Rhinoplasty Surgery: Open versus Closed Technique

There are two kinds of rhinoplasty techniques that can be used for rhinoplasty: scarless rhinoplasty / “closed” surgery, or “open” surgery. The main difference between the approaches is where your plastic surgeon makes the incision to access the nasal structure.

Open Rhinoplasty Surgery

With open rhinoplasty surgery, an incision is made at the base of the columella, which is the strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. The skin of the nose is then lifted off, enabling the surgeon to completely see and precisely shape all the cartilages and bones.

Some considerations about open rhinoplasty:

• Many surgeons feel that this process is less superior compared to a closed rhinoplasty because it decreases the surgeon’s ability to adequately judge how the nose will look after the procedure is done. This increases the risk to the patient as to whether they will get the exact look they wanted.
• The incisions from open rhinoplasty are more likely to leave visible scars.
• Open rhinoplasty is ideal and helpful in complex cases, such as cleft lip operations, or when a previous rhinoplasty has left a nose pulled too high and structural grafts are required to bring the nostrils down. In these scenarios, some surgeons prefer the open approach versus the closed approach, as this offers them greater visibility and access to the internal nasal structures in order to achieve the desired result.
• Generally with open rhinoplasty the patient will experience swelling and bruising for longer.

See the video presentation below for how open rhinoplasty surgery works.

Closed / Scarless Rhinoplasty Surgery

The closed rhinoplasty technique involves making the required surgical incisions inside the nostrils.

Some considerations about closed rhinoplasty:

• Closed rhinoplasty, generally, requires a more skilled nasal surgeon. For more information about choosing the right Surgeon.
• Conisdered to be less invasive, closed rhinoplasty takes less time to complete than open rhinoplasty.
• Healing and recovery time from the surgery is generally faster with closed rhinoplasty.
• Less numbness of the tip of the nose is expected after undergoing closed rhinoplasty surgery.
• For most patients, the closed rhinoplasty means no risk of visible external scarring.

With extensive training in rhinoplasty surgery, Dr. Shahidi specialises in the closed rhinoplasty approach. He takes pride in being equipped with intricate knowledge of the nasal function and anatomy to achieve a natural looking result through small internal incisions.

See the video presentation below for how closed / scarless rhinoplasty surgery works.

Video about how Open & Closed Rhinoplasty Surgery Works

The following video presentations show how open and closed rhinoplasty surgery works. Contact us for more information or to book an appointment.