William A. Portuese - Rhinoplasty in Seattle WA

Rhinoplasty Surgery in Seattle Washington

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeons
William A. Portuese, MD – Joseph Shvidler MD

If you are considering facial plastic surgery in Seattle Washington – in particular rhinoplasty, nasal reshaping or nose surgery contact Seattle Nose Surgeon. Board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and by the American Board of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. William Portuese MD and Joseph Shvidler see patients throughout Washington State and the Pacific Northwest area for nasal surgery treatment and procedures. Visit areas served.

Our board Certified facial plastic surgeons William Portuese MD – Joseph Shvidler Md are experts in the field of facial plastic surgery specializing in nasal contouring surgery. They regularly give presentations about rhinoplasty, facial plastic surgery on local, national and international levels.

Common Reasons Why Patients Undergo Nose Surgery

The 3 most common health reasons patients undergo a rhinoplasty is they just simply broke their nose and it’s twisted and crooked. The second reason they come to see me is usually because they have a large dorsal hump that maybe they were born with and they really have an issue with it. And the third reason is usually a bulbous nasal tip that needs some refinement.

Open rhinoplasty versus closed rhinoplasty:

Open rhinoplasty involves placement of 2 incisions on the inside of the nose, and one incision across the outside portion of the nose across the columella. The rhinoplasty surgeon then lifts the skin off the cartilaginous structures of the nose and performs the necessary changes. This leaves a visible scar across the columella. Open rhinoplasty is more invasive than closed rhinoplasty. Closed rhinoplasty involves placement of 2 incisions completely located on the inside of the nose, and is much less invasive. Closed Rhinoplasty heals faster. Open versus Closed Rhinoplasty services is only about the approach to get in the nose to perform the surgery, not what is actually performed inside the nose to accomplish the required changes. Advanced cartilage grafting techniques, cartilage removal, hump reduction, osteotomies, can all be addressed with either open or closed rhinoplasty. Always best to ask your surgeon which approach they are going to use for your nose job procedure.

These are four distinctly separate operations that can be performed individually or in combination.

Broken Nose

A broken nose can be fixed, straightened and/or repaired through nasal surgery. A broken nose can come from many different types of injuries such as basketball or soccer; it takes a blunt force injury to fracture the nasal bones and cause the nose to be in misalignment. In the majority of cases where the nose bone is broken, the septum will also be fractured, creating a breathing problem and the repair of the deviated septum will be performed simultaneously. Repairing a broken nose is an outpatient procedure that takes about an hour under general anesthesia in our Seattle Rhinoplasty Center. Our anesthesiologists are board certified and come from Swedish Medical Center. In many instances, the upper lateral cartilages on one or both sides have been fractured off the nasal bones and small cartilaginous spreader grafts harvested from the internal portion of the nose are fashioned and placed underneath the cartilage to realign the nasal cartilage and nasal bones together to improve airflow through the nose. The procedure requires re-breaking the nasal bones through osteotomies, re-aligning the nasal pyramid and in addition, repairing any internal deviations for airflow management. A cast is then applied across the nose, however, there is NO packing placed inside the nose. Then patients are transferred to our recovery room for another hour or so before being discharged to home with their caretaker.

Deviated Septum

A deviated septum would be the cause for patients who are undergoing nasal surgery simply for breathing. The deviated septum can be caused congenitally in patients who are just born that way or it can be from a traumatic injury. The deviation of the septum, whether from congenital or traumatic injury, is repaired by making an incision approximately 0.5 inch long on the inside of the nose, usually the left side, lifting the skin of the internal portion of the nose off of the bone spur or deviation. The bone spur and deviation fracture is then repaired and re-straightened, re-aligned and sometimes removed. This is all nonstructural so it does not affect the integrity of the nose. The incision is then closed with two sutures that are dissolvable and there is no packing placed on the inside of the nose. If the deviation is from a traumatic injury to the nose, the septum on the internal portion of the nose can easily be fractured. This will require reduction of the nasal fracture, which is different than a septoplasty procedure. In the majority of cases when patients are undergoing nasal obstructive surgery, the turbinates are also a compounding issue. The inferior turbinates become hypertrophied and swollen due to many physiologic factors such as sinusitis, allergies, air pressure and environmental issues. These are also made smaller by trimming the tissues of the inferior turbinates and outfracturing them to improve the airflow dynamics through the nose. Patients do experience significant nasal obstruction for the first week and moderate obstruction in the second week. Finally by the third week, patients will start to breathe much better through their nose and the sense of smell will improve as well. This is an uncomfortable procedure, but not a painful one.

