What type of nose surgery incisions are there?
There are two main incision approaches: the open approach and the internal (endonasal) approach.
Open Rhinoplasty
For an open rhinoplasty, the surgeon makes the incisions outside the nose with a small access incision on the underside of the nose between the nostrils that then connects with other incisions hidden inside the nose. The open rhinoplasty approach fully opens the nose, providing the best visualization of the nasal structures and a more direct route for surgical manipulation.
With an open approach, the surgeon makes incisions outside the nose, adjusting cartilage and bone to improve the shape of the nose. The nasal bridge can be narrowed by moving the bone inward.
Internal (Endonasal) Rhinoplasty
For an endonasal rhinoplasty, the surgeon makes the incisions inside the nasal passages. Advocates for the endonasal approach say it permits more limited dissection of nasal tissues, offers excellent visualization of nasal structures, and eliminates the visible scar at the base of the nose.
With an internal approach, the surgeon makes incisions inside the nasal passages. Because these incisions are hidden, they are invisible after surgery.
Will I have any nose surgery scars?
With open rhinoplasty, there typically is a small scar at the base of the nose that is barely visible once it heals. For an endonasal rhinoplasty, the incisions are inside your nose, and there is usually no visible scarring.