Can I Make My Nose Taller?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hi is there any procedure that can make my nose taller? I have a short midface and short nose and want it to end lower on my face. I can imagine Le fort 1 or Le fort 2 alongside a rhinoplasty increasing length and projection might be possible? I made a mock up of what I’m looking to achieve would this be possible and what procedures would it require?

A:On your own imaging you are demonstrating augmentation of the the midface and the dorsum of the nose. Options for mid face augmentation include a LerFort I osteotomy, which would be appropriate for moving the lower mid face at the teeth level but it will not augment any midface area above that level… and your imaging clearly shows a total mid face augmentation.  A Lefort II osteotomy looks more effective on paper but is not a particularly good operation for a total midface augmentation. Also any type of LerFort osteotomy advancement Is also going to require the lower jzwe to be advanced as well to maintain a good occlusal relationship… Which seems to partially negate any of the above mid face augmentation effects.

This leaves a custom midface implant, in your case, is probably the most effective mid face augmentation procedure because the dimensions of augmentation are better controlled. This would commonly be combined with a nasal augmentation using either an implant or a rib graft.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon