Form And Function – The Hallmark Of Great Rhinoplasty
Form and function are hallmarks of great design. Architects study it. Website designers strive for it. Home builders, engineers, and even cell phone developers live by it. Plastic surgeons, too, seek to strike a perfect balance between these two complementary ideas.
Just ask Dr. Marcelo Ghersi, a board-certified plastic surgeon whose thriving Miami practice is testimony to what happens when procedure and purpose come together. “I was always fascinated by the idea that plastic surgery can improve someone’s form—their outer appearance—but at the same time impact the way their body functions,” Dr. Ghersi explains.
This might be most apparent in rhinoplasty, he asserts. To better understand how form and function come together in a nose job, we asked Dr. Ghersi to share his insider’s view on the procedure.
“Your nose is an extremely prominent facial feature. So much so that it is often the first thing people notice,” he says. But even though many people are unhappy with the way their nose looks, countless others are displeased with the way it works. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 200,000 nose reshaping procedures are performed each year in the United States alone.
Dr. Ghersi says he’s not surprised by the numbers when you consider that the human brain naturally notices the symmetry that makes a face attractive. “Consider the ‘golden ratio’,” he explains. “These are specific mathematical proportions and ratios that create a visually appealing face. They include the distance between the eyes, the length of the nose, the distance between the tip of the nose and the lips, as well as the overall width of the face.”
This is why ideal candidates for rhinoplasty have large nostrils, a low nose bridge, a wide bridge, a boxy or drooping nasal tip, a nose tip that is too short, too pointy, or is over projected, or someone who has a noticeable bump in their nasal profile.
“Your nose is an extremely prominent facial feature. So much so that it is often the first thing people notice.”
From an exterior perspective, rhinoplasty brings the nose into better harmony with other facial features. But the primary purpose of the nose—the function, if you will—is to help us breathe. This is why nasal defects or deformities, like those caused by accidents or other trauma to the structure of the nose, can make normal nose breathing very difficult. A deviated septum can also make it difficult to breathe. “The septum—or nasal wall—that sits between the nasal passages can become displaced to one side making it hard to breathe clearly from both nostrils,” Dr. Ghersi explains.
Because a nose’s form and function are both important, Dr. Ghersi is excited about surgical advances that allow plastic surgeons to provide a better-looking nose and a better-functioning nose in a single surgery. “In the past, functional and cosmetic rhinoplasty were performed at separate times by different specialists,” Dr. Ghersi explains. “Today, that comprehensive rhinoplasty care is often performed simultaneously.”
Still, Dr. Ghersi cautions rhinoplasty patients to work with a plastic surgeon who has the proven education, experience, and skills to successfully perform the procedure. With this in mind, he recommends that patients seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive training and experience in rhinoplasty.
“Rhinoplasty is complex surgery that is regarded as one of the most difficult to perform,” Dr. Ghersi asserts. “Only a skilled surgeon can deliver safe and superior results.”
