Rhinoplasty means "nose molding" or "nose forming." According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 300,000 men and women underwent Rhinoplasty in 2005 to improve the size and shape of their nose. In addition to correcting breathing problems or injury. Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip of the bridge, narrow the span between its nostrils and alter its angle.

Rhinoplasty is more than surgery — it's an art form. The plastic surgeon should create a nose that is yours uniquely and is harmonious with your face. Plastic surgeons generally recommend that patients wait until they are at least 14 or 15 to undergo Rhinoplasty.

At one time, a "one nose fits all" approach to Rhinoplasty was the norm – with many patients having their noses "Westernized" to fit an outdated ideal of attractiveness. Today, Ethnic Rhinoplasty addresses the particular concerns of patients of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds, who wish to enhance their appearance while maintaining their ethnic identity. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 1.3 million cosmetic surgeries were performed on ethnic patients in 2004, an increase of 44 percent since 2000. Among African American, Hispanic and Asian Americans, Rhinoplasty was one of the most commonly requested procedures. "Ethnic" traits addressed by Rhinoplasty include the dorsal hump and drooping tip often found on patients of Mediterranean descent (Jewish, Persian, Greek, Italian), the lack of cartilage in African American patients, the low or flat bridge in Asian patients and the weak broad drooping tip of many Hispanic patients.

carefully, giving thorough considerations to what you want, and what is realistically possible. The best candidates for Rhinoplasty are those who are emotionally and psychologically mature, and are looking for improvements - not perfection.

Augmentation Rhinoplasty - Nasal Implants

Rhinoplasty or nose surgery performed on most Caucasian usually involves some sort of reduction in the size of the nose. In particular, the nasal hump, or the large nasal tip is reduced.

On the contrary, rhinoplasty for most Asians and African-Americans involves enlargement or augmentation of the nose! In these cases the flat nasal bridge is heightened or the projection of the nasal tip is increased. This requires a different type of rhinoplasty, one that involves use of nasal implants.

How Is Nose Augmentation with Nasal Implants Performed?

This is a procedure that should be performed only by a highly skilled plastic surgeon, with experience in ethnic nasal surgery or rhinoplasty. Generally, the surgery involves the creation of a nasal pocket for insertion of the specially designed implant. The incision is made inside the nose, with dissection along the dorsum or top of the nose to create the appropriate space for the implant. Rarely, sutures are used to hold these implants in place; instead a tight fit pocket will hold in the nasal implant in the appropriate place. After surgery, the implant is kept in the correct place by wearing a nasal splint for a week.

What are the specific risk and potential complications for nasal augmentation with implants?

In general nasal augmentation is a very safe procedure. Typically, the nasal implant surgeries that carry a higher risk for complications are revision surgeries. It is not unusual to encounter people in such circumstance who have had a history of multiple nasal surgeries. In these instances the circulation to the nasal skin is sub-optimal, thus there is a higher chance for implant extrusion or displacement, infection, skin breakdown, and scarring. The best way of minimizing complications with nasal implant surgery is to have realistic expectations, use autologous grafts when feasible, and to seek a plastic surgeon who has had adequate experience in nasal implant surgery.