Rhinoplasty is surgery to repair or reshape the nose. See also septoplasty (nasal septum repair).

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. It can be used to:

• Reduce or increase the size of the nose
• Change the shape of the tip or the nasal bridge
• Narrow the opening of the nostrils
• Change the angle between the nose and the upper lip
• Correct a birth defect or injury
• Help relieve some breathing problems

Rhinoplasty can be performed under local or general anesthesia, depending on the extent of the procedure and the patient's preference. It may be performed in a surgeon's office-based facility, a hospital, or an outpatient surgery center. Complex procedures may require a short inpatient stay. The procedure usually takes an hour or two, but may take longer.

With local anesthesia, the nose and the surrounding area is numbed. The patient will usually be lightly sedated, but awake during the surgery -- relaxed and insensitive to pain. General anesthesia allows the patient to sleep through the operation, and is typically used in children.

The surgery is usually done through the incision inside the nostrils.

Nose surgery is considered "elective" when it is done for purely cosmetic purposes. In these cases, the purpose is to change the shape of the nose to one that the patient finds more desirable. Age may be a consideration. Many surgeons prefer not to perform cosmetic nose surgery until the growth of the nasal bone is completed (around 14 or 15 for girls, a bit later for boys).

In other cases, nose surgery may be needed for medical purposes. For example, surgery may be needed to treat a serious breathing problem or an injury. Age may be less of a factor.

The risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Bruising

After surgery, small burst blood vessels may occasionally appear as tiny red spots on the skin's surface and are usually minor, but permanent. There is no visible scarring if the rhinoplasty is performed from inside the nose. There may be small scars at the base of the nose that are not usually visible when the procedure calls for the narrowing of flared nostrils.

Rarely, a second procedure may be necessary to correct a minor deformity.