Artistry or Engineering?
We have so many of our San Diego patients who comment on how much of an artist Dr. Hilinski is when it comes to rhinoplasty and nose job surgery. But there are also those patients who ask how the nose can be re-engineered to be structurally sound and functional.
So the question arises – is there more artistry or engineering involved when it comes to reshaping noses during rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty surgery? The answer that Dr. Hilinski gives so often is – it’s both!
Regardless of so many plastic surgeons out there claiming they are artists by nature, the reality is that rhinoplasty is both artistry and engineering – with some noses needing a bit more of one or the other based on individual needs and desires.
Rhinoplasty Artistry
Is there some degree of artistic expression when it comes to rhinoplasty reshaping of the nose? Absolutely. You certainly have to have a keen eye for beauty and balance, which clearly comes from having an artistic bend. And most plastic surgeons have a natural affinity to art.
Rhinoplasty Engineering
But make no mistake about it, rhinoplasty is not all artistry and creativity. In fact, all rhinoplasty surgeons have to work within the confines an individual person’s skin, cartilage and bone. Whereas artistry has no limit in terms of creativity – there are real limitations when it comes to reshaping anyone’s nose. For instance, the thickness of someone’s skin is a huge limiting factor in some rhinoplasty procedures. The same goes for cartilage framework support. In some rhinoplasty patients, their cartilage is inherently so weak that grafting has to be done to help create a stronger framework for their nose. This all falls under engineering and has much less to do with artistic expression of the rhinoplasty surgeon. Yes – the rhinoplasty expert has to try and create a beautiful looking nose that is in harmony with the rest of the face. But they can only really accomplish this if they know how to build a nose – which truly requires more of an engineering mind.