San Francisco Rhinoplasty (Nasal Surgery)

Rhinoplasty, nasal surgery to reshape the nose, is the most individualized of all the cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. Every face is different and the nose has a lot to do with it. The nose is one of the major landmarks that provides a unique identity to the face. The shape of the nose, and how it relates with the rest of the face, makes it central to facial aesthetics.

Many have tried to define the ideal nose. If one exists it would have to be different for each face. The Golden Ratio (1:1.618) is repeated often in nature and is pleasing to the eye. It is the ideal ratio between the length of the nose and the width of the mouth or space between the pupils of the eyes.

While there are mathematical equations that define the ratios of the ideal length, width and projection of the nose, these are used as guidelines rather than absolute rules. Each rhinoplasty must be adapted to the face that frames it. In my Walnut Creek office, near San Francisco, rhinoplasty is individualized with the assistance of computer imaging.

Computer imaging for rhinoplasty allows you to see yourself as others do. It provides clear visualization of both the front and side views, and allows modifications to be made on screen. This nasal computer imaging allows for an enhanced exchange of information. It allows you to better know what may, and may not, be accomplished, and it allows me to better know what goals you set.

The most commonly treated areas in rhinoplasty are the dorsal hump (the bump on the top of the nose), the nasal tip and the base of the nose. Techniques allow for the reduction of areas that are disproportionately large, and enhancements of areas which are small or have lost definition.

When evaluating my Walnut Creek rhinoplasty patients, it is important for me to evaluate the entire face. The interplay of the nose with the eyes, mouth, cheeks and other important landmarks must all be taken into consideration. A large nose and a small chin can interact to accentuate the disproportion. In other words, a small chin makes a large nose look larger and visa versa.

Attention to proportions an important key to a successful rhinoplasty. Like all of cosmetic surgery, it requires a combination of art and science, an eye for ratios and the surgical skill to craft them.

By: Joseph A Mele, III, MD, FACS
Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery