Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that modifies the visible shape of the nose. This operation may be classified as either cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, depending on the reason for its performance. When changing the external nose is done to make this prominent facial feature more attractive, it is a cosmetic operation, but when surgery is required to improve breathing or correct a fracture or gross deformity, it is considered reconstructive surgery.

The proverbial phrase "plain as the nose on your face" indicates the importance of the nose in a person's appearance. In fact, that central importance has been used to punish criminals in several ancient societies. The first rhinoplasties were recorded in India, in , and were performed as reconstructive surgery on such penalized individuals.

Up until the 20th Century, elective surgery was fraught with a nearly prohibitive amount of pain and danger. With advances in Anesthesia, the use of sterile technique and the invention of antibiotics, rhinoplasty- along with other elective surgery, experienced an enormous increase in safety.

Goals in rhinoplasty

Whether the reason for performing this operation is the desire for improved appearance or the reconstruction of an amputation, some aspects of the goal of surgery are always the same. A long-term outcome of a natural and attractive appearance along with a healthy nasal airway are both desired. The adjective "long-term" deserves emphasis, because the early decades of rhinoplasty have demonstrated that the appearance of the nose in the first months or even years after surgery may not be representative of the long term result. This is primarily due to two general factors: 1) shape changes from loss of supporting structure, and 2) changes that occur with aging of the skin.