Quick Fix for a Nose ??
In 2006, nearly 150,000 in the United States underwent nose reshaping surgery. (rhinoplasty) Most of these procedures were undoubtably done for reduction of large humps, wide nasal tips, or long noses. In some patients, however, there is a need for augmentation of too small areas of the nose, such as the nasal bridge (between the eyes) or the middle vault (between the bridge and the nasal tip). In these patients, the concept of an injectable rhinoplasty emerged. Using well-known soft fillers such as Restylane, Juvaderm or radiesse, these are injected into the deperessions of the nose to smooth out any low areas or sharp angles. It usually takes about 15 minutes to do the in-office procedure, the results are immediate, and there is rarely any bruising or swelling. The results may last from 4 to 8 months depending upon what filler is used.
The important questions are: who is an appropriate patient and how does this compare to traditional rhinoplasty surgery? In my opinion, the use of this rhinoplasty technique is very limited but it may have a few uses. For those patients who want to know what the results of rhinoplasty surgery may be, this is certainly a safe (albeit not painless) procedure to do. Personally, if I wanted to know the results of a rhinoplasty, I would defer to computerized digital imaging. (it may be more accurate and is certainly painless) And in cases of financial hardship, this is a shortcut to a result although the repeat costs of injections would eventually exceed the cost of actual surgery. I emphasize again that this injectable technique is only effective for nose areas that need to be built up! There is also the unknown long-term isse of how long does it last? It is certainly not permanent.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana