Closed Vs Open Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty, which is also called a “nose job” or “nasal reconstruction,” is a common plastic surgery that is used to make the face look more balanced by making the nose smaller, making the nostrils smaller, cutting the nasal bone, and making the skin on the nose thinner. Rhinoplasty can be performed with two different methods. These methods are open and closed rhinoplasty. In this post, we’ll compare closed vs open rhinoplasty to see which one is better. So, read on to find out.
A nose job can also fix breathing problems, nasal polyps, abnormalities caused by injuries, and chronic allergy-related inflammations. Today, there are two ways to do rhinoplasty: open and closed.
Comparison Of Closed Vs Open Rhinoplasty
The number and size of incisions is the main difference between open and closed rhinoplasty. In open rhinoplasty, the surgeon cuts the sides of the nasal fins, the lower part of the bridge, and the inside of the nostrils to lift the nasal skin and make the necessary changes thoroughly. In closed rhinoplasty, on the other hand, the surgeon does not lift the skin on the nose. Instead, he or she only makes two cuts inside the nostrils.
The other things that make these two methods different are:
- Closed rhinoplasty takes less time to heal from.
- There is more swelling and bruising after an open rhinoplasty.
- Revision rhinoplasty can’t be done with a closed rhinoplasty.
- Open rhinoplasty takes longer to do than closed rhinoplasty.
- When a closed rhinoplasty is done, scars are less obvious.
- Closed rhinoplasty has less of a chance of going wrong.
What’s Open Rhinoplasty?
In open rhinoplasty, which is done under general anesthesia, the surgeon lifts the skin of the nose by making a cut in the columella, which is the part of the nose that is made of cartilage, around the nose’s fins under the bridge. This gives the surgeon better access to the nose’s tip and back, as well as to the septum, the outside of the nostrils, and the cartilage. Open rhinoplasty is usually done when a patient needs a second rhinoplasty or when the nose and tip are too big. Also, people with nasal tumors or birth defects like a cleft lip or dermoid cysts are good candidates for the open nose job.
The surgeon can get to more parts of the nose. Since the skin of the nose is lifted during open rhinoplasty, the surgeon can see different parts of the nose better and fix its flaws more accurately. Also, asymmetry of the nose is less likely to happen with an open nose job.
It is easier to put in grafts and prostheses. The surgeon may need to use a graft or prosthesis to rebuild the bridge and tip of the nose, support the nose’s structure, or lengthen the septum. In open rhinoplasty, it is much easier for the surgeon to put in cartilage grafts and prostheses because he or she can directly reach different parts of the nasal skeleton.
It is better for surgeries that are more complicated. People who have crooked noses, nasal tips that aren’t right, or problems from their first nose job should get open rhinoplasty. This is because the surgeon has better access and can fix most nasal flaws with this method.
Recovery After Open Rhinoplasty
Open rhinoplasty usually takes between four and seven days to heal. However, a patient who had rhinoplasty for medical reasons will need more time to heal. During this time, you’ll have bandages on your nose and two tampons in each nostril. Depending on how big your surgery was, your doctor will decide when to take off your bandages and tampons. Usually, this is 4 to 6 days after the surgery.
But an open nose job does have some side effects, such as swelling, bruising, loss of smell, etc. The good news is that open rhinoplasty’s temporary side effects will go away in 10 to 14 days.
What’s Closed Rhinoplasty?
In closed (endonasal) rhinoplasty, all of the cuts are made inside the nose. So, a special tool is used to lift the skin. Closed rhinoplasty, also called internal rhinoplasty, is less invasive than open rhinoplasty. This means that the surgeon has less access to and visibility of different parts of the nose and can’t change the tip of the nose very much. Surgeons use this method when they don’t need to make big changes to the nose or get into it in a big way.
Best Rhinoplasty Surgeon In The World
Since minor changes are made with closed rhinoplasty, there is no need for big cuts. Also, almost all of the cuts in this method are made inside the nose. After the surgery, the scars were less obvious. In a closed rhinoplasty, almost no cuts are made on the outside of the nose. This means that there will be fewer scars on the skin.
Benefits Of Closed Rhinoplasty
Closed rhinoplasty takes less time because less anesthesia and less cutting are needed. This surgery usually takes between 30 and 90 minutes. A closed-nose surgery takes about five to seven days to heal from. Most of the time, a person can go back to work a week after surgery. Since this method is less invasive and needs less medicine, it has fewer side effects. Since the blood vessels in the skin are not broken during a closed rhinoplasty, the patient will have less swelling and bruising after the surgery.