Rhinoplasty for Bethany Patients: The Drive, the Consult, the Plan

A short drive from Bethany to the consultation

Our practice sits at 12400 Saint Andrew's Drive in Oklahoma City — about 7 miles from Bethany in a straight line. Drive time will depend on your route and traffic, but the distance is short enough that pre-operative visits and follow-up appointments fit into a normal day.

Parking is free and on-site. On surgery day, your driver pulls directly to the entrance for drop-off and pick-up. Consultations are available in person at the Oklahoma City office or virtual from anywhere — so you can have your first conversation without leaving home if you prefer.

Every plan begins the same way. You meet the surgeon. You are examined. You describe what bothers you in your own words. You leave with a written plan and a written, all-in number — both yours to keep, to decide on your own time.

What rhinoplasty actually does

Rhinoplasty reshapes the nose — the bone and cartilage that give it its shape — so it sits in proportion with the rest of your face. It can make the nose smaller, straighter, or more balanced. It can also open a blocked airway in the same operation, addressing a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates while refining the outer shape.

The nose and the chin set each other's proportions. Chin augmentation is one of the most common companions to rhinoplasty. Whether one, the other, or both makes sense is a consultation conversation — not something decided from a photograph alone.

A second surgery to correct a previous nose job is called a revision. Revision rhinoplasty is harder and planned more carefully. Dr. Cuzalina has published peer-reviewed work on revision rhinoplasty and on complex nasal reconstruction [3, 4]. Dr. Chase Nelson, a cosmetic otorhinolaryngologist fellowship-trained at Tulsa Surgical Arts, also performs rhinoplasty at the practice.

What happens in the operating room

General anesthesia is administered by a board-certified anesthesia provider — you are fully asleep. A small incision is made in the columella (the strip of skin between the nostrils) and just inside the nostrils, allowing the skin to be lifted off the underlying cartilage and bone. The bone and cartilage are then refined — judicious removal and repositioning with sutures — to achieve a balanced, natural nasal shape. Grafts are often placed for support and contour.

Functional issues such as a deviated septum or turbinate hypertrophy are corrected at the same time. The nasal skin is laid back into place and the incisions are closed with fine suture. Internal splints are placed, followed by external tape and a splint. Surgery usually takes two to three hours. Most patients return home the same day with an adult to help. The surgery is performed in our AAAHC-accredited surgery center in Oklahoma City.

Recovery, honestly

The first few days bring a stuffy nose, bruising under the eyes, and mild aching. Keep your head raised. Do not blow your nose. At one week the splint comes off, and most bruising fades over the following week. By two weeks most people go back to work or school. Avoid glasses resting on the bridge of the nose unless the surgeon clears it.

At six weeks the bones are stable. Contact sports and heavy lifting can restart. At one year the tip continues to refine — swelling hides the final shape for months, so judgment waits. That patience is part of the process, and your follow-up visits are spaced to track the change.

Because Bethany is close, those follow-up appointments are straightforward. The same surgeon who operated sees you at every post-operative visit.

The surgeons who perform rhinoplasty here

Dr. Angelo Cuzalina is the practice's founder and fellowship director. His published work on rhinoplasty spans complex cleft nasal deformity, revision rhinoplasty, and current surgical technique [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]. He is a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and holds the SRC Master Surgeon designation in Face & Neck surgery.

Dr. Chase Nelson is a cosmetic otorhinolaryngologist (ENT) who completed his cosmetic surgery fellowship at Tulsa Surgical Arts. Both surgeons consult and operate in Oklahoma City. You choose your surgeon when you book — or share your goals and the team will match you.

Risks you should know before your consult

Every surgery has risks. The main ones for rhinoplasty include a blocked or stuffy feeling while swelling settles, nosebleeds in the first days, a shape you are not happy with or a small touch-up later, numb skin at the tip (feeling usually returns over months), and scarring — though incisions sit inside the nose or hidden under the tip and most fade over a year.

Rare but serious risks include bleeding that requires a return to the operating room, infection (watch for spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever), a small hole in the wall between the nostrils, blood clots in the legs, and problems from anesthesia. If you experience difficulty breathing, chest pain, or signs of a blood clot, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. We review all risks with you in person before any decision is made.

Individual results vary. This article is general education, not medical advice.