Rhinoplasty (Nose Job)

The Oaks Plastic Surgery Houston performs rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery) to address aesthetic concerns including a prominent dorsal hump, bulbous tip, wide nostrils, nasal asymmetry, or poor nasal-facial harmony. Surgery may also address functional issues such as deviated septum causing breathing obstruction, in which case the functional and cosmetic work may be combined in a single procedure. Results are planned in consultation using imaging to align patient expectations with what is anatomically achievable. Recovery involves one to two weeks of visible bruising and swelling, with final refined shape emerging over twelve months.

Rhinoplasty at The Oaks Plastic Surgery Houston is one of the most technically demanding procedures in the cosmetic surgery portfolio, requiring precise manipulation of the nasal bone, upper and lower lateral cartilages, and the tip lobule to produce a result that is both aesthetically harmonious and functionally sound. The procedure begins with a detailed pre-surgical consultation and photographic imaging to assess the existing nasal anatomy from multiple angles and model proposed changes within the constraints of the patient's actual tissue. Open rhinoplasty — in which a small transcolumellar incision connects the endonasal incisions and allows the skin envelope to be elevated for direct cartilage visualisation — is the preferred approach for complex tip refinement, significant dorsal reduction, and asymmetry correction. Closed rhinoplasty limits all incisions to within the nostrils and is appropriate for straightforward dorsal hump reduction and minor tip work where direct cartilage visualisation is not required. Dorsal hump reduction involves careful rasping or osteotomy of the nasal bones followed by medial and lateral osteotomies to close the open roof deformity that results from hump removal. Tip refinement techniques vary considerably by anatomy: cephalic trim reduces the volume of the lower lateral cartilages; suture techniques refine tip projection and rotation without cartilage removal; cartilage grafting — using septal, auricular, or costal rib cartilage as a donor source — adds structural support and definition where native cartilage is insufficient. Alar base reduction narrows excessively wide nostrils by excising a small wedge at the alar-facial junction. When nasal breathing impairment coexists with cosmetic concerns — typically due to a deviated nasal septum, hypertrophied inferior turbinates, or both — a combined septorhinoplasty addresses structure and function simultaneously. The functional component may be covered by medical insurance with appropriate documentation of airway obstruction. Post-operative care at TOPS includes splinting the nose for one week, with most bruising resolving by two weeks; swelling diminishes progressively over three to twelve months as the soft tissue redrapes over the refined framework.