Open Vs. Closed Rhinoplasty
Open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty are the major types and techniques used in nose job surgery. Each of them may have some pros and cons for different patients. For some patients, an open approach may be the wiser choice, while for others a closed rhinoplasty would work better. These distinctions between open and close rhinoplasty enforce patients to be aware of them before taking their final decision. For this purpose, we provided the following article regarding the differences, commonalities, and features of these two rhinoplasty approaches.
What is an Open Rhinoplasty Procedure?
Open rhinoplasty, also called external rhinoplasty, is a popular approach for performing nose job surgery. It can be used for patients based on their condition, expectation, and desire. In this rhinoplasty procedure, the surgeon will only make the incisions on the columella (the soft layer that divides the nostrils). Therefore, the surgeon may able to access easily to the underlying structure of the nose and made corrections. This approach of nose job will work best for patients who demand a revision or corrective rhinoplasty since the fundamental structure of the nose has already been displaced. The main benefit of this rhinoplasty procedure is that it increases the precision for surgeons to reshape the nasal structure for achieving the desired result. The scars left after the open nose job may be irritating for patients at first, but they will fade with time.
What is Closed Rhinoplasty?
Closed rhinoplasty, also known as endorse rhinoplasty, is another frequently used approach for performing nose job surgery. During this procedure, the surgeon will make the incisions inside the patients’ nostrils to reach the underlying structure of the nose for applying the adjustments. Compared to the open approach, the surgeon may have a more difficult job to apply the required changes to the patient’s nose. As there are no external incisions in this procedure, there would be no visible scars for patients after their surgery. Also, the lack of the columellar incision will cause less swelling and bruising for the rhinoplasty recovery time. However, the main disadvantage of this nose job approach is that the surgeon may only able to result few changes in the patient’s nose appearance. Even though, some high-skilled surgeons can accomplish the most desired result regardless of the rhinoplasty approach they take.
The Difference between Open and Closed Rhinoplasty
These two common types of rhinoplasty procedures differ from each other in various ways. Patients should consider these differences to choose the fitting rhinoplasty approach depending on their condition. For this purpose, we list these differences in the following for your consideration.
- Incisions will be placed on the inside of a patient’s nose in closed rhinoplasty (inside the nostrils). This is while in open approach the surgeon made the incisions on the external side of the nose (on columellar).
- In open rhinoplasty, the surgeon will have fuller access to the underlying nasal structure and can result more significant changes. This is in contrast with the closed approach of nose job in which modifications are performed inside the nose.
Advantages and Disadvantages of an Open Rhinoplasty and Closed Rhinoplasty
By examining these advantages and disadvantages, the patient should take the wisest choice for their rhinoplasties. Of course, the doctor’s consultation plays an important role in their decision. By referring from facialplasticsbh.com we list some of these advantages and disadvantages that an open rhinoplasty may have for patients. You can see them in the following sections.
Open rhinoplasty
Advantages
- In this approach, the surgeon will have an in-depth view of the nasal structure
- The external incision will help the surgeon to see the nose abnormalities better
- Having an open rhinoplasty offer patients with more enhancement in their nose appearance
- This procedure provides surgeons with the anatomy of the nose
Disadvantages
- It will leave some visible scars on the patient’s face which need time to heal
- This rhinoplasty approach is more invasive compared to the closed one
- Open rhinoplasty surgery is more complicated; hence, it takes more time than a closed rhinoplasty
- Patients will require a longer time to recovery after their open rhinoplasties
Closed rhinoplasty
Advantages
- As there are no external incisions made in this approach, no visible scars will appear on patients’ faces after this type of rhinoplasty
- It needs less time for a surgeon to perform a closed rhinoplasty in contrast with the closed approach
- The needed recovery time for a closed rhinoplasty is shorter than in an open procedure
- Closed rhinoplasty has less harm to a patient’s nasal skin when compared to an open approach
- It also has less postoperative swelling and bruising
Disadvantages
- In closed rhinoplasty, the surgeon will have limited access to the nose anatomy
- The surgeon is not able to make major revisions to the patient’s nose in closed rhinoplasty
- It may be difficult for an inexperienced surgeon to apply the modifications in the closed rhinoplasty approac
Reconstructive Rhinoplasty vs Reductive rhinoplasty
One important thing that nose job patients should consider is that whether they need their nose job to be reconstructive or reductive. In a reductive nose job, the excess structure of the nose will be removed from the patient’s nose. By contrast, in a reconstructive nose job, the surgeon’s focus is to reshape the original nasal structure.
As a rule of thumb, the open rhinoplasty approach will benefit more for patients who are requiring a reductive nose job. Likewise, a closed rhinoplasty is usually the better choice for reconstructive nose job patients. Note that, the consultation with your doctor will be a great help to decide the purpose of your rhinoplasty procedure.
Which Rhinoplasty Approach is the Best one? An Open or Closed?
Both the open rhinoplasty approach and the closed one offer various interests to nose job patients. The important issue here is that patients should determine which nose job approach is more suitable work better for them. Several factors may influence the appropriateness of a closed or open approach for different patients. Most major of them are the ethnic of the patients, the nasal impairments they have, and their nose shapes (whether it is fleshy, bony or etc). At the end of the day, by taking their doctor’s advice into account, the patient should choose between open and closed rhinoplasty. Doctors should inspect the nasal characteristic and the condition of patients, so that they would be able to offer them a needing procedure. In Flora, we have a consultation team for patients in which experienced plastic surgeons observe the patients’ condition and offer them the best option. You can start your medical consultation with our online medical team HERE.
Who is the Ideal Candidate for a Closed Rhinoplasty?
- Patients who require less cartilage grafting
- Candidates who need more work on their nasal septum and dorsum
- It is mostly recommended to patients who need modifications in their nasal bridge
- The patient who require only minor changes in their nose structure
- Hasty patients who couldn’t tolerate the rather long recovery time of an open approach
Who is the Ideal Candidate for an Open Rhinoplasty?
- Patients who want to correct their prior rhinoplasty
- Patients who need to remove their dorsal hump
- Candidates who require major changes to achieve their desired result
- Candidates who need a correction in their nasal tip
Open and Closed Septoplasty
Septoplasty procedure is mainly used for treating breathing problems and correcting the deviated septum of patients. Like a rhinoplasty, septoplasty also can take the open or close approach in its procedure. The difference between the close approach and the open approach of a septoplasty lays in the condition of the patients. Open septoplasty is usually recommended to patients who are suffering from more severe problems. In parallel, the closed approach of septoplasty could be the best choice for patients who need only minor corrections. Similarly, the required time to get fully recovered after the open rhinoplasty is much longer compared to the closed septoplasty healing time. Septorhinoplasty (a combination surgery of septoplasty and rhinoplasty) also can be done with either closed or open nose job approaches (however, open approach is more recommended for patients of septorhinoplasty). To get more information about septoplasty, you can visit Flora’s other page HERE.
How Much does My Open\Closed Rhinoplasty will Cost?
When it comes to the price of these two different rhinoplasty approaches, the distinction is not so large. Although the costs of open and closed rhinoplasty are different from each other, the variance is slight. In general, the cost of a closed rhinoplasty could be a little more than the open procedure. The logic for this expensive cost is that performing the closed rhinoplasty approach requires more skill and fewer surgeons are able to do it. Besides the taken approach in your nose job surgery, there are some other influencing factors to the cost of rhinoplasties. These are:
-
- The experience and expertise of your plastic surgeon and ENT surgeons (Otorhinolaryngology)
- The location in which you decided to have your nose job
- The cost of required anesthesia
- The complexity of your required nose job surgery
- Hospital expenses
How the Price of Open and Closed Rhinoplasty can Vary from Country to Country?
In addition to the factors mentioned above, if you are going to have your nose job procedure in a foreign country following factors should also be considered.
- Daily-life cost in that country
- The reliability that the particular country has in its cosmetic services
- The prices of different Medical tourism agencies
No matter whether it is open or closed rhinoplasty, the cost of the nose job is more expensive in western countries. You can find a nose job practice with a more economical cost in other countries which can also provide you a better quality. According to many medical experts and researchers, Iran is the greatest choice among other countries for having a nose job. Due to the Rial’s (Iran currency) low cost compared to the dollar, the cost of medical services in Iran is dramatically low and affordable. Moreover, as many highly experienced plastic surgeons and ENT surgeons are living in Iran the quality of nose job procedure (no matter if it is closed or open) is superb. We will discuss the benefits of Iran in detail in the following. Now it’s time to compare the average prices of the open and close rhinoplasty in different countries of the world in the below table.
| Country | Open rhinoplasty cost | Closed rhinoplasty cost |
| US | $8000 | $9000 |
| Canada | $7500 | $8000 |
| UK | $5000 | $5700 |
| Colombia | $3500 | $4500 |
| Lithuania | $3000 | $3800 |
| Turkey | $3000 | $3500 |
| Mexico | $3000 | $3300 |
| Spain | $2500 | $3500 |
| India | $2500 | $3000 |
| Iran | $1500 | $2000 |
If you still need more information about the cost of rhinoplasty and its various types, please visit HERE to see our other article. We prepared a comprehensive article about the cost of the different nose job surgeries.
Is Iran a Wise Choice for my Open or Closed Rhinoplasty?
Iran is recognized as an advantageous destination for patients to have their closed\open rhinoplasty. Especially for patients who wanted to have their nose job procedure at the most economical cost with the first-rate quality. In general, Iran offers the below benefits to international nose job patients around the globe.
- The high-experienced and skillful Iranian plastic surgeons and ENT surgeons
- The high-tech hospitals and clinics in Iran for cosmetic surgeries
- The high satisfaction of Iran’s medical tourist from their rhinoplasty’s result
- The outstanding hospitality of Iranian
- The beauties of Iran
- The safety provided in Iran for medical tourists; Iran is listed among the safest countries for traveling according to the travelriskmap.com
Do I Need Open or Closed Rhinoplasty?
Different pros and cons for each nose job approach have been examined till now. But at the end of the day, which procedure is better? In which procedure can I benefit more? The answer to these questions requires medical specialists to inspect your condition, expectation, and desire precisely. A consultation would be essential for patients to be determined about their needed rhinoplasty type. For this reason, Flora provides you with an online medical team consisting of plastic surgeons and specialists. By contacting Flora online team HERE, you can get all your required information regarding your nose job procedure. We are available 24\7 to aiding our beloved customers.
Open Rhinoplasty Surgery Vs Closed Rhinoplasty Surgery
The overall procedure for both nose job approaches is almost the same. The main difference that open and close surgery may have is that the surgeon will use different techniques for making incisions. As discussed, in the open rhinoplasty approach, the surgeon incises the external side of the nose (columella). On the contrary, in closed rhinoplasty, the surgeon makes incisions on the internal side of the nose (inside the nostrils). The usual steps in closed and open rhinoplasties are:
-
Anesthesia
No matter which approach does your surgeon takes for your nose job, he needs to sedate you before the surgery. Local anesthesia or general anesthesia may be used for having a pain-free rhinoplasty.
-
The incision
This is where two approaches bring some varieties. Based on the type of your rhinoplasty, your surgeon may make the incisions inside (closed rhinoplasty) or outside (open rhinoplasty) of your nose
-
Applying changes on the nose
After the incisions have been made, the surgeon will reshape your nasal structure to achieve the desired result. These changes will be more complicated and appearance-changing in the open type of rhinoplasty than in the closed one.
-
Closing the incisions
After the surgeon changed the nasal structure, he should close the incisions by using nasal stitches. The scars remained after the open and closed rhinoplasties are varying based on their visibility. The open nose job will leave visible scars on the patient’s nose. Conversely, no scars can be seen after a closed rhinoplasty approach.Moreover, nasal splints will be placed inside or outside the patients’ noses to cover the newly fragile nasal tissues. External splints are used in the open approach while internal splints should be placed in the closed approach of rhinoplasty.
-
See the result
Patients can see the result of their closed rhinoplasty usually after 1 month or so. By contrast, the result of the open rhinoplasty appears at least after 4 months.
Which Rhinoplasty Procedure will Correct the Bulbous Tip? Open or Closed
For patients who are suffering from a bulbous tip, an open approach would be more suitable than a closed one. Due to the external incisions of open approach rhinoplasty, the surgeon can detect and fix the bulbous tip correctly. Bulbous tip rhinoplasty or tipolasty can also manage the patient bulbous tip as well as the open rhinoplasty.
Which Rhinoplasty Procedure will Correct the Deviated Septum? Open or Closed?
Open rhinoplasty may have more benefits for a patient who is experiencing the deviated septum. The incisions made during the open rhinoplasty allow the surgeon to correct the deviated septum finer. However, the optimal choice for deviated septum correction would be a septoplasty surgery, not rhinoplasties. To get more information about the septoplasty procedure and its interests, please visit Flora’s septoplasty page HERE.
Which Nose Job Approach is used in an Ethnic Nose Job? Open or Close?
