Every year, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the United States elect to improve the appearance and/or function of their nose by means of nasal surgery or rhinoplasty. The procedure is designed to improve imperfections in the nose, whether they are "inherited," present from birth, or as a result of trauma. The operation is performed to repair asymmetries, to make certain nasal features more delicate, or to create a nose that is more harmonious with the rest of the face.