IV Sedation

Surgery is usually performed under IV sedation, which is both extremely comfortable and results in less swelling and bruising than general anesthesia. In most cases involving a reduction in shape or size of the nose, angle, or removal of a hump, the skin of the nose is separated from the underlying skeleton of bone and cartilage. The bone and cartilage are then reshaped and the skin redraped over the surface. Patients who have a deviated septum may benefit by correction of this problem. The incisions are placed inside the nose, unless the surgeon uses an open approach, in which case the incisions are made across the columella (the tissue between the nostrils). In cases where the nostrils flare, the surgeon may make an incision at the junction between the nose and the skin of the upper lip to narrow the flared appearance. It is not unusual to combine rhinoplasty with chin augmentation to improve the profile.