously with cosmetic rhinoplasty when functionally indicated, without additional facility fees in most cases.