Your nose enhances your facial profile and boosts your self-esteem. However, a wide nasal bone, also called a broad nose, may alter your face aesthetics. Modern rhinoplasty approaches, particularly osteotomy, fix wide nasal bone effectively.
To know about the procedure of wide nasal bone reduction (osteotomy), its types and complications, head down below.
“Osteo” means bone and “tomy” refers to surgery. Osteotomy is an invasive procedure that includes incision of nasal bone to elevate nose shape.
In a wide nasal bone osteotomy, your surgeon makes an incision on the nose structure and enhances facial profile.
See Also: Preservation Rhinoplasty
Why is Osteotomy Necessary for a Wide Nasal Bone?
You may have a wide nasal bone due to your genetics, injury history, or any surgical procedures. However, in fewer cases, it can cause breathing difficulties or other respiratory problems.
Moreover, osteotomy is mandatory to fix the noses underlying anatomy which cannot be manipulated through non-surgical treatment.
Types Of Wide Nasal Bone Reduction (Osteotomy)
The osteotomy techniques used in rhinoplasty consist of:
| Osteotomy Technique | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral Osteotomy | Invasive technique with incisions on either side of nasal bones. | Fixes wide nasal bridge, enhances nasal symmetry, improves facial appearance. |
| Medial Osteotomy | Invasive method with incision near middle section of nasal bones. | Treats deviated septum, promotes nasal breathing, boosts nasal aesthetics. |
| Double Osteotomy | Incisions on both lateral and medial nasal bones. | Major changes to facial features, manages severely deviated nasal septum, promotes breathing. |
| Push-Down Osteotomy | Repositions nasal bones to give downward push to nasal profile. | Manages prominent nasal hump, boosts facial aesthetics. |
| Push-Up Osteotomy | Repositions nasal bones to uplift nasal profile. | Treats flat nasal bridges, respiratory issues. |
| Oblique Osteotomy | Cuts nasal bones at oblique angle to correct deviated septum. | Improves nasal breathing, often performed with other osteotomy techniques. |
How Wide Nasal Bone Reduction (Osteotomy) Performed?
Wide Nasal Bone Reduction (Osteotomy) is a complex procedure that consists of following steps:
Preparation
The surgeon puts the patient under general anesthesia to induce sedation. This helps the surgeon work on your nose without eliciting pain or discomfort.
Incision
Next, the surgeon makes a small cut on the inside of the nose or on the skin between the nostrils (columella) to assess the internal nasal structure easily.
Bone Exposure
Once the incision is made, your surgeon then gently lifts the skin and soft tissues to go deeper into your nasal cavity. This aids the surgeon to assess and isolate the nasal bones.
Osteotomy
Next, your surgeon takes sanitized surgical tools to make incisions on the nasal bones to reshape it. Afterwards, the plastic surgeon repositions the fragment of nasal bones. This allows the expert to realign the nasal bridge according to the patient’s desired shape and size to elevate facial profile.
Closure
Once the required nasal bone anatomy has been achieved, your surgeon closes the nasal cavity with sutures and staples to promote scar healing.
What Are Risks and Complications of Osteotomy?
Like any surgical procedure, osteotomy may cause certain risk and complications:
- Bleeding or nasal swelling
- Post-surgical infection
- Facial asymmetry
- Shortness of breathing followed by nasal congestion
- Loss of sensation or numbness around nasal cavity
Your surgeon will guide you about risks and complications before performing the osteotomy.
Wide Nasal Bone Osteotomy Recovery Timeline
The healing begins once nasal swelling and bruising subsides after osteotomy. Patients experience mild to moderate pain and nasal discomfort after this surgical procedure. However, the recovery takes several weeks in most cases. Also, it may take a few months to a year to notice the changes followed by a wide nasal bone rhinoplasty.
See Also: Wide Nose Ethnic Rhinoplasty
Frequently Asked Questions
Is osteotomy performed alone or with other procedures?
Wide Nasal Bone osteotomy can be executed alone. However, it is commonly performed in combination with other rhinoplasty procedures including tip rhinoplasty or septoplasty to attain optimum results.
What is the eligibility criteria for nasal bone osteotomy?
There is no specific eligibility criteria for wide nasal bone surgery. However, the ideal candidate for this procedure are adults who have good health status and realistic expectations related to this surgery.
How long do the results of wide nasal bone osteotomy last?
The results of wide nasal bone osteotomy can last for many years. However, certain factors such aging, trauma, or other nasal surgeries can affect the corrective changes.
