Rhinoplasty

A rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that reshapes the nose for either aesthetic or functional purposes. ⁽¹⁾

The nose is one of the most central features of your face, and it has a significant influence on your appearance. A nose that may appear too long, wide, or big can easily dominate your face, while a crooked or uneven nose can detract from the rest of your features. With a rhinoplasty, you can achieve balance in your appearance.

Dr. Hannah Vargas is a board-certified surgeon at Vargas Face & Skin Center who specializes in facial plastic surgery. She presents at regional and national medical conferences and has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, including recent work published in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. Dr. Vargas has also received the American Medical Association’s Physician’s Recognition Award and has been featured in publications such as Lucky and Women’s Edition. With Dr. Vargas, you can rest assured that an expert is performing your rhinoplasty.

If you are ready to learn more about rhinoplasty, please schedule a consultation online or call (913) 381-4900.

Before and After Photos

View More Photos

About Rhinoplasty

A rhinoplasty procedure, or “nose job,” is a surgical procedure that refines the size, shape, and symmetry of the nose. This procedure can address both aesthetic and functional concerns, such as enlarged nostrils, a wide nasal base, a crooked nose bridge, a protuberant dorsal hump, deviated septa, enlarged turbinates, and more. Dr. Vargas can perform a rhinoplasty to help you achieve each of your goals, resulting in transformative improvements that complement your natural features.

Benefits of Rhinoplasty

When undergoing a rhinoplasty, Dr. Vargas’s patients tend to experience:

Candidates

You may be an ideal candidate for a rhinoplasty if you are dissatisfied with the size, shape, or symmetry of your nose and wish to correct it. You may also benefit from this procedure if you have been struggling with certain breathing functions due to congenital irregularities or structural concerns within your nose.

If you are interested in undergoing a rhinoplasty, you should be in good general health and maintain realistic expectations regarding your results. You should also be nonsmoking or willing to quit using nicotine. Dr. Vargas will finalize your candidacy during your consultation.

Personal Consultation

During your initial consultation, a patient care coordinator will meet with you and explain the benefits and limitations of the procedure, as well as what a rhinoplasty actually entails. They will then ask you a series of questions to learn more about your medical history, nasal concerns, and desired treatment outcomes. They will also perform a physical evaluation to assess your nasal anatomy and skin quality.

Using this information, your patient care coordinator will create a one-of-a-kind solution to help you address each of your concerns. They will suggest the most appropriate and effective surgical strategies and may suggest additional procedures based on your aesthetic goals. They also take the time to answer and address any questions or concerns you may have to ensure you feel well-informed and confident about your rhinoplasty procedure.

To schedule this consultation, please contact us online. Alternatively, you may reach our Prairie Village office directly at (913) 381-4900.

Preparation

Once you have scheduled your procedure, Dr. Vargas or another member of her team will provide you with detailed pre-operative instructions to help you prepare. Preparation is essential for any procedure, and we expect you to follow each instruction as given. Dr. Vargas may direct you to:

Procedure

Dr. Vargas performs each rhinoplasty in our AAAHC-accredited in-office surgical suite. This accreditation shows our dedication to patient safety and maintaining the highest standard of care. Each procedure will last between 1.5 and 2 hours, with the exact duration varying depending on your treatment plan.

Your procedure will begin with a member of our team leading you to a private treatment room, where you will meet with Dr. Vargas. She will reconfirm the details of your treatment plan, and then we will clean your skin and administer local anesthesia.

Dr. Vargas will place an incision using either the open or closed rhinoplasty technique. The open technique uses an incision across the columella, or the strip of tissue between the nostrils. If she performs the closed technique, she will place an incision inside the nostrils. ⁽¹⁾ From there, Dr. Vargas will perform each of your desired corrections. Common corrections include narrowing the appearance of your nostrils, straightening the nasal bridge, refining the appearance of the nasal tip, or reducing the protrusion of the dorsal hump. She may also perform corrective techniques to address deviated septa, reduce the size of your nasal turbinates, and more.

With each correction complete, Dr. Vargas will carefully suture each incision shut. You will then rest in our recovery suite as your anesthesia wears off.

Recovery

After your rhinoplasty, you may experience some swelling, bruising, or tenderness around your nose and eyes. These effects are transient and will subside within 10 to 14 days, but you may also manage them using prescribed pain medications, a cold compress, and resting with your head elevated. During this time, Dr. Vargas will also ask you to wear an external nose splint. This splint will help preserve the new shape of your nose, although you may find your breathing feels limited or stuffy.

You will be able to return to light activities and desk work after approximately one to two weeks. However, you will need to avoid engaging in strenuous or physically demanding activities until Dr. Vargas clears you. You should also avoid touching, massaging, or wearing glasses as it heals.

Dr. Vargas will ask you to attend follow-up appointments as you recover. During these appointments, she will remove your splint, take out any external sutures, and monitor your healing progress. She will provide you with a full set of recovery instructions after your procedure. These will include guidelines on how to care for your healing nose, reintegrate certain activities into your routine, and manage any side effects.

Results

You will be able to experience the initial results of your procedure once any residual swelling has subsided; however, it may take up to one year for the final results to develop. Your nose will appear straighter, more symmetrical, and contoured. You may also notice improvements in your overall facial sculpt and proportions as the balance between your nose and other facial features improves. You will also be able to enjoy improvements in your breathing if you undergo rhinoplasty for functional reasons.

The results of your rhinoplasty are permanent, allowing you to enjoy your renewed appearance for years to come!

Cost of Rhinoplasties in Kansas City, MO

The cost of your rhinoplasty can vary depending on the surgical techniques Dr. Vargas is performing, the extent of the procedure, whether any additional procedures have been incorporated into your treatment plan, and more. During your consultation, Dr. Vargas will meet with you to establish the details of your treatment plan. Once this discussion has taken place, they will give you a cost estimate for your procedure.

To learn more about our pricing, please schedule a consultation online or call (913) 381-4900.

FAQ

References

1. Fichman M, Piedra Buena IT. Rhinoplasty. PubMed. Published 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558970/#article-28523.s5
2. Altidor A, Ferri FA, Fadi Bakhos, Mascaro-Pankova A. Functional Rhinoplasty. Cureus. Published online September 26, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.45993