Some people enter the room with their nose. Noses have been defining traits of nobility throughout history. There are stories of Cleopatra’s nose. It performs a balancing act right down the middle of your face. The smallest bones in the body are in and around the nose. Dealing with the nose is a delicate practice that has drawn the attention of Dr. Dustin Reid of Austin, Texas.
By Dustin Reid, MD and Ashley Gordon, MD
and Chris Knisley
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
“Over the course of the last few years it’s become something that I’ve been really interested in. The surgery itself is very technical and precise, and appeals to my nature.”
Dr. Reid has been studying the complex architecture of the nose long enough to know that rhinoplasty is a subtle art involving many factors. Older techniques were destructive and manipulative. Surgeons might have had one nose that they gave to everyone. But Dr. Reid says the nose itself is not necessarily the issue.
Balance, he says, is the goal. Within the architecture of the nose there are many opportunities for subtle changes. Dr. Reid’s interest in the technical aspect of this procedure gives him a broader perspective of the nose and it’s functions. Not only does it rest in the middle of a face, it breathes as well.
It’s Gotta Be Your Nose
Rhinoplasty at the practice of Dr. Reid and his partner Dr. Ashley Gordon is primarily concerned with the nose’s relationship to the face. What proportions are out of balance?
Reid expects the future of rhinoplasty to avoid repeating its destructive history. With an intimate knowledge of the intricate nasal architectures, surgeons will be better equipped to treat each nose as an individual case. The flexibility allowed by the nose’s complex nature is a tool for surgeons to more ably reach the goals of the patient.
That is, the patient that does not want someone else’s nose. Drs. Reid and Gordon stress the importance of patients thinking about surgery to have specific concerns. It will not do to simply covet the nose of Angelina Jolie. The concern now is with harmonizing the aspects of your facial features.
Form And Function
The nose plays an important role in the face. Two important roles if you count breathing. For Dr. Reid, it’s easy to maintain the character of a nose while removing its hubris, which then allows the rest of the face to find notice.
While the changes made for aesthetic reasons may be small, each carry a repercussion felt in the function of the nose. Breathing is an important role of the nose according to Dr. Reid:
“My goal is that after surgery the patient is going to be able to breathe better than they could before. I want to be able to open the airways.”
Rhinoplasty is complicated business when you care about results. Patients must demand from their surgeon a dedication to the intricacies. Such knowledge and passion will serve both the aesthetic and functional interests of such a potentially transformative procedure.