Rhiniplasty or Nose Job
A Rhinoplasty is commonly referred to as a nose job. Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure designed to improve shape and appearance of the nose.
When to Consider Nose Surgery
– If you are unhappy with the shape, size or angle of your nose
– If your nose is too large, too small or not in proportion to the rest of your face
– If you have breathing problems resulting from irregularities inside your nose
– If you have a nasal hump or a nasal tip that is drooping, too elevated or wide
Considerations
Pros
– The shape, angle and size of your nose will be improved
– Structural problems that restrict breathing and cause congestion can be corrected
– Rhinoplasty can have a significant impact on your self-image and self-confidence
Cons
– Depending on the type of surgery, you may develop scars at the base of your nose
– You may have skin problems or breakdown of skin tissue associated with the use of grafting materials
– It will take time to adjust to your new look
Am I a good candidate for nose surgery?
– Your nose is too large or too small
– Your nose does not seem to fit with the rest of your face
– Your nose is crooked, badly shaped, or out of alignment
– You have nasal blockage inside your nose and have trouble breathing
– You have a birth defect that you would like improved
– You would like improvement, not perfection, in the appearance of your nose
Preparing for your procedure?
– Stop smoking at least six weeks before undergoing surgery to promote better healing
– Avoid taking aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and some herbal medications that can cause
increased bleeding
– Regardless of the type of surgery to be performed, hydration is very important before and after
surgery for safe recovery.
About your nose surgery procedure?
After numbing the area, surgeon will make incisions to access the bones and cartilage that support the nose. There are two general techniques for making the incisions: open and end nasal By adding or removing bone and cartilage and adjusting the supporting structures inside the nose, the size of your nose can be reduced or increased and the nose may be shortened or lengthened.
– Tip grafts made of cartilage can be used to remodel the tip of your nose, making it more uplifted, longer, shorter, or thinner.
– Your skin and other soft tissues will remodel to assume the shape of the underlying structure.
– In some patients, tissue fillers or fat grafts can be added to increase volume in desired areas.
– Autologous cartilage grafts taken from your nasal septum (the wall inside the nose that divides one air passage from the other) offers the best chance for a natural result. If cartilage and bone have already been removed from the nasal septum, then ear or rib cartilage and sometimes bone from the
skull are other options.
– Although solid silicone implants are available for nasal surgery, these are foreign materials that may become infected or react poorly with your nasal tissues and have to be removed. That is why natural cartilage, if a supply is available, is the most trouble-free option.
– Fillers or fat grafts may also be injected to smooth the nose, to camouflage deformities or indentations, or to add volume in desired areas.
Aftercare and Recovery
Immediately after rhinoplasty
After surgery you may be asked to wear a nasal splint over your nose for support. The splint will protect your nose while you sleep and shield it from accidental bumps. You may also have a small triangular bandage beneath the tip of your nose. Nasal packing will be placed inside your nose for
additional support; it acts as an internal splint to hold everything in place and to keep the airway clean and free of crusts. Many patients dislike the idea of anything being put in their noses, so adjusting to the nasal packing may be difficult. Some surgeons insert a small tube in each airway to allow the patient to breathe more freely when the packing is in place. Expect some swelling and bruising and possibly some discomfort. Your face will be puffy, and the areas around your nose and eyes will be bruised and swollen after surgery. Your surgeon may recommend cold compresses to
help minimize the swelling and reduce pain. You may need to keep your head elevated and relatively still for the first few days after surgery. Your doctor may prescribe a pain medication to deal with any pain you may experience. You will have to limit your activities for a few days to weeks.
Recovery time frame after rhinoplasty
The first two weeks
All surgical packing within your nose will be removed within four to seven days after surgery. The splint and bandages on your nose will be removed in a week to ten days. It takes about ten to fourteen days before most of the swelling and bruising improves. Your return to work or school
depends on how much exertion your job or your school activities require. Most normal activities including exercise can usually be resumed within three weeks. You should avoid strenuous exercise, straining, bending, and lifting until cleared to do so by your plastic surgeon.
After the first two weeks
Minor swelling of your nose may persist for up to a year but most likely will not be noticeable to others. It will be a few months before you can expose your reshaped nose to direct sunlight, and it may be a number of weeks before you can wear glasses without special support, such as tape, if the bones in your nose were altered.
How Long Will the Results Last?
The results of rhinoplasty are permanent, so it is important that you have clear aesthetic goals when this procedure is planned. Rhinoplasty should only be performed on a nose that has finished growing; complete development has usually occurred by age sixteen or seventeen. If rhinoplasty is
performed before development is complete, continued growth can change the outcome of your surgery and cause potential problems and complications.
Limitations and Risks
– Adverse reaction to anesthesia
– Hematoma or seroma (an accumulation of blood or fluid under the skin that may require removal)
– Infection and bleeding
– Changes in sensation
– Scarring
– Allergic reactions
– Damage to underlying structures
– Unsatisfactory results that may necessitate additional procedures
– Skin problems or skin breakdown from bandaging or grafting material being exposed through thin skin, particularly if foreign materials being inserted.
– Nasal blockage caused by swelling inside the nose.
– Injury to your septum, the structure that separates nostrils.
– A raised scar at the base of nose with open approach.