Can "hump removal" nose job be performed under local anesthesia?

Question

I have a slight bump on my nose and a plastic surgeon I spoke to said that he usually performs it under local anesthesia?

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The dorsal hump is composed of both bone and cartilage and must be shaved down with knife, scissors and a chisel.  Osteotomies  are required in nasal bones then manually re-breaking the nose inward. In addition, there are lots of nerve endings in the nose. Trying to accomplish a rhinoplasty under local anesthesia is a very bad idea.

Laurence Kirwan, MD, FRCS, FACS · Answer

This surgery is usually done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. There is no technical reason why it cannot be done under local anesthesia if you are willing to be awake but there is a risk that it will be painful and uncomfortable. I would recommend the first two options. Be sure to consult with a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who is experienced in rhinoplasty surgery. You can see before and after cases on my web site.

Dennis Barek, MD (retired) · Answer

The direct answer is "Yes".However it is not recommended unless you have a high pain threshold . The local anesthesia is painful to inject and may not give you a total pain free experience. You  ,most likely, will be spitting up blood during the surgery too.I would opt for sedation with local , or safer, better way, by general anesthesia. There has to be a qualified anesthesiologist giving the anesthesia.

Warren J. Katz, MD (retired) · Answer

Hump removal can be performed under local anesthesia. However, I would recommend using IV sedation supplemented with local anesthesia. It would be more comfortable for you under IV sedation. Also hump removal usually necessitates performing other changes to your nose at the same time, such as narrowing your bridge. Discuss these issues with your surgeon. Good luck.

Can "hump removal" nose job be performed under local anesthesia?

Answers (4)

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