Plastic Surgery Chronicle

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 1.3 million cosmetic surgeries were performed on ethnic patients in 2004, an increase of %45 since 2000. Among African American, Hispanic and Asian American patients, Rhinoplasty (nose job) has been one of them most common surgical procedures.

But unlike the past, the majority of the patients wish to enhance their appearance while maintaining their ethnic identity.
What speaks the first in any cosmetic procedures including rhinoplasty is experience, since the procedure of beauty operations is usually different from person to person thus the more patients and experienced your doctor is in dealing with different cases, the more would be the chance of you getting the ideal shape and size of nose you really wish after the surgery.
In African-American or Asian-American or even Spanish-American it is more complicated since the ethnic part should be kept while the true beauty of the face and nose is acquired by the surgeon.
An experienced and skilled plastic surgeon will be aware of how ideals of beauty differ actually between different ethnic groups. When fifteen years ago, a Rhinoplasty was “one size fits all,” term an no more! with surgeons giving a similar nose to all of their patients, today your surgeon will try to maintain harmony while enhancing the ethnic nose. (it is not any more!!)

Ethnic patients fall in to 4 big categories:

1. Asian
   Many Asian patients have a low/flat nose bridge, which needs to be built up. Often, tissues are taken from the patient’s septum, and used to build up the dorsum, or modify and enhance the tip. Where no tissue is available from the septum, the surgeon may take tissue from the ear or the scalp. Sometimes, the surgeon will use a nasal implant.
2. African – American
   African American patients often have little or no cartilage in the tip of the nose, lack of nasal bridge projection, flared and large nostrils.
   African American Rhinoplasty is very different than that performed on other ethnic groups and indeed much more difficult to get the result which makes both patient and surgeon happy. It focuses on building up the bridge of the nose and also on the reduction of the nostrils. This might be done through nasal implants, made of silicone or gortex, or through grafts made of cartilage from the patient’s septum or ear.
3. Hispanic
   Many Hispanic patients have a weak broad drooping tip that hangs over the upper lip, a dorsal hump. The plastic surgeon would elevate and narrow the tip, while removing the bump.
4. Mediterranean
   These include patients of different ethnics: Persian, Arab, Jewish, Italian or Greek heritage.
   Many of them have a dorsal hump and a drooping nose tip. In these cases, the plastic surgeon will elevate and narrow the tip, while lowering and narrowing the dorsum.

Dr.Tavoussi is cosmetic plastic surgeon, MD, DO, FICS, FAACS and  is Board-Certified in Facial Plastic Surgery & Diplomat of American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
He has successfully restored the natural beauty to patient’s face in a number of very complex secondary procedures where there has been disruption of form and function leading to disharmony
During your consultation he will discuss  details including: if you are a good candidate, surgical options and techniques, potential risks and complications of surgery, pre-operative and post-operative instructions, recovery perion, as well as what to expect after surgery.