Saturday, May 18, 2013
Can I Have Nose Surgery and Sinus Surgery together?
Rhinoplasty or nose surgery to correct a cosmetic concern such as a hanging columella, bulbous tip, nasal hump, or crooked nose can be performed concomitantly for patients in which sinus surgery is indicated. Many of my rhinoplasty patients have functional breathing issues caused by a deviated septum, turbinate hypertrophy, nasal allergies, or valve collapse. This can be corrected while improving cosmesis with septoplasty, valve repair, and/or turbinate reduction. This is considered nasal surgery.
Sinus surgery, or more specifically endoscopic sinus surgery, is a procedure indicated for patients with chronic sinusitis or nasal polyps in which the opening between the sinuses in the cheeks, forehead, and between the eyes is widened so that these sinuses can drain mucus more easily into the nose. This is done with a small camera and small instruments through the nostrils. This can be done at the same time of rhinoplasty or cosmetic nose surgery.
Dr. Funk is a rhinoplasty expert in Houston, TX and sees patients from Houston, Katy, Memorial, Clear Lake, Spring and Cypress.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Nose surgery or Rhinoplasty to Correct a Deviated Septum
Septoplasty can be performed to correct a deviated septum during rhinoplasty or nose job surgery. A deviated septum can result from passage through the vaginal canal at birth with forceps delivery, pubescent growth, or trauma. The septum is composed of cartilage and bone and correcting a deviated septum involves removing the deviated portions of the septum while leaving sufficient cartilage and bone for support. Sometimes, the cartilage that is left in the septum still remains deviated and scoring or bone grafting (from the bony septum) is necessary to keep the cartilage straight. Frequently, septal cartilage is used for grafting of the nose and these deviated pieces of cartilage are what are used for cartilage grafts.
Dr. Funk is a double board certified ear, nose, and throat surgeon, and facial plastic surgeon. He is a rhinoplasty expert in Houston, TX.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Am I ready for a Facelift?
A facelift or a face and neck lift will help correct jowling along the jawline, loose neck skin, and fullness in the neck. It will treat muscle bands that are seen in the neck and simply clean things up along the jawline and neck. It will resuspend the platysma muscle along the neck and help with wrinkles in the cheek.
Patients in their late 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s in good health are typically good candidates for a mini-facelift, neck lift, or face and neck lift. The procedure performed will depend on the areas that are affected and age of the patient.
A good way to sense whether you are ready to improve your jawline and neck is to take a hand mirror and lay down in bed. How your skin and soft tissues redrape over your jawline and neck will reflect an approximation of what a face and neck lift might provide for you.
Dr. Funk is a facial plastic surgeon and facelift specialist in Houston, TX.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Patients Should Seek Improvement with Revision Rhinoplasty
Revision Rhinoplasty or revision nose job surgery is a common consultation at Funk Facial Plastic Surgery. It is quite difficult for patients who have undergone rhinoplasty and the uncomfortable recovery involved only to have a disappointing cosmetic outcome. I always applaud these patients for coming back into a plastic surgeon’s office when they have had an unfavorable result. Revision rhinoplasty patients can be disenchanted with the surgical process and with plastic surgeons in general.
Rhinoplasty or nose surgery alone is one of the most difficult procedures in plastic surgery. A surgeon is dealing with a three dimensional object composed of cartilage, bone, soft tissue and skin. With revision rhinoplasty, one has to get through all the old scar that was left behind from the previous surgery. Cartilage does not have the integrity that it had in the past. Septal cartilage may be sparse. There may be valve collapse or functional impairment from the previous surgery. In addition, the healing process is not as predictable during revision surgery. Now you have scar healing on top of scar.
These are the things I discuss with all my revision rhinoplasty patients. That is why I inform them that they must accept improvement. It will be impossible to achieve perfection with revision rhinoplasty but if the surgeon and patient can agree that the nose will be improved and the main issues addressed, then together they have won the battle of revision rhinoplasty.
Dr. Funk is a revision rhinoplasty specialist in Houston, Texas.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Nose surgery or nose job for wide alar base
Rhinoplasty or a nose job for ethnic patients is a commonly performed procedure in patients with a wide base of the nose or enlarged nostrils. Alar base reduction is a technique to reduce the width of the base and to reduce alar flare. The scars from this type of nose surgery are well hidden in the alar-facial crease and in the nasal sill. This should not reduce airflow as long as the external nasal valve is kept patent.
Dr. Funk is a rhinoplasty expert in Houston, Texas.