Category Archives: rhinoplasty

Skin cancer is more common than you might think. In fact,  around 50% of people will have experienced some form of skin cancer when they reach age 65. The most common type of skin cancer, and also the most common type of cancer in general, is Basal Cell Carcinoma. This disease can cause disfiguration of the tissue in question if left untreated for long periods of time.

Because of the prevalence of skin cancer and its tendency to lead to disfigurement if left untreated, we are seeing a rise in  skin cancer reconstruction.

The Importance of this Procedure

These cancers should be removed immediately. However, even when the cancer is spotted and removed in time, the removal of these cancers can cause disfigurement without reconstruction surgery.

There are two techniques of skin cancer reconstruction:

• Skin Flaps:   Often a skin flap procedure will be chosen as the best way to limit scarring and restore full function to the affected area. This procedure involves the removal of a flap of skin from the area adjacent to the cancer removal site.
• Skin Grafts:   This technique involves taking skin from a predetermined donor site on the patient’s body and transferring it to the affected area. This technique leaves some scarring.

Discuss your Options

The rise in skin cancer has led to a rise in skin cancer reconstruction. If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer, it is important to not only have the cancer removed, but restore the affected area with skin cancer reconstruction.

As a leading surgeon in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Binder is an expert in both removal and reconstruction techniques. Schedule your consultation, and Dr. Binder will discuss what options are available to you.

Rhinoplasty is a great way to change the profile of your nose or even improve your breathing, but it is a procedure that will require a prolonged healing period. You will spend several weeks in recovery, with the first 10 to 14 days being the most important. There are many things you can do to improve your recovery process so that you are more comfortable from day one.

Frozen Peas Instead of Ice Cubes

Since your face is not a flat surface, you want to use an icing method that will mold itself around your nose and face. A bag of frozen peas will mold to your face and they are lighter than a plastic bag full of ice cubes. This ensures more even icing and it is more comfortable.

Have Ginger on Hand

Nausea and vomiting may be common after this surgery. Since vomiting can create additional discomfort during the recovery process, you want to prevent it. Ginger tea or ginger ale can help to keep your nausea under control.

Sleep Elevated

When you are sleeping, put about two to three pillows below your head and neck. This puts your upper body at a 30-degree angle. This helps to reduce swelling and keep throbbing to a minimum.

Avoid Aspirin

Aspirin can thin your blood and encourage bleeding. Avoid any drugs that contain it. If you are taking blood thinners, talk to Dr. Binder to see if you would benefit from a temporary dosage adjustment.

Take Vitamin C

Vitamin C promotes healing, so it can encourage the healing process. Your surgeon can recommend the right dose so that you are getting enough to reap the benefits. This typically involves taking a vitamin C supplement, but eating foods that contain this vitamin is also helpful.

Stay Hydrated

You want to make sure that your nasal passages do not get dry and irritated. This can make your nose more tender and increase the risk of nosebleeds. Avoid overly dry environments and drink water throughout the day.

Nasal Taping

Taping your nose properly can help to alleviate the swelling faster. You must properly apply the tape and be very gentle since you have bones that are still healing. Dr. Binder can teach you the proper taping technique to ensure you do it correctly.

Be Sure to Keep Your Follow-Up Appointment

In addition to all of the tips above, you also want to make sure that you are following all of recovery advice laid out by Dr. Binder. Maintaining your follow-up appointments is also crucial to ensure your recovery is going smoothly. You should also take all necessary medications and protect your face from any trauma to ensure proper healing. If you’re considering rhinoplasty, Dr. Binder continues to produce expert, subtle and natural-looking results.  Contact us today to get started.

Revision rhinoplasty is the technical term for any nasal reshaping that is performed after an initial nose job has already been done. In many people’s minds, the idea of multiple nose surgeries conjures images of obsessed pop stars and other individuals who seem to never be satisfied with their appearance. Contrary to popular belief, however, recent studies have shown that most people seek revision rhinoplasty for concrete reasons and are satisfied with the results. Rather than seeking a third, fourth, or even fifth nose job, about 97% of patients who have revision rhinoplasty report satisfaction with their results and presumably do not seek further revision.

There are many reasons why a patient might seek a second nasal reshaping. Rhinoplasty is a delicate procedure that requires great skill and planning on the part of the surgeon. The underlying structure of the nose can be extremely complex and delicate to deal with. Further complicating these issues is the healing process itself. Even if a plastic surgeon takes all the necessary steps to create the nose the patient wants, in some cases the tissue heals in an unforeseen way, causing changes to the nose’s final appearance. When this happens, many patients seek a revision procedure to account for those changes that were not adequately foreseen by the original surgeon.

