Rhinoplasty

Overview

Rhinoplasty is among the most technically demanding procedures in plastic surgery. Millimeters matter, and the structural framework supporting your skin has to be reshaped without compromising how the nose breathes. Dr. Altman performs rhinoplasty drawing on dual board certifications in Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery, an unusual combination that means functional considerations are addressed alongside aesthetic ones from the first consultation.

Dr. Altman’s approach

Every nose is a balance: shape and structure, profile and tip, the airway you breathe through. The plan should reflect the face it belongs to, not a stock template.

• Open and closed (endonasal) techniques are both performed, chosen by what the result requires, not by reflex.
• Structural grafts (cartilage from the septum, ear, or rib when needed) preserve long-term shape and breathing function.
• Functional concerns (deviated septum, valve collapse, turbinate hypertrophy) are addressed in the same procedure when present.
• Imaging and in-person review of likely outcomes are part of every consultation, so expectations are calibrated before anything is scheduled.

Who it’s for

Rhinoplasty is appropriate for adults who are bothered by a specific aesthetic concern (a dorsal hump, bulbous or drooping tip, asymmetry, or post-traumatic deformity), or who have functional breathing issues. The best candidates are honest about what they want, realistic about what’s possible, and patient enough to wait the full year required to see the final result.

Recovery, week by week

• Week 1: External splint and tape; most swelling and bruising; rest at home.
• Week 2: Splint removed; bruising fading; back to most desk work and light social commitments.
• Weeks 3–6: Resume aerobic exercise; swelling progressively less obvious to others.
• Months 3–12: Tip refinement continues as the last of the deep swelling resolves.

Results

Results are intentionally evolutionary, not theatrical. The goal is a nose that fits the face, not a nose that announces itself. Many patients report that what they notice most after surgery is what other people don’t notice: that they look like themselves, just at ease.