It is possible to get financing for any surgical procedure, cosmetic or reconstructive. The details depend on your surgeon.

Many people mistakenly believe that nose reshaping is done for cosmetic reasons only. In fact, many people who would benefit from a functional rhinoplasty would also get the side effect of a more balanced nose. This is because the septum, which lies at the root of many upper airway breathing difficulties also happens to form a very important structural component of the nose that impacts enormously on the external appearance of the nose. Deviation of the septum can cause significant breathing difficulties – a problem of much more import than the external appearance of the nose. Addressing this lopsided culprit, which by the way is often covered by most insurance carriers, will greatly aid nasal airflow, and fortunately, also improve nasal shape. In addition, in some cases of trauma, where the nasal bones have been misplaced, nasal airflow is also significantly compromised. Resetting the displaced bones will usually take care of the problem, and again, improve nasal shape. How is this done? Depending on the complexity of the problem, and the surgeon’s preference, the surgery may be performed through an open or closed approach. From a simplified perspective the only thing that separates the two approaches with respect to the final appearance is the presence of a small, usually imperceptible (except to the dog or the lover of the patient) scar at the top of cupid’s bow. From the surgeon’s standpoint, however, the addition of that small opening can greatly facilitate exposure, and help precise matching of one side to the other in the more involved case. To conclude, form is function and function is also form when it comes to nose surgery, fix your breathing, fix your nose.

In closed rhinoplasty the incisions go inside the nose, and are completely undetectable. In open rhinoplasty, the same incisions are used. In addition, the open rhinoplasty requires an incision under the column of the nose between the two nostrils. Generally, the incision heals so as to imperceptible within six months to one year.

If bone repositioning was not done, glasses may be worn as usual. For all other rhinoplasty cases, glasses my rest on top of the external nasal splint while it is in place. After the splint is removed, glasses should not be allowed to rest directly on the nose for one month, or a total of six weeks from the time of rhinoplasty.

Every operation leaves scars. The better question would be “Does rhinoplasty leave visible scars?” The answer depends on whether or not an open rhinoplasty was performed. A small 1/8 inch scar will be present at the base of the nose, between the nostrils. This is highly camouflaged owing to two factors. The first is a natural shadow line that separates the nose from the upper lip. The second is the fact that the area can only be visualized by looking from down up, the “lover’s, or pet dog’s position,” as it has been described. If the nose reshaping can be carried out through a closed rhinoplasty, all scars will be inside the nostrils, and invisible.

The sequence of operative maneuvers in rhinoplasty may change from surgeon to surgeon. As a general rule, once adequate anesthesia is established, either open or close incisions are made, the desired parts of bone and/or cartilage are appropriately reshaped. Once nasal sculpting is complete, the skin is redraped, and the incisions closed.