There are many different ways to change a person’s nose with rhinoplasty surgery. Noses can be altered according to gender or ethnicity. They can be revised from a previous surgery. They can also be changed without surgery at all. When it comes to reshaping noses, there are a lot of approaches a surgeon can take and a lot of choices to be made regarding the best way to do the surgery.
Two of those approach options are closed or open rhinoplasty. These are surgical approaches that are chosen by the doctor to determine how the rhinoplasty will be performed, and refer to whether the external soft tissue will be temporarily removed during the surgery.
Closed Rhinoplasty
This is also known as endonasal rhinoplasty and is the less common approach. All the incisions and surgical work is done from inside the patient’s nostrils without removing the external soft tissue. Once the incision is made, the cartilage can be accessed and repaired. Sometimes the doctor has to use endoscopic tools to maintain proper visibility inside the nose, since they are limited to what they can see through the nostrils. Once the repairs and internal shaping is done, the doctor can close the incisions.
Closed rhinoplasty isn’t chosen nearly as often as open rhinoplasty because it is much more limited. The doctor can only work within the nostrils, which is a small enough space without all the surgical tools inside it. Since the doctor is also unable to have direct access to the internal nasal structures, there are also limits to what closed rhinoplasty can accomplish. The approach is usually only done on patients who only need small adjustments on areas easily reached through the inside of the nose.
However, closed rhinoplasty also has decided advantages over open rhinoplasty. Since the work is limited to inside the nose, there’s less time spent in surgery, which usually translates to a shorter recovery time. There’s also a better chance of reduced bruising or noticeable swelling, and any scars from the procedure will be completely hidden inside the nose.
Open Rhinoplasty
This approach is also known as external rhinoplasty, in which the doctor is given direct access to the entire nasal framework. This is accomplished by making small incisions on the outside and inside of the nose, right where the nose joins the rest of the face, then lifting the soft tissue away from the cartilage. Once the doctor can reach the nasal framework, he can change just about anything from the inside out.
Open rhinoplasty is usually chosen because it makes the surgery much easier for the doctor. They are able to directly see and access the nasal bones and cartilage, which makes it easier for them to change the way the nose looks. There is a little more freedom to work on the nose, since the doctor isn’t limited to the inside of the nostrils. Doctors also tend to experience better accuracy and precision with the open rhinoplasty approach, though the procedure is more technically demanding than the closed approach.
Most patients will have an open rhinoplasty, simply because the doctor has an easier time working with the internal and external nasal structures. Major overhauls in the shape and function of the nose will definitely require this approach over closed rhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty from Dr. Bustillo
About half of the procedures performed by Dr. Bustillo are rhinoplasty surgeries. Dr. Bustillo is well-practiced with both open and closed rhinoplasty approaches and makes it his priority to give you a nose that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. With hundreds of patients every year, Dr. Bustillo is one of the best rhinoplasty surgeons in South Florida. Call (305)663-3380 for more information.