Thinking about hump reduction rhinoplasty but have lots of questions? You are not alone. This week we caught up with rhinoplasty specialist Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, to get his take on some of the most common questions patients who are considering cosmetic nasal surgery often have. Dr. Buonassisi is a board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon and has 15 years experience doing a high volume of rhinoplasty surgery.
Q: Is it Possible to keep my Dorsal Hump on the Bridge of my Nose while having a Rhinoplasty to Elevate and Define my Tip?
A: Yes, but you might be Disappointed with the Results.
Rotating the tip while leaving the hump could accentuate the hump even more, or result in what we call a "shark nose" that looks short and round on profile view. "A good rhinoplasty", says Dr. Buonassisi, "is one that looks natural - and this typically involves making a series of slight changes to several parts of the nose, including the bridge and tip. This is how we achieve a harmonious, natural-looking result that is balanced with the rest of the face." Essentially, having a perfect tip with a hump on the bridge would likely look strange. Not to mention, if the overall objective is to improve the appearance of the nose, leaving the hump, which is an eye catching nasal feature, could ruin the result. When patients request that I leave the hump alone, they are usually have a deeper concern...
Q: But won't you have to break my nose in order to reduce my hump?
A: Yes, however if you are under the impression that this adds extra pain or recovery time to your rhinoplasty, it does not.
Sometimes patients make requests during surgical consultations because they have misconceptions about certain aspects of surgery. This may influence them to make "iffy requests that can influence the outcome of the surgery in a negative way. There are several common iffy rhinoplasty requests, and requesting that the surgeon leave the hump alone is one of them. This is because many people are under the impression that having a hump reduced involves "breaking the nose" and that the recovery will be much more painful and longer. This simply isn't true.
A hump reduction is done with precise, surgical bone cuts called osteotomies and does not increase the pain or recovery time of the procedure. Regardless of whether you have a hump reduction, your rhinoplasty recovery time will be between one to two weeks.
8 West Cosmetic Surgery rhinoplasty patient with hump reduction and tip refinement by Dr. Buonassisi.
Q: If you don't think I would like the way my nose looks if I kept my hump, how would I know for sure?
A:Any rhinoplasty surgeon who specializes in the field will do computer imaging as part of their consultation. This is an essential tool for communication of the possible outcomes of the surgery. Allow your surgeon to show you what your nose would look like with or without the hump during the consultation and then you can make your decision.
Q: How does my rhinoplasty surgeon know what looks good?
A: Facial plastic surgeons who specialize in rhinoplasty have spent years studying globally accepted facial features and ideals of beauty.
These are the same around the world, regardless of the culture. In every country, a hump on a nose is considered to be less attractive than a straight bridge.
Do you have more questions about reducing your hump during your rhinoplasty, or rhinoplasty questions in general? Go here to book your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Buonassisi at 8 West Cosmetic Surgery in Vancouver.
