Rhinoplasty

Sound Plastic Surgery Seattle performs aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty using both open and closed techniques, depending on case complexity and patient anatomy. Procedures address concerns including disproportionate nose size, dorsal hump, wide or bulbous nasal tip, nasal asymmetry, and impaired nasal breathing. The practice offers primary rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty for patients with unsatisfactory results from prior nasal surgery, ethnic rhinoplasty preserving natural heritage features, and functional rhinoplasty for structural airway concerns. Computer simulation is available for pre-operative planning and expectation setting.

Rhinoplasty at Sound Plastic Surgery Seattle is performed by board-certified plastic surgeons with extensive experience across the full spectrum of primary, revision, ethnic, and functional nasal surgery. The practice uses computer simulation during the consultation to generate visual references for anticipated outcomes, allowing patients to articulate and refine their aesthetic goals before committing to a surgical plan. Both open and closed rhinoplasty approaches are offered. The open technique — which uses a small transcolumellar incision joining bilateral marginal incisions — provides direct binocular access to the nasal framework including the upper lateral cartilages, lower lateral alar cartilages, nasal bones, and septal cartilage, and is preferred for cases requiring significant structural modification, cartilage grafting, tip refinement, or revision surgery. The closed (endonasal) technique keeps all incisions within the nostrils, reducing external swelling, and is appropriate for more limited modifications in patients with well-supported structural anatomy. Common aesthetic concerns addressed at the Seattle practice include dorsal hump reduction through rasping or osteotomy, tip refinement and rotation through suture techniques or cartilage work, alar base narrowing, and correction of nasal asymmetry. For patients presenting with breathing impairment, septoplasty to correct a deviated septum, turbinate reduction, and spreader graft or butterfly graft placement to open the internal nasal valve can be integrated as functional components — with associated costs potentially covered by insurance where medically necessary documentation exists. Revision rhinoplasty addresses unsatisfactory results from prior nasal procedures, which can range from aesthetic dissatisfaction to functional complications including collapsed internal valve, pinched tip, or over-resected cartilage. Ethnic rhinoplasty is performed with preservation of the patient's natural heritage features as the guiding principle, refining the nose while maintaining cultural identity rather than pursuing a generic template. The practice's accredited on-site ambulatory surgery center allows rhinoplasty to be performed safely with board-certified anesthesiologists without the need for hospital scheduling, giving patients in the Seattle, Eastside, Bellevue, and Puget Sound region direct access to high-volume nasal surgery expertise in a private setting.