Whether it is a classic rhinoplasty or an ethnic nose job, the surgeon can take both open and closed techniques. The thing which may specify which procedure would be more practical is the condition of the patient and his\her expectation. Usually, in ethnic rhinoplasty in which the patient requires minor changes, a closed rhinoplasty approach will be used. In the same manner, the open technique will be chosen to perform ethnic rhinoplasty for patients who require more serious changes.
Which Procedure will be Used in Ultrasonic rhinoplasty? Open or Closed?
Ultrasonic rhinoplasty involves using sound waves to reshape the structure of the nose. These sound waves may produce a more precise result for patients. During this relatively new type of rhinoplasty, the surgeon will take an open approach to perform the procedure.
Which Procedure Should I have for Nostrils Reduction? Open or Closed?
Patients, based on their condition, can have both open and closed rhinoplasty approaches to reduce the size of their nostrils. You should consider that an optimal surgery for nostrils reduction is Alarplasty, also called alar base reduction surgery.
Which Procedure Should I have for Hump Reduction? Open or Closed?
Generally, a closed rhinoplasty will work better for hump reduction than an open approach. For correcting the nasal hump, the surgeon wouldn’t require fuller access to apply the changes. Thus, the incisions made in the closed technique will suffice for hump correction and reduction.
Which Procedure has Fewer Scars Tissue for Patients? Open or Close?
We already mentioned that one of the primary advantages of the closed rhinoplasty approach is that it will leave no evident scars after the surgery. During a closed rhinoplasty, also known as a scarless nose job, the surgeon places the incisions inside the nose. Therefore all the scar tissues will be hidden until they got fully healed after the nose job recovery timeline. At the same time, to achieve fuller access to the nasal structure the surgeon incises the outside of the nose in an open approach nose job. These external incisions will produce quite a few scar tissues for patients for 2-3 months after their surgery.
Open and Close Rhinoplasty and Lip Lift Combination
The lip lift is a surgical procedure that shortens the gap between your nose and your upper lip. A patient who desires to reduce the space between their lip and nose can undergo this procedure. Lip lift surgery can also be combined with rhinoplasty for delivering a more improved nose appearance for patients. Closed type of rhinoplasty is mainly used in this combination.
Open rhinoplasty aftercare vs. closed rhinoplasty aftercare
Because of the differences that these two approaches of rhinoplasty have in their procedures, the after-care and recovery period may also vary. Needless to say, that considering this differentiation is very significant for patients for selecting the appropriate procedure for themselves. For your consideration, we summarized some of the differences between the closed and open rhinoplasty recovery procedures in the following. We list some of these differences in the recovery timeline of open and closed rhinoplasty below for you to consider:
- Swelling and bruising are less severe after a closed rhinoplasty when compared to the swelling and bruising after the open approach
- The amount of time that patients need to get fully recovered is longer for an open rhinoplasty procedure than the closed one.
- The Dos and Dont’s for both open and closed rhinoplasty are the same. The contrast here is that patients of open rhinoplasty should consider the guidelines for a longer period. You can see these Dos and Don’t by details in Flora’s rhinoplasty recovery page HERE.
- Your surgeon may use nasal splints, tampons, tapings, or stitches for your closed or open rhinoplasty aftercare. Different patients, based on their condition might need different nasal coverage for their aftercare procedure.
- As open rhinoplasty is more invasive, patients may suffer from more serious complications during their recovery timeline.
Different Risks and Side Effects of the Open and Closed Rhinoplasty
There is no major difference between open and closed rhinoplasty in terms of their risks and side effects. Both procedures may have nearly the same threats and side effects for their patients. However, it should be noted that the side effects would be more severe and intolerable in an open rhinoplasty procedure. The reason is that the open type of nose job is more invasive and requires more incisions on the nose surface.
Following are some common risks and side effects for both open and closed rhinoplasty.
-
Bleeding
Bleeding is natural after or during the surgery and patients shouldn’t bother themselves over the bleeding. The bleeding can be tolerated well and won’t produce any threatening condition.
-
Infection
Infection is likely to happen after the rhinoplasty. Patients who are experiencing this side effect should take antibiotics to manage and reduce it (following the doctor’s direction).
-
Pain
Patients may have pain and discomfort in the first week after their surgery. This pain is fully manageable by taking pain relievers.
-
Swelling and bruising
Patients will have these side effects after their rhinoplasty surgery. These swelling and bruising will be milder for patients who had closed rhinoplasty. These swelling will be gone after 3-4 weeks of the surgery.
-
Difficulty breathing through the nose
Although this complication occurs rarely after a successful rhinoplasty, patients should manage it immediately.
