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Can Excessive Cartilage Be Removed Without Breaking the Nose?

asked 2 years ago by 7862anon in williamsburg,va
Latest answer by Jay Calvert, MD
Question viewed 1,681 times
Tags: cartilage, tip

The only part of my nose I do not like is how big the tip is and how much larger it appears when I smile. I have wanted to have it fixed for 25 years, but I fear having my nose broken. I am trying to find the best plastic surgeon in Virginia----please recommend.

18 answers to Can Excessive Cartilage Be Removed Without Breaking the Nose?

Cartilage Removal Without Nasal Fractures

Tip reduction or contouring is possible without nasal fractures depending on your goals. Rather than worrying about the surgery, consult an experienced surgeon so you can make an informed decision.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty involves reshaping the cartilage and possibly breaking the nasal bones. However, not every rhinoplasty requires breaking of the bones. It really depends on your anatomy and what the goal of the surgery is. To give you better advice, it would be best if you post some pictures. Good luck with your surgery.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty without osteotomies

I find it difficult to answer a question like this without really seeing the photographs. Anything is possible in rhinoplasty surgery in terms of what combinations of techniques spell success in surgery. However, I find it troubling when patients say - I want a rhinoplasty, but please do not break my bones. Well, what if that limits the result? Would you really sign up for surgery and then limit your own result? Probably not. Its like saying, "I... more

Jay Calvert, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Removing Excessive Cartilage

If you have a large tip with prominent cartilages and if the bones of your nose in the region of the bridge are narrow and not high, it is possible to contour and refine the tip of your nose without doing any bony work ("breaking" the bones). On the other hand, if you have a nasal hump or bump and, or, your nasal bones are wide, then it is necessary to perform "osteotomies" in order to reduce the bump and appropriately re-contour the nasa bones... more

Sigmund L. Sattenspiel, MD
Freehold Facial Plastic Surgeon

Tip rhinoplasty without osteotomies

Although it is possible to do what you are asking it may not always be the right thing to do. Osteotomies are certainly not the hardest part of rhinoplasty and narrowing the bony part of the nose can help keep the structures balanced.

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Tip plasty to remove excess cartilage

Excess cartilage can be removed from the tip of the nose and a tiplasty can be performed to reshape the nasal tip. The nose bones do not necessarily have to be broken, however, the tip must balance with the remainder of the nose. If the nasal bones are too wide and the tip appears pinched, then the nasal bones will have to be narrowed or broken to make the bridge now fit with the new narrower tip.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Rhinoplasty without "breaking" the bones

I don't actually like the term "breaking." The medical term for "breaking" the bones is "osteotomy" and I prefer to describe it as a controlled and delicate cut. To answer the question, yes of course, the tip can be improved without changing the nasal bones. Your doctor can discuss with you if correcting the nasal bones is a necessary change for you. Often for the tip to set up properly, other small changes must be made to the other... more

Jennifer Levine, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty without "breaking" nose

It is possible to have cartilage removed without having to break your nose. Only the first 1/3 of your nose is your nasal bones and the other 2/3 is cartilage, so many times it is not necessary to break the nose. However, it depends on the anatomy of your nose and what look you want to achieve. Should it come down to having to break the nasal bone in order to achieve the look you want, discuss all concerns with your plastic surgeon. He/she should be able to minimize your fear with their... more

Sam Speron, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Tip rhinoplasty

A tip rhinoplsaty is commonly done just to correct problems with the tip. Quite often I will do this procedure without doing any other work on the nose .

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Tip surgery is possible without breaking the bone

Without seeing photos of you it is impossible to tell what surgical techniques your nose would benefit from. In general, a large nasal tip rarely improves with just cartilage removal. Usually, some improvement in tip projection and rotation will often improve the appearance of a large nasal tip without actually removing much if any cartilage. Breaking the bone is only done if the bridge is crooked or needs bone removal to reduce a hump. Hope this helps.

Ivan Wayne, MD
Oklahoma City Facial Plastic Surgeon

A "tip-plasty" may be performed without osteotomies.

It's impossible to tell whether you would benefit from nasal osteotomies without seeing your photos. In general, if the upper 2/3 of your nose is too wide, or if you have a profile-bump, then osteotomies would be required. If you only require tip work, then the nasal bones might not need to be fractured. I hope this is helpful for you.

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Tip plasty

If the problem/concern is mainly the tip than a tip plasty can be done which does not involve "breaking" the nose. The cartilages can be sculpted, re-shaped, sutured, etc. to the desired form. The only caveat is that esthetically it is important to be sure that the "new" tip "fits" the rest of the nose. This can be imitated prior to surgery by computer imaging type technology. Good luck.

Andrew Pichler, MD
Sacramento Facial Plastic Surgeon

facedr.com

Subtle Rhinoplasty; Removing Cartilage Without "Breaking" the Nasal Bones

Hi Anon, Depending on your anatomy, physical exam of your nose, and diagnosis of what "the offending party" in the tip of your nose is, limited cartilage removal without "breaking" the nasal bones can be performed. It really depends on your nose and what bothers you. See the link below regarding "The Subtle Rhinoplasty". Most importantly, choose your rhinoplasty surgeon most carefully. Good luck and be well. Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cartilage only can be removed in a rhinoplasty.

If the problem with the nose is in the lower 1/2 then there is no reason to break the nose. See an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon and you should be able to get what you want.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Refining the Tip of the Nose does not require breaking the nose

The ball-like, bulbous appearance of the tip of the nose is caused by the size and projection of the two Lower Lateral Cartilages which form the support of the tip. Narrowing these cartilages, reshaping them and re-positioning of the tip complex on the nose will reduce and refine the tip without always having to break the nose. Breaking the nose is called for when we need to narrow the nose either for symmetry or tip reduce a flat top after removal of a bump or hump. This may not be called... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Nasal tip-plasty alone does not require "breaking the nose"

The upper 1/3 of the nose is bone, the rest is cartilage. If the only thing you need is to reduce the tip, it might not be necessary to "break" the nasal bones. However, often the bones need to be addressed for balance. I like to use computer imaging to demonstrate potential changes. Plus, "breaking" the bones is really a precise controlled procedure that takes 2 minutes in an otherwise 2 hour operation. It does not make the nose less stable, it only means black and blue... more

Steven J. Pearlman, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty tip surgery

You can have just the tip refined, which would not require breaking any bones. However, many patients do require some work on the bones as well to ensure that the entire nose is in harmony with the face. It's best to go for an evaluation in your area, but you should express your concerns about bony work to your surgeon who can discuss this with you. Good luck, /nsn.

Nina S. Naidu, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Tipplasty

Hi, Some noses can be changed by just performing a tipplasty ( rearranging the cartilages in the tip of the nose). But you must make sure that the rest of your nose will fit the Tiplasty. Best, Dr.S.