Rhinoplasty is known to be a complex operation in which it is not easy to always get a completely predictable result. This is because there are a large number of anatomic components to the nose that interconnect and establishing harmony and proportions between them as they are changed by the trauma of surgical intervention can have some expected and often unforgiving effects.
The basic concept of rhinoplasty is illustrated in the artistry rendering of the operation by the artist Don Stewart from Alabama. In this exquisite pen and ink rendering the comedic and complex nature of rhinoplasty surgery is illustrated. The basic premise of the artwork is that of a rhinoceros representing the overall name of rhinoplasty. Since the animal has a large horn for a nose, it is easy to see where surgical rhinoplasty gets its name. What a surgical rhinoplasty and a rhinoceros share is the similar derivation of the name, the Greek word for nose.
But within the rhinoceros drawing are the many intricacies of the surgery from antibacterial solution, a scalpel, eye shields, a ruler and a syringe. There are also many kitchen utensils in the drawing which sometimes is how it can feel during a difficult rhinoplasty….you throw everything you know at it (the proverbial kitchen sink) to try and get a good result.
But at the least the many components of the drawing illustrate how its many interconnected parts collectively create an overall image…just like rhinoplasty surgery.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana