Nasal surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis. Dr. Miguel Parra of Angeles Health may use either local or IV anesthesia, depending on the specifics of the procedure. Local anesthesia is a light sedation, numbing the nose and the surrounding area, keeping the patient awake, but relaxed and insensitive to pain.

Rhinoplasty usually takes one to one and a half hours, with complicated procedures taking more time. As a general matter, a Rhinoplasty surgery separates the skin of the nose from the bone and cartilage, which is then sculpted to the desired shape. The sculpting will depend on the goals of the surgery and the changes that the patient desires to make. When the sculpting is complete, the skin is reattached to the new underlying framework.

Rhinoplasty comes in two basic techniques: a closed procedure, in which the incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, in which an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. In either technique, these basic incisions are used to raise the soft tissues that cover the nose, allowing access to the structure of the nose. Open Rhinoplasty tends to be used more in instances where significant reshaping of the nose is necessary, whereas the closed technique tends to be used for more minor restructuring.

Rhinoplasty often alters the nasal structures using cartilage grafted from other areas of the body. Usually this involves pieces of cartilage from the septum, the partition in the middle of the nose. Less commonly a piece of cartilage from the ear may be used, and very rarely a section of rib cartilage will be used. If the septum is deviated, it is straightened and any projections inside the nose are reduced to improve breathing.

Once the underlying structure of the nose is sculpted to the desired shape and any issues with a deviated septum are addressed, nasal skin and tissue is reattached and incisions are closed. If the nostrils require alteration, additional incisions or sutures may be placed in the natural creases of the nostrils.

An external splint is often used to support the nose. Splints and internal tubes may be installed in the nasal cavity to maintain the structure of the nose, and there may be nasal packing to deal with the bleeding.