Sinus surgery

Sinus surgery is performed to remove polyps from the internal portion of the nose. The polyps are caused fro many different reasons, but the many cause is allergies, so the polyps are called allergic nasal polyps. Endoscopic sinus surgery is done when symptoms such as repetitive sinus infections and a decreased sense of smell become chronic in nature for usually longer that three to six months and patients are miserable. The endoscopic sinus surgery involves using telescopes placed on the inside of the nose and opening up natural windows inside the four-paired sinuses; the maxillary, sphenoid, ethmoid and frontal sinuses. A CAT scan (a three dimensional x ray) of the paranasal sinuses has to be performed in order to guide Dr. Portuese to the sinuses that must be addressed. Most patients have eight sinuses and some only require two sinuses to be opened. The majority of the obstruction occurs in the ostiomeatal complex area where sinuses drain naturally. The sinus drainage pathway is usually quite narrow and polyps from allergies create obstruction and drainage and chronic sinusitis. It is also important to consider medical management of the sinuses which include nasal sprays, antihistamines, decongestants, nasal irrigations, allergy testing, immunotherapy and avoidance of all environmental allergens.

Cosmetic Rhinoplasty

The fourth consideration for nasal surgery is cosmetic Rhinoplasty. The cosmetic Rhinoplasty operation is performed to improve the aesthetic nature of the nose. Typically a large hump is removed from the bridge and the nasal sidewalls are narrowed to better balance the nose. The tip cartilages are usually also addressed to refine the nasal tip, including removal of cartilage or sewing of the tip cartilages to effect change. The tip must balance with the remainder of the nose. There are multiple cartilage grafts and surgical techniques to make a long nose short or a short nose long, as well as making a wide nose narrow and a narrow nose wider. These different cartilage grafting and surgical techniques can be performed through both an open or closed Rhinoplasty and there is no packing placed on the inside of the nose. Cosmetic Rhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia in our outpatient Medicare certified surgery center / office / clinic under the supervision of a board certified physician anesthesiologist at The Seattle Rhinoplasty Center. Looking for the right facial plastic surgeon? Set up a consultation today and get answers about swelling, shape, nasal features, bruising, results, appearance, size, nostrils, harmony, function, discomfort, scars, splint, beauty, breathing problems, symmetry, exercise, healing, width, bump, benefits, staff and more.

How Much Does A Rhinoplasty Cost

The most frequently asked question or questions about rhinoplasty is “How much does it cost?” The cost of a rhinoplasty is determined by three factors: The cost of the operating room which is based on time, the cost of being monitored under general anesthesia by a board-certified physician anesthesiologist, and then the surgeon’s fees for performing the procedure in addition to all the post-operative follow-up appointments for one year.

You’re also going to see the differences in cost based on a surgeon’s experience, which is extremely important and geography as well.

The nose is the most prominent feature on a patient’s face and it’s very important to get your nose job done right the first time. Because it will cost a lot more money in the long run if you don’t get it done right by a surgeon who knows what they’re doing.

Rhinoplasty (Regular):

$8,850 – 9,350 (Surgeon & Operating Room) + $980 (Anesthesia)

Rhinoplasty (Complex/Revision):

$10,500 – 11,500 Surgeon & Operating Room) + $1176 (Anesthesia)

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Bruising, swelling, and puffiness are typical side effects that will all start to go away in around two to three weeks. It’s crucial to remember that some small swelling can last for up to a year, so you shouldn’t assess your results too hastily.

If you are located in Portland Oregon visit The Portland Center for Facial Plastic Surgery. We offer revision rhinoplasty, ethnic rhinoplasty, work on upturned nose, flat nose bridge, bulbous nose, dorsal hump removal, surgical nose ( not non surgical rhinoplasty ) and offer a photo gallery of images of rhinoplasty procedures and outcomes to residents of King County, Bellevue, Tacoma, and surrounding areas. Real patients, real results. We also provide other facial plastic surgery services and treatments like chin augmentation, fillers, facelifts, blepharoplasty and more.


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    The Seattle Rhinoplasty Center

    Seattle Nose Surgeon ®
    William Portuese MD
    Joseph Shvidler MD

    Seattle, Washington 98104

    (206) 624-6200

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