Filing down the dorsal hump?

I have a small dorsal hump that I would like to get fixed on my nose, and was considering closed rhinoplasty. The plastic surgeon informed me that he could just go in and file it down without breaking or fracturing any bones. Does this sound like a good idea? The absolute only thing I want done is the hump shaved down, and it is very small. Will any other part of my nose need fixing if the surgeon simply files the hump down?

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16 answers to “Filing down the dorsal hump?”

A: Small hump can be fixed via closed rhinoplasty

Corey S. Maas, MD

Reducing or smoothing a small nasal hump is a simple procedure that can easily be done via a closed rhinoplasty.  A very small hump will likely be taken care of with simply rasping the bone down.  Any cartilaginous contribution can also be easily removed.  However, the final determination... more

A: Correction of a small hump on the nose

Scott Trimas, MD

Correction of a small hump on the nose can be as simple as just filing the area down gently with a rasp under local or IV anesthesia. However, in some patients if it is a larger hump a flattening effect to the dorsum may result called an "open roof" and this might require breaking or infracturing the... more

A: Sculpt the dorsal hump, dont break it

Steven H. Dayan, MD

Hi Star Yes a dorsal hump can be approached effectivly through a closed approach. If it is mild then it may not have to be "broken." if you want just a small amount reduced it can be done with a rasp, which looks much like a file. Or what I have had great success with is using a rotating... more

A: That depends on what your nose looks like and the anatomy of the nose

Philip Young, MD

If you have a small hump and filing the hump does not cause your nose to be too wide after the hump is taken down, then you can avoid other procedures.  Most of the time, however, the hump will create an open area near the area of where the hump was located which will need to be closed.  To close the... more

A: Hump Removal via a Closed Rhinoplasty

C. Spencer Cochran, MD

Patients with a dorsal hump are ideal candidates for closed rhinoplasty.  A dorsal hump is usually comprised of both bone and cartilage.  To remove a hump, an incision is made on the inside of the nose and a rasp is used to "file" the bony portion of the hump. If there is a cartilaginous... more

A: Rhinoplasty and Humpectomies

Daniel Reichner, MD

The nasal hump is composed of bone and cartilage.  Most small humps can be reduced with rasping and removal of cartilage using an endonasal (closed) approach.  Most good rhinoplasty surgeons will assess the profile and determine if - after removing the hump - osteotomies are require to... more

A: Shaving down the 'hump' only may create a flat appearing nose.

Sanjay Grover, MD

Shaving down the 'hump' only may create a flat appearing nose if you have a significant hump.  This may create an 'open roof' deformity.  Many patients benefit from 'breaking' of the bones following hump reduction to create improved nasal harmony.

A: Possibly!

Manish H. Shah, MD

A nose is a three-dimensional object in the shape of a three sided pyramid. If you adjust only one aspect of the nose, you may create disharmony. In your situation, unless your bump is extremely small, shaving it down may actually cause the middle one-third of your nose to look wider. This will give your... more

A: Avoid the "open roof" deformity

David C. Pearson, MD

As one of my colleagues below touched on, the problem with "only" rasping down the nasal bones is that the nasal bones and cartilage are quite thin--a few millimeters, really--so that anything more significant than a tiny hump will require rasping right through those thin plates of bone and cartilage... more

A: Probably you can have what you describe

Richard P. Rand, MD

Without photos of your nose, it is impossible for any of us to comment specifically on the question you ask. However, IF all you need and want is a conservative dorsal hump removal, that should be possible through a closed approach.

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