The history of rhinoplasty
From Sushruta and Tagliacozzi to Roe and Joseph, then Sheen, Gunter and the Dallas symposium, and the Baker Gordon meeting that ended in 2026. Every date and quote carries its source.
The timeline
Each entry names its source; rows marked (W) rest on Wikipedia's citation of a primary source pending our own check.
- c. 3000 BCE
Edwin Smith papyrus
Treatments for the plastic repair of a broken nose are first mentioned in the Edwin Smith Papyrus.
Source: Wikipedia, Rhinoplasty (W)
- c. 600–500 BCE
Sushruta: the cheek flap
Rhinoplasty techniques are described in the ancient Indian text Sushruta samhita by Sushruta, where a nose is reconstructed by using a flap of skin from the cheek.
- 1597
Tagliacozzi, De Curtorum Chirurgia
Gaspare Tagliacozzi publishes the arm-flap nasal reconstruction; Eisenberg names 'the attainments of the Brancas and Tagliacozzi'.
Source: Eisenberg 1982; Wikipedia
- 1794
The Gentleman's Magazine letter
A stagnant period of 200 years ended with the revival of the art as a result of a letter published in the Gentleman's Magazine of London in 1794, describing an Indian forehead-flap reconstruction.
Source: Eisenberg 1982
- 1814–1816
Carpue in England
Joseph Constantine Carpue performs and publishes two forehead-flap rhinoplasties.
Source: Eisenberg 1982; Wikipedia (W)
- 1818
- 1887
Roe: the first endonasal cosmetic rhinoplasty
In 1887, the otolaryngologist John Orlando Roe performed the first modern endonasal rhinoplasty.
Source: Wikipedia
- 1898
Jacques Joseph, Berlin
Joseph begins reduction rhinoplasty; Eisenberg: 'the enormous influence of the latter on modern concepts'. Nasenplastik und sonstige Gesichtsplastik follows in 1928.
Source: Eisenberg 1982; Wikipedia
- 1934
Réthi: the external approach
Aurel Réthi describes the open (external) approach.
Source: Wikipedia (W)
- 1967
Baker Gordon Symposium, Miami
First US meeting devoted to aesthetic surgery and the first national meeting with live surgery (February 3–4, 1967). Its attendees go on to form the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Source: Baker Gordon 2026 program
- 1970s
Padovan, Goodman: open rhinoplasty revived
Ivo Padovan, then Wilfred Goodman in Toronto, popularize the open approach in otolaryngology.
- 1975
Sheen shows dorsal and tip grafts
Jack Sheen demonstrates dorsal grafts and tip grafts for the supratip deformity at the Millard Symposium.
Source: Wikipedia, Jack Sheen
- 1978
Aesthetic Rhinoplasty
Sheen publishes Aesthetic Rhinoplasty with Anitra Peebles Sheen (C.V. Mosby); second edition 1987.
Source: Wikipedia, Jack Sheen
- 1984
The spreader graft
Sheen JH. Spreader graft: a method of reconstructing the roof of the middle nasal vault following rhinoplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg.
Source: PubMed PMID 6695022
- 1984
First Dallas Rhinoplasty Course
'the first Dallas Rhinoplasty Course in 1984 with one of his professors and close friend, Dr. Robert Oneal' — Jack Gunter starts teaching the open approach to plastic surgeons.
Source: Rohrich, PRS 2018
- 1987
Gunter and Rohrich in PRS
External approach for secondary rhinoplasty — 'a harbinger of things to come in rhinoplasty.'
- 1997
The debate in print
Sheen, 'Closed versus open rhinoplasty—and the debate goes on', and Gunter, 'The merits of the open approach in rhinoplasty', printed back to back in PRS 99(3).
Source: PMIDs 9047208, 9047209
- 1997
The Rhinoplasty Society
22 plastic surgeons form The Rhinoplasty Society; first formal meeting May 1997, president Jack H. Sheen.
Source: therhinoplastysociety.org
- 2004
Component dorsal hump reduction
Rohrich, Muzaffar, Janis: a five-step graduated hump reduction that protects the upper lateral cartilages and the dorsal aesthetic lines.
Source: PubMed PMID 15457053
- 2017
Jack Gunter dies
'He is directly accountable for having taught over 10,000 plastic and facial plastic surgeons the art and science of rhinoplasty.'
Source: Rohrich, PRS 2018
- 2018
'Preservation rhinoplasty' named
Daniel RK. The Preservation Rhinoplasty: A New Rhinoplasty Revolution. Aesthet Surg J.
Source: PubMed PMID 29319790
- 2021
- 2026
Baker Gordon's final meeting; Dallas turns 43
The 60th Baker Gordon Symposium (February 5–7) is its last. The 43rd Dallas Rhinoplasty Meeting runs March 20–22. Saban's 1,191-case dorsal preservation series appears in PRS.