While it may seem that undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure, more commonly known today as a “nose job”, is as common in some societies as say, getting a change of hair color, not many people know what is really involved in this medical procedure. Because of the obsession with perfection that can be observed by the current generation, enhancing or totally changing the appearance of one’s nose is almost mandatory in order to achieve an attractive appearance.

What many do not realize is that a rhinoplasty procedure involves surgery, which although is regarded as a minor one and is typically an outpatient procedure, still involves the need for the administration of anesthesia so that the patient will not experience the pain that will be experienced when incisions and reconstructions are done on the nose.

Prior to a rhinoplasty procedure, it is mandatory that the patient undergoes a thorough consultation with his or her plastic surgeon. The patient’s expectations from the procedure, as well as the look that he or she wants to achieve must be clearly communicated with the plastic surgeon in order to ensure that the procedure will be done correctly, and therefore doing away with the need for revision rhinoplasty later on.

The plastic surgeon must also communicate to the patient clearly what the limitations of the procedure are. The issue of whether the look the patient wants to achieve through the rhinoplasty procedure is realistic or compatible with his or her other facial features must also be discussed thoroughly. For instance, an African American patient may not be suited for a rhinoplasty procedure which would transform his or her nose into a completely Caucasian one, when the rest of his or her features are distinctively African American. This also prevents the finished product from looking too artificial and therefore unappealing.

Prior to the procedure, the anesthesiologist who will be working with the patient must interview the patient regarding any allergies that may cause the patient to react adversely to the administration of anesthesia. Other medicines that the patient is taking as well as other procedures or operations that the patient has undergone within the last year must also be made known to the attending anesthesiologist, in order to ensure that no complications may arise later on.

A typical Miami rhinoplasty procedure will involve the administration of a local anesthesia on the nose in order that the nasal tissues and bones will be numb to the pain that the incisions made by the plastic surgeon will cause. Other types of anesthesia that will shrink the mucous membranes within the nose as well as cause the reduction of blood flow to the nasal area will also be administered.

Depending on the needs of the patient, the plastic surgeon will perform either an internal rhinoplasty, which is also known as an endonasal rhinoplasty or an external rhinoplasty. These types of procedures are also known as closed and open rhinoplasty respectively. A closed rhinoplasty involves the making of incisions inside the nose only. The latter, the open rhinoplasty, will involve making incisions on the outside of the nose. Either of these procedures or techniques is acceptable, depending on the specific concerns of the patient and the general style of the attending plastic surgeon.