Nose Surgery (Rhinoplasty) – what part of the nose can be treated?

The nose is divided into different areas which are all treated differently.

From the top to the bottom, the upper third of the nose is composed of bone, the middle third of the nose is composed of cartilage sheets and the lower part of the nose is made up of softer areas of cartilage. This is why if you look at a skeleton, the bony part is present but the cartilage part has disappeared.

Changes can be made to all parts of the nose starting with the upper third of the nose, the bony portion. The upper part of the nose is normally treated with a removal of this upper portion and a microfracture of its base to bring the bony edges of the nose together.

The middle part of the nose is treated in a similar fashion – the trimming of the cartilages. The lower part of the nose is more complex and varies significantly between two individuals and is treated with nasal tip surgery to redefine this area.

These procedures will be talked about further in subsequent posts.