Which Doctors are the Best for Open and Closed Rhinoplasty?
Plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists (ENT specialists) are able to perform a successful rhinoplasty procedure (whether it is closed or open). Besides the high experience and skill that a good rhinoplasty surgeon should have, he should also possess the following characteristics:
- Having scheduling appointments
- Provide acceptable follow-up program for patient’s recovery period
- Have ethics
- Sustaining acceptable medical records
- Benefits from good interpersonal skills to have satisfactory patient relationships
As we reviewed, many qualified plastic surgeons are living in Iran. The most qualified of them have been appointed by Flora medical tourism agency to guarantee the best achievable result for our beloved patients. You can see our surgeon’s medical records and information HERE to be sure of their appropriateness for performing your rhinoplasty. You can choose whoever you want to perform your surgery. Just give us a message by clicking HERE and set an online consultation session with our medical team.
Last Word
We have examined detail fully through the differences and features of closed and open rhinoplasty in the above article. It should be clear for you now that both of these nose job approaches can profit various patients. The thing that matters the most for deciding between open or closed rhinoplasty is the patient’s condition and expectation. Hence, you need to consult with a medical expert to find a fitting procedure for your rhinoplasty surgery. As a general service, Flora’s online medical team is available 24\7 for helping nose job patients eagerly. You can simply contact us by clicking HERE.
Closed and Open Rhinoplasty Frequently Asked Questions
How long does close rhinoplasty take to heal?
For most patients, it takes nearly 6 weeks to get fully healed after having their closed rhinoplasty approach. During this time, patients need to consider the advised directions for having a better closed rhinoplasty recovery procedure.
How does close rhinoplasty work?
In the closed approach of rhinoplasty, incisions will be made inside the nasal structure (inside nostrils). By making these incisions, the surgeon will perform the needed adjustments to improve the nose appearance. The advantage of the internal incision while the closed rhinoplasty is that it won’t leave the patient any visible scar tissues.
What is closed atraumatic rhinoplasty?
Atraumatic is a Latin word meaning not causing injury. Recently, it became a philosophy in surgical procedures. Atraumatic surgeries are surgeries in which there is minimal damage to the patients’ different organs. The reason for calling a closed rhinoplasty an atraumatic rhinoplasty is that it won’t cause any tense injuries or scars for patients.
What to expect after a closed rhinoplasty?
Side effects are common to any medical surgery and this also involves rhinoplasties. In general, these side effects are alike in both open and closed rhinoplasty. However, patients would experience less serious side effects after the closed approach. . The main side effects of closed rhinoplasty procedures are bleeding, swelling, and numbness.
What is better open or closed rhinoplasty?
The answer to this question is varying for different patients. Both of these two rhinoplasty approaches provide their benefits. Depending on your condition and expectation, you can find the perfect choice for yourself. A consultation with medical experts is also important for taking the wiser decision. You can have an online medical consultation with Flora’s online team 24\7. Surely, our high-experienced plastic surgeons in our team offer you great help.
Does closed rhinoplasty heal faster?
Compared to the open rhinoplasty approach, a closed nose job needs a lesser time to get fully healed. Most closed rhinoplasty patients should be healed after 6 weeks or so.
Where are stitches in rhinoplasty?
The surgeon will use nasal stitches to close the incisions made during the surgery. These stitches can be place on either inside (closed approach) or outside (open approach) of your nose.
Where are stitches in septoplasty?
Similar to the closed rhinoplasty, in septoplasty, the inactions will be made inside your nose. Hence, the stitches place on the internal side of your nose during the septoplasty surgery.
How long does open rhinoplasty take to heal?
The needed time for patients to get recovered after their open rhinoplasty surgery is around 6 months.
What happens during open rhinoplasty?
In performing an open rhinoplasty surgery, the surgeon incised the external side of the nose to reach fuller access to the underlying nasal structure. The advantage of external incisions is that the surgeon will be able to apply major changes in nasal structure to result a more desired outcome.
How painful is open rhinoplasty?
Although you may feel some discomfort during and after your open rhinoplasty, it will not be a big concern. These pains are normal and can be tolerated well. To reduce the pain, the patient should take pain relievers for the first two weeks after their surgeries.
How long after rhinoplasty does the tip drop?
The swellings are natural to occur after the rhinoplasty surgery. It takes few weeks for the patient to get rid of the irritating swelling and bruising after their rhinoplasties.
Recent Comments