Nose Hump Surgery in Sydney

Nose Hump Removal Surgery in Sydney with Dr Jason Roth

Dr Jason Roth (MED0001185485) — Specialist Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck Surgeon. All surgery involves risks and individual results vary.

Risks of rhinoplasty surgery — please read before proceeding

A prominent dorsal profile (commonly referred to as a dorsal hump) is one of the more common structural concerns that patients present with when seeking rhinoplasty. Dorsal humps tend to be genetic in origin and vary in prominence between individuals and across different ethnic backgrounds.

Addressing the dorsal profile as part of rhinoplasty changes the appearance of the nose from the side and also alters its appearance from the front. Careful surgical planning is required to address both views together.

What Makes Up the Dorsal Profile?

A prominent dorsal profile can consist of bone, cartilage, or most commonly both. The approach to addressing each component differs depending on its composition, and this is assessed at consultation and at the time of surgery.

Dorsal Hump Anatomy

How Much Should Be Addressed?

The degree of change to the dorsal profile is an important part of the preoperative discussion. Patients have different preferences — some wish to retain a small dorsal profile to preserve an ethnic or family characteristic, while others prefer a straighter or slightly concave profile. What is achievable in your specific case depends on your individual anatomy, skin thickness, and other factors that will be discussed at consultation.

A detailed discussion about how you would like the nose to look from the side should take place before surgery. This can be assisted by image morphing or a surgical sketch. Realistic expectations will be discussed honestly, including what is and is not achievable in your case.

The Effect of Skin Thickness

In patients with thicker skin, significant changes to the underlying cartilage and bone structure may not translate fully to the external appearance of the nose, as the overlying skin may not contract around a reduced framework to the same degree as thinner skin. Various surgical techniques exist to manage this, and it will be discussed at consultation where relevant to your anatomy.

What is a Pseudo-Hump?

A pseudo-hump is the appearance of a prominent dorsal profile caused not by excess tissue at the bridge, but by a deeply set radix — the junction between the forehead and the nose. In some cases the nose may benefit from the addition of tissue to the radix area rather than reduction of the dorsal profile lower down. This is particularly relevant in male rhinoplasty, where excessive reduction can alter the character of the nose in an unintended way. This distinction is assessed at consultation.

Pseudohump corrected by radix graft

Pseudohump

Will My Breathing Be Affected?

Following medium or large dorsal reduction, it is generally necessary to perform osteotomies (controlled bone cuts) to narrow the nasal bones and prevent the nose appearing too wide when viewed from the front. Narrowing the nasal bones carries a risk of reducing nasal airflow. This risk will be discussed at consultation.

Where relevant, a turbinoplasty procedure, spreader grafts, lateral crural strut grafts, or alar batten grafts may be considered to support nasal airflow. Whether these are appropriate in your case will be assessed individually.

Spreader Grafts in Dorsal Reduction

Spreader grafts — cartilage grafts placed between the septum and upper lateral cartilages — serve several functions in dorsal reduction rhinoplasty. They help stabilise the middle third of the nose to prevent late collapse of the dorsal contour, support the internal nasal valve to reduce the risk of breathing impairment, and can help prevent complications such as the inverted V deformity. Whether spreader grafts are used in your surgery will depend on your individual anatomy and the extent of dorsal reduction planned.

Inverted V deformity

Spreader grafts

Risks and Recovery

All surgery carries risk. Full information about the risks of rhinoplasty surgery is available at the link below. Recovery varies between individuals — swelling resolves gradually over many months and the final result may not be fully apparent for twelve months or more. Realistic expectations regarding your own recovery will be discussed at consultation.

Risks of rhinoplasty surgery

Rhinoplasty surgery — overview