Augmentation rhinoplasty involves adding tissue to the nose to enhance its shape and size, rather than reshaping through the removal of cartilage, tissue, and bone.
Dr. Mehta will use augmentation rhinoplasty techniques if you want to improve your nose by adding height, volume, and structure to the area. For example, many of our Asian and black patients want to enhance a naturally flat nasal bridge. For these individuals, increasing the height of the nose with augmentation rhinoplasty can also create the illusion of a narrower nasal bridge. Dr. Mehta also uses augmentation rhinoplasty techniques in revision cases. If your first surgeon carved off too much volume, he’ll build it back up with your body’s own cartilage, diced up and glued together to form a graft.
If you need to augment your nasal structure—either due to genetics or to revise a prior nose job—you want to be sure you’re in the most capable hands with a surgeon who understands you and your unique desires.
During ethnic rhinoplasty, Dr. Mehta adopts a highly nuanced approach, taking care to preserve the pillars of your identity while creating balance and improving overall facial aesthetics. In revision cases, he knows exactly how to approach even the most complex procedures while simultaneously putting you at ease and restoring your hope in a successful procedure.
Dr. Mehta will use augmentation techniques when he needs to:
Dr. Mehta will perform your augmentation rhinoplasty under general anesthesia, with the assistance of leading, board-certified anesthesiologists from Medical Anesthesia Consultants (MAC), whom he has worked closely with for many years.
Our Palo Alto augmentation rhinoplasty patients have a strong preference for natural results. It’s one of the main reasons they come to Dr. Mehta for their care. To ensure a natural outcome, he prefers to use your own cartilage whenever possible for the augmentation. He can harvest cartilage from your ear or rib if the cartilage in your septum is insufficient, either from genetics or prior surgery. Dr. Mehta typically uses an open approach to enhance the size and shape of the nasal bridge. He will build up the area using diced cartilage glued together to allow for smooth and precise contouring. This also allows him to finetune the graft as needed, ensuring that it integrates beautifully. This is especially important when the skin is thin, and graft visibility is a concern.
How long should I wait before revising my nose job?
If you require augmentation rhinoplasty as part of a revision, Dr. Mehta often recommends waiting one year after your first surgery, depending on how much residual swelling is present. It can take that long for your full results to appear due to residual swelling.
