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What Hurts Less - Open Rhinoplasty or Closed Rhinoplasty?

asked 1 year ago by emilyyeasbel in passaic new jersey
Latest answer by John E. Sherman, MD
Question viewed 806 times
Tags: closed, comparison, open, pain

I Want to Know What Hurts Less Open Rhinoplasty or Closed Rhinoplasty.

18 answers to What Hurts Less - Open Rhinoplasty or Closed Rhinoplasty?

Pain with Open vs Closed Rhinoplasty

Over the last 30 years, I'm not aware of a difference in my patient's post-operative pain, whether I did an open or closed procedure. Pain after rhinoplasty is moderate and controlled with oral narcotics the evening of surgery. The followingg day, most patients use Tylenol.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Pain after Open vs. Closed Rhinoplasty

I would expect the pain to be similar after rhinoplasty - open or closed. Suture removal (unnecessary for closed approach) may be uncomfortable after open rhinoplasty but certainly very tolerable with the help of numbing cream. At the end, pain levels should not determine the rhinoplasty technique used. Rather, whether the surgeon is able to accomplish everything.

Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drfechner.com

Open vs. Closed Rhinoplasty

Thanks for the question. I perform both open and closed (endonasal) rhinoplasty and in my experience, patients report that their postoperative pain is mild with either approach. Pain medication is usually needed for only 2-3 days following surgery. I would leave it up to your surgeon to decide whether an open or closed technique would be more effective for your rhinoplasty. The decision should be made on the basis of which issues in the nose are being addressed as well as the... more

Umang Mehta, MD
Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.mehtaplasticsurgery.com

Open or closed Rhinoplasty?

There really should be no difference in the pain level after either an open or a closed rhinoplasty. Either procedure is not particularly painful. Patients usually note a level 1-2 of pain on a scale of 10. The only difference may be in swelling in in the postoperative period. Every patient has different threshold of pain, so it is difficult to predict. Most of our patients do not take medications other than Tylenol in the immediate postoperative period, however there are those... more

John E. Sherman, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Pain of open versus closed rhinoplasty?

I am not sure if this has ever been definitively answered. It is my impression that the open may involve silghtly more swelling and therefore more inflammation and pain but this is only an educated guess. In my opinion there are not significant differences in the pain levels. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Difference in post op pain between open and closed rhinoplasty

The closed rhinoplasty is going to hurt less because there is no external incision on the nose. The only difference is the incision across the columella and more sutures. Overall, as long as there is no packing placed inside the nose which can make the nasal tissues very painful in the postoperative period, there is probably not a huge difference between pain associated with the open or closed procedure.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Pain Aftet Open vs. Closed Rhinoplasty

There are no studies that I am aware of to say one way or another. Pain is a very individual thing. The pain from rhinoplasty is usually well tolerated. Ice, elevation, and modern pain medicine all help to make this a very tolerable experience.

Jeffrey Roth, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty pain: closed versus open approach

I couldn't find a single published study comparing pain between the two nor have I ever seen a measurable or consistent difference in pain between open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty. I suspect that--patient factors aside--the gentler surgeon probably produces less trauma and thus less pain regardless of approach. Find a surgeon who's gentle when examining your nose in the office and who doesn't take a hurried approach. All the best, --DCP... more

David C. Pearson, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Discomfort of Open Rhinoplasty compared to Endonasal Rhinoplasty

Hi emilyyeasbel in passaic new jersey, Pain is somewhat unpredictable, as each person is unique. However, both approaches have similar postoperative discomfort level. Facial or sinus pressure after rhinoplasty are more common complaints rather than severe pain. More important than the approach to rhinoplasty, is the level of complexity of rhinoplasty. The more surgery that is performed, then the more discomfort one may experience. Minor procedures have minimal, if any,... more

Houtan Chaboki, MD
Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon

What Hurts Less - Open Rhinoplasty or Closed Rhinoplasty

As pain response is purely patient selective, in my opinion the open technique is more painful, longer healing than the closed rhinoplasty technique.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Pain After Rhinoplasty Depends on You, Your Surgeon and Your Pharmacist

Hi, Emily. Pain is never entirely predictable. But, with today's wide array of great pain medication, why should pain be a worry? Now, a superspecialist nasal surgeon will tend to be more efficient, take less time to operate and therefore less swelling can be expected. Your own body is a factor. Some people just swell regardless of what is done. Just like some people bruise more. Finally, get friendly with your pharmacist before surgery. If one medicine does not work, he... more

Robert Kotler, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Pain and Discomfort After Open vs. Closed Approach Rhinoplasty

Hi Em, With anesthesia, neither hurt during the procedure. There is surprisingly very little pain associated with either open or closed approach rhinoplasty. With both, you should only feel a slight bit of nasal congestion, and at worst a sinus type pressure headache. Most patients get by on just plain Tylenol though they are given Vicodin just in case and for at bedtime. The most uncomfortable aspect of Rhinoplasty is if your surgeon uses intra-nasal packing... more

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Open vs. Closed rhinoplasty

I do not knwo of any studies compraing the pain difference between the two. I would imagine they are about the same, but I personally think that in most cases an open approach would give a better result.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Open or Closed Rhinoplasty: postop discomfort

I don't think one approach causes more pain than the other, but I think that in general the swelling after an open rhinoplasty, particularly at the tip, can be a bit more than in a closed rhinoplasty and can take longer to go down-- for some folks this may cause some increased discomfort, but I think this is minimal.

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.drsalemy.com

Open or closed rhinoplasty pain--about the same!

Patients often ask about the pain comparing open vs. closed approached to rhinoplasty. In my experience, the pain is similar, and really not that bad. Most patients complain of discomfort, rather than severe pain. The other frequently asked question is about packing. People hear horror stories about "yards of packing" having been removed from a friend or family member's nose when they had rhinoplasty surgery years ago. Happily, techniques have changed,... more

Theda C. Kontis, MD
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon

facialplasticsurgerymd.com

Discomfort after Rhinoplasty Surgery is minimal with either an open or closed approach.

Most patients in my practice grade their post-op pain 1-2 on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being their most painful experience. I almost always use an open approach, and in my experience, the open approach is not associated with more discomfort. I do not routinely use nasal packing after Rhinoplasty Surgery. Nasal packing increases post-operative discomfort, and in my opinion is largely unnecessary. I hope this is helpful for you.

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

The same

Both are not really paiful - you are sore after and it takes a while for the swelling to go down. Usually a closed rhinoplasty heals faster because there is no external incision.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Pain in rhinoplasty

Both procedures will result in the same amount of pain, swelling, and recovery. Open rhinoplasties sometimes take longer for the tip swelling to recede, but the results are the same.