Would an Alar Base Reduction Be Complicated for Me?

Alar base reduction can be done under local anesthesia, but it is misleading to say alar base reduction is simple. In fact, when it is poorly done you can have very obvious external scars, extremely unnatural shape to the nostril and/or ala, asymmetry, and/or increased difficulty breathing. It is a procedure that requires meticulous technique and planning to create a beautiful result. When done poorly, is very difficult to fix or restore a natural appearance. I advise caution when choosing a surgeon for this. The entire nose needs to be evaluated, including the airway and the appearance, as well as the relationship to the rest of the face. Make sure you choose a board certified plastic surgeon or facial plastic surgeon with experience performing rhinoplasty and alar base reduction specifically. Also, look at before and after pictures of patients done by your surgeon before signing up. There are different techniques used by different surgeons, and you should know what you are signing up for.

Hi,

Alarplasty can be performed under local anesthesia while some patients prefer to undergo a full anesthesia instead.

Usually, an alarplasty is not complicated but at the same time should be well planned and approached conservatively especially with "small" nasal traits (per your description).

That being said, please remember that commendable results require an exceptionally skilled surgeon to perform the surgery and settling for anything less than that increases the chances of additional corrective surgeries dramatically.


I hope this helps and please feel free to check the website below.

Thank you for your inquiry.
The best of luck to you.



Dr. Sajjadian

 

Reducing the nose base with alar reduction can be done under local anesthesia. The surgery is relatively straight forward, but the design of excision varies from patient to patient, depending on individual anatomy. Another consideration is healing of incisions in Asian skin, making planning this type of surgery even more important.  Make sure your doctor has experience operating on nose just like yours.

Hello. An alar base reduction is fairly simply with small risks such as scars or asymmetry. Your pectus excavatum and deviated septum will not cause any complications to this procedure. Be sure to choose an experienced doctor for this procedure to ensure the best results possible. Good luck!


Jaime Perez, MD
Rhinoplasty Specialist
Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa

You are correct that alar base reduction can be done under local anesthesia and is a short, outpatient procedure.  As far as any breathing problems are concerned, it should be pretty easy to tell if the problem is in your nose or your chest.  If you can breathe easily through your mouth, but not your nose, then the breathing problem is in your nose.  Either way, it's certainly up to you whether to undergo septal surgery or not.  Alar reduction should not make it harder to breathe, but it could be a small risk.  Otherwise, the risks are largely cosmetic, such as asymmetry or dissatisfaction. Good luck!

An alar base reduction is straight forward. However, providing symmetry, an appropriate amount of reduction and scars that are pleasing in appearance is difficult. Choose an experienced Facial Plastic Surgeon who performs alot of alar base reduction. A poor result can be very noticeable and very distressing. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Small procedures on the tip of the nose like alar base reduction can easily be done under local anesthesia. The pectus does not usually cause breathing problems in terms of air entering the lungs at rest. When the front to back vs. side to side ratio of chest dimensions is significantly low in severe pectus the problem is exercise stamina as the structure limits blood and air flow when larger exchange volumes are required.

As long as the incision lines are accurately drawn and the incisions are accurately placed the alar base reduction is relatively simple and has a low complication rate. However if you have a deviated septum and then narrow the nostril openings you may suddenly find that the degree of septal deviation which was previously not a problem becomes a problem.

My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

Alar Reduction helps to reduce the size of the nostrils and the base of the nose. this is very important step in Asian Rhinoplasty. It can be done under local anesthesia, but it would not look good by itself! to get a natural look an alar base reduction should be done in conjunction with the narrowing of the nasal tip, raising the nasal tip, and augmenting of the flat nasal dorsum. If you have nasal airway obstruction secondary to septal deviation and enlarged turbinates, this needs to be addressed, otherwise your nasal breathing will be further compromised once you narrow your nose with a rhinoplaty.

Yes,  alar width reduction can be done and can be done under local anesthesia.  See an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon. 

While alar base reduction is not complicated, it must be performed in a meticulous fashion to give an excellent result.  The procedure involves removing 2-5 mm of skin at the base and sill of the nose and blending it into the alar nasal crease.  The surgeon must be careful not to overdo the narrowing, which can lead to nasal obstruction.  This procedure can be performed under a local anesthesia.