In other cases, revision rhinoplasty is sought by a patient because they are simply not satisfied with the results of the first procedure.  Although many doctors have an ability to provide patients a fairly accurate idea about the kinds of results they can expect, many people find that the nose they originally agreed to still has flaws. But some people, upon seeing the final result of their rhinoplasty procedure, decide that there are certain aspects that should have been addressed the first time around. The vast majority of these patients find that although the initial procedure was too conservative, the revision surgery now has a high degree of success to create a nose that is just right.

The most common reason for seeking a revision rhinoplasty procedure comes down to the experience of the surgeon, according to board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder. Rhinoplasty is the most popular facial cosmetic surgery performed in the United States each year, and it consistently ranks among the most popular cosmetic procedures overall. With so many individuals seeking rhinoplasty, it’s no wonder that many of the doctors performing this procedure are undertrained. There are a number of techniques employed during a nose job. However, novice surgeons may not be well-versed in many of the more complicated methods. The result is a nose job that utilizes inadequate techniques to achieve the end result. For example, many patients want to increase the projection of the tip of the nose. Most surgeons use a tip graft to achieve this. By itself, this procedure produces results that are neither natural nor satisfactory. In these cases, revision rhinoplasty performed by an experienced surgeon can be a great help in its ability to produce the desired result.

Revision rhinoplasty procedures are usually successful for a number of reasons.  Patients who had prior nasal procedures have the knowledge and benefit of their own experience to better understand the outcome of the surgery.  They know what they want and have a much better idea about the kind of results that a nose job can produce. They can discuss their goals and the problems of their last procedure with the new surgeon, allowing her or him to make the necessary adjustments to achieve the patient’s ideal results. Finally, patients tend to be more selective the second time around and avoid the discount surgeons who led them to seek revision in the first place. Rather than obsessive plastic surgery addicts, these patients are shrewd consumers with the benefit of hindsight. It’s no wonder that so many of them find that, when it comes to rhinoplasty, the second time’s the charm.

According to the latest study from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly a quarter of a million rhinoplastyprocedures were performed in the United States last year, about the same number as the year before. That made it the most popular facial cosmetic surgery, which begs the question: why is rhinoplasty such a popular procedure? Although every individual has his or her own reason for seeking this procedure, the enduring popularity of rhinoplasty can be traced to a number of reasons.

Reconstructive nose surgery dates back thousands of years to ancient India, where physicians would repair damaged noses using a variety of techniques. Today, people still seek rhinoplasty to surgically repair damage to the nose. Usually, this is because of an accident that has caused a nasal fracture. In cases like these, nose surgery can be used to correct functional issues and restore the appearance of the nose. However, at least as many people (if not more) seek rhinoplasty for purely aesthetic reasons.

Concern about the appearance of one’s nose is nothing new. The nose is the central focus of the face, the most prominent feature in many people’s minds. If you feel your nose is too large, too flat, hooked, etc., rhinoplasty can be used to give you a nose that more closely resembles your ideal. In many instances, correcting this one facial feature can have the most dramatic impact of any facial cosmetic procedure.

But the importance placed on the appearance of the nose isn’t the only reason for the popularity of rhinoplasty. Among cosmetic procedures, rhinoplasty is quite affordable. For many patients, the idea of plastic surgery is appealing, but cost can be a barrier. Having one affordable procedure to greatly enhance your appearance is an appealing prospect for many of these individuals. In addition, financing options are usually available for most patients.

Another reason for the popularity of cosmetic nose surgery is the relative ease of the procedure, at least for the patient. Although a good nose job  is a sophisticated procedure for the surgeon to perform well, it is less invasive than other cosmetic surgeries.  The incisions used are typically small and the recovery period is relatively short, especially compared to a procedure like a facelift. A facelift can be a larger surgery and more invasive than rhinoplasty, with a longer postoperative recovery.

Older techniques focused on reducing the size of the nose by removing tissue, usually from the bridge of the nose or the tip. But new methods have opened the door for people from all ethnic backgrounds, further increasing the popularity of this procedure. Doctors can now augment noses to give them a greater projection, reduce nostril width, and generally reshape noses that were once difficult to operate on.   Recently, ethnic rhinoplasty has become an important subject that is currently being taught in academic institutions and is becoming increasingly more popular throughout the world.  Instead, the emphasis has shifted to fashioning noses that work harmoniously with the patient’s existing facial features to create an overall improvement in appearance.

Perhaps the most important factor in the enduring popularity of structure rhinoplasty is the great and enduring results that are typically achieved. Surgeons like to talk about the “predictable” results that the vast majority of patients experience. Advances in rhinoplasty techniques have allowed plastic surgeons to give their patients the noses they want, resulting in an extremely high level of overall patient satisfaction. When it comes to improving your appearance, who wouldn’t want to use a procedure that is likely to produce the best, most noticeable results?