Health: Popular Cosmetic Surgery Is Getting An Overhaul
By Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- New, better nose jobs that are more natural looking. Now new research, from Philadelphia, shows fewer breathing problems. 3 On Your Side Health Reporter Stephanie Stahl is here with the results.
Rhinoplasty is the most popular facial cosmetic surgery for both men and women, according to statistics. Now, the new and improved operation is benefiting one South Jersey family.
21-year-old Kate Hanuszczyk is seeing the results of her nose job, a week after surgery.
"This is awesome. I love it," said Kate. She says she was always self conscious about her nose.
"Because of the crookedness, I hated people looking at me on this side because I felt like my nose looked crooked," said Kate. Her mom, Jane, also had a nose job. Hers was because of an injury. But over the years, it's been almost 40, Jane's nose changed, and breathing became more difficult.
Dr. Oren Friedman with Penn Medicine, who operated on Kate, is now also going to be Jane's new surgeon, for a revision.
Dr. Friedman says Jane's internal nose structure has collapsed because of the way her surgery was done years ago.
"The older rhinoplasty techniques mostly involved taking cartilage out of the nose in order to shape it," said Dr. Friedman.
He says the old fashioned surgery often left noses looking altered and too small. And without adequate internal structure many patients eventually developed breathing problems.
Now, with patients like Kate, instead of removing as much bone and cartilage, it's molded and reshaped.
"No longer are we just removing tissue. We're actually moving tissue to other places in order to get the same cosmetic outcome," said Dr. Friedman. He just published a study, called Cosmetics and Function, showing that the new techniques last over time.
"There were significant improvements from a functional standpoint, that is from a breathing stand point as well as from a cosmetic standpoint," said Dr. Friedman.
"It's amazing. I think how technology has changed things," said Jane.
For Kate, it's the first time she's loved looking at herself.
"This is awesome. It looks so good," said Kate.
The newer nose job techniques still come with the same risks of traditional surgery, including infections, pain swelling and cost.
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