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Understanding If Rhinoplasty Is Right For You

A well-formed nose lets you breathe freely and brings harmony to your face, allowing your natural beauty to shine. But if your nose detracts from your other features, or if you have trouble breathing, you may be considering a nose job.

Nose surgery requires extra expertise

The nose is a delicately structured organ that poses one of the most complex challenges of facial plastic surgery. By some estimates, up to 15% of rhinoplasty surgeries require re-operation. Spare yourself that agony by finding the most experienced and talented facial plastic surgeon possible at the outset.

Dr. Cecil S. T. Yeung, founder of Houston Sinus Surgery in Texas, has performed more than 4,000 nose jobs. His revision rate for this complex operation is under 1%. If you’re wondering whether a rhinoplasty or septoplasty is right for you, he offers some guidance:

Rhinoplasty improves your whole face

Ideally, your nose should be barely noticeable, so the sparkle of your eyes and your pleasant and engaging expressions take center stage. If your nose or nostrils are overly large, wide, or ill-shaped, however, your nose detracts from the beauty of your other features. A large nose can even make your chin look weak in profile.

Depending on your needs, Dr. Yeung chooses from either a “closed” or “open” rhinoplasty to bring your nose into harmony with the rest of your face. In a closed rhinoplasty, Dr. Yeung doesn’t need to break your septum and can hide the stitches inside your nose.

In an open procedure, Dr. Yeung creates a small incision across the center end of your nose, between your nostrils, so he can gain access to your septum. After your procedure, you have light scarring that resolves over time.

A nose job can fix old injuries and broken noses

A fall, blow, or accident may have broken your septum — the ridge of cartilage that runs down the center of your nose. When you’re only interested in improving the function of your nose by straightening out a deviated septum, your insurance may cover your operation, which is called a septoplasty. Aesthetic improvements — such as a rhinoplasty — are usually not covered by insurance.

Your ethnic identity is preserved and enhanced

Even though you’d like to shorten or narrow your nose, you don’t want to look like you were born into a family other than your own. Your ethnic identity is important to you and should be preserved despite whatever aesthetic improvements you make to your face. Dr. Yeung is an expert at reshaping facial features so that they look better and yet are in harmony with your unique background and culture.

Dr. Yeung also understands the differences in anatomy and amounts of nasal cartilage across ethnicities. If necessary, he takes cartilage grafts from other parts of your nose or other areas to build up your nasal bridge for a long-lasting and beautiful improvement.

Nose jobs resolve sinus problems and breathing troubles

If you have chronic sinus problems, tend to breathe through your mouth, or snore loudly and sleep poorly, you may have a deviated septum. A deviated septum is a condition in which your nasal cartilage bends more into one nostril than the other, blocking the free passage of air.

A deviated septum is often a complicating factor in chronic sinusitis. If your septum is extremely deviated, you may also snore heavily at night, and even gag for breath, waking yourself up. Night snoring and gagging are symptoms of a potentially life-threatening condition called sleep apnea.

Your deviated septum could be a congenital condition, or it might have formed after an accident. Either way, septoplasty to correct a deviated septum for a medical condition such as sinusitis is usually covered by insurance.

Rhinoplasty requires patience

When you finally decide to change your nose, you’re excited and can’t wait to see your results. However, because the nose is so complex, it takes a long time to heal from surgery. You should expect to wait about a year before you can appreciate the full aesthetic benefits of your rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty can be stress-free

You may have been avoiding the nose job you want because you dread the idea of going into the hospital and having a long recovery period. In most instances, Dr. Yeung performs his expert rhinoplasties in the luxury, comfort, and stress-free environment of his own on-the-premises, fully accredited surgical center at Houston Sinus Surgery. Most patients go back to normal activities within 7-10 days.

For a rhinoplasty or septoplasty consultation, contact Dr. Yeung today. You can reach our office by phone or by filling out the handy online form.

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