Short Nose Rhinoplasty: Short Noses can be made longer

Rhinoplasty surgery sometimes produces unfavorable results.

Many patients present to my practice with the complaint that their nose looks “done” or that they have an ‘operated look” after rhinoplasty.

When we drill down the problems that are causing their dissatisfaction, many times it is because their nose was simply over shorted in the primary rhinoplasty.

This can cause the face to look washed out and not as attractive as it can be.

The other problem that comes with this short nose issue, is that the patients are told by many plastic surgeons that there is nothing that can be done to make things better.

This is simply not true.

I follow an algorithm that leads me to certain answers about the patients short nose and what needs to be done during their secondary rhinoplasty to make things better.

As you can see in this before and after example, the patient looks better with the longer nose.

The nose has also been straightened enough and the dorsal aesthetic lines (the defining shadows of the bridge of the nose) are fairly uniform.

Thus, the treatment of his short nose with secondary rhinoplasty is successful.

What rhinoplasty patients should know about lengthening nose rhinoplasty

I think it is important for patients with short noses, either from previous rhinoplasty surgery or because that is how they are build, to know that there are surgical options that can make a huge difference.

Many times, however, if the patient has had rhinoplasty, they will need to use their rib cartilage as a donor site for the cartilage.

I have not done an en bloc on lay rib cartilage graft in over 20 years.

I use rib cartilage as a donor site for the grafts I need.

For more information about lengthening the short nose, please contact Dr Calvert.