Is Tip Rhinoplasty Painful? Local Anesthesia

Performing a rhinoplasty with local anesthetic is possible, but I would recommend additional IV sedation or twilight sleep. The pain after a rhinoplasty is minimal with a tip adjustment.
I like the patient to have a natural result. Even though you have minor concerns such as a bit long nose and depression of the tip, your plastic surgeon needs to look at facial balance. The size of the nose in relation to the width of the face and position of the chin. On the profile, the chin position is very important if the nose is a bit long and the chin is slightly retruded.
So you may need adjustment of the depressor muscles of the tip, shaving of the bone and cartilage, and evaluation of the chin position. Pain after a rhinoplasty is individual to each patient.

Hello,
Although rhinoplasty may be done under an IV sedation, I prefer to use general anesthesia. It is the best option for the patient and they will be more comfortable. In general, pain after surgery is minimal. Most people take Tylenol after surgery. Thank you, and best of luck to you.
Dr. Nassif

Hi Gvaa - If you're getting the procedure done under local anesthesia I would expect that not a lot of work needs to be done. So, your pain should be well controlled with oral pain medicine. However, if major work is going to be done including bone work, you may want to consider sedation or general anesthesia. Talk with your surgeon to see what exactly is involved and do what makes you feel the most comfortable. Good luck!

The concerns you have with your nose will likely require more than just tip work. The dipping of the nose and the fact that you do not like the length will require alteration of cartilage and likely the depressor septi muscles of the nose. Surgery can be difficult and I would strongly suggest IV sedation at a minimum, for this particular rhinoplasty surgery. The money you will spend on anesthesia could be the best money you have spent in years.

Your pain after Rhinoplasty Surgery will be minimal. Most of my patients consume only a few narcotic pain reliever tablets, and some require none. Pain after Rhinoplasty is not dependent on the extent of the procedure. Even surgeries with septal, tip, and bony work do not cause a lot of pain. I almost never use nasal packing since it is usually unnecessary, and is a cause of post-surgical discomfort.
I favor general anesthetic for Rhinoplasty Surgery. There are many prominent surgeons that use local anesthetic along with intra-venous sedation. I would not advise Rhinoplasty Surgery with only local anesthetic.
I hope this is helpful for you.

You are describing a full rhinoplasty. These are usually done under light general anesthesia. The patient is more comfortable with less anxiety. The feel nothing. With local anesthesia patients will feel some pain from the injections and have more anxiety. Having said that, I personally tailor this to the patient and do them both ways.

You are not describing a tip rhinoplasty. Treating the tip and bone is essentially a full rhinoplasty. Local anesthesia requires injections and if you are doing this under straight local you will feel the pain of the injections. I would not recommend a straight local anesthetic.
However, if you are considering local anesthesia with IV sedation, then it can be completed with little if any recollection of pain in the hands of a skilled surgeon and/or anesthesiologist.

99% NO! But everyone is an individual so rarely you might be one of those patients that has pain. But it occurs very seldom. Best of Luck.

I agree with Dr. Placik. When you begin to discuss your profile being long and the nasal tip being pulled down, you are wishing nose operations which are More than a Tip Rhinoplasty.
To SHORTEN the nose, the front (CAUDAL) end of the septum would need to be shortened. The shave down the bone and lower the profile, would require bone rasping, reduction of the cartilaginous hump and in-fracturing of the nasal bones. To stop the nose tip from being pulled down with smiling (with a probable transverse upper lip crease), the two tiny muscles, Depressor Septi nasii muscles need to be separated from the septum and removed,
All this cannot be done under strict local anesthesia. Every surgeon has his preference , either IV sedation with local infiltration or general anesthesia. Ask your surgeon what he prefers.
Dr. P. Aldea

Although rhinoplasty can be done with only local anesthesia, I usually recommend the patient have at least IV sedation. The discomfort of injecting local anesthesia and the sound of repositioning the nasal bones can make patients anxious. Minimal anesthetic techniques with sedation are very safe today. You are concerned just thinking about it. Take a little medicine and have a pleasant experience.