Rhinoplasty/nose aesthetic and functional plastic surgery

RHINOPLASTY – NOSE SURGERY

Rhinoplasty, also known as ‘nose job’, is a surgery that changes the shape of the nose, improves breathing and improves harmony of the face and proportions of the nose. This surgery can be also performed to repair nasal deformities caused by injury or correct birth defects.

Nose surgery can be done to change the bone, cartilage or skin of the nose. Regarding nose structure, the upper part of the nose is bone and the lower part is cartilage. This surgery can address and improve both parts of the nose.

During the consultation, the plastic surgeon examines the patient’s facial features and nose skin. Before the surgery, the surgeon creates a customized treatment plan that addresses the shape, size and proportions of the patient’s nose.

Procedure info at a glance

Will I be awake or asleep during the surgery?	Local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia can be used, depending on the extent of surgery
Do I stay in hospital after surgery?	Usually no
What is the recovery time? When can I return to work/exercise?	One week
How long will the surgery last?	2-3 hours, depending on the extent of the surgery
How long until the final results of surgery are visible?	6 weeks after the surgery

WHAT DIFFERENT NOSE SURGERIES ARE THERE?

There are different reasons why people choose to have nose surgery. Therefore there are different techniques and approaches to rhinoplasty that address the patient’s specific needs and concerns.

Some common types of nose surgeries include:

Traditional rhinoplasty

This nose surgery is usually done for aesthetic reasons. It can improve the shape, size, projection and other features of the nose.

Functional rhinoplasty

This type of surgery is done to improve breathing or address deviated septum.

There are two subtypes of functional rhinoplasty – septoplasty and turbinectomy:

Septoplasty resolves the issue of the deviated septum by reshaping the misaligned cartilage and bone. This way the two nasal passages are separated and the airflow is improved.

Turbinectomy resolves the issue of turbinate hypertrophy or the condition where the patient’s turbinates are swollen which causes improper nasal breathing, nosebleeds of constant sinus infections. Once the turbinates are reduced the patient can breathe through the nose without constrictions.

Revision rhinoplasty

This nose surgery is performed to correct the mistakes of previous nose job procedures.

Regarding the technique, rhinoplasty can be done as an open or closed procedure. The open rhinoplasty involves creating an incision on the outside of the nose, just underneath the nostrils. Closed rhinoplasty involves creating incisions inside the nose. There are additional techniques that can be used during nose surgery, such as cartilage grafting, internal sutures or bone shaving.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NOSE SURGERY?

With rhinoplasty, the patients can shape their noses as they have always wanted. With the right technique and approach, this surgery can improve the appearance of the nose and make it more proportional to other facial features.

The surgery can reduce the bridge of the nose or its tip and reshape the nostrils. It can make the nose flatter if it looks too pointed or build up a nose that looks flat. The patients can decrease or increase the size or change the shape of their noses – just a slight change in the nose can create dramatic and beautiful changes in the patients’ appearance.

Moreover, rhinoplasty can improve breathing by resolving the issue of a deviated septum or eliminating the problem with sinuses.

Once the patients see the full results of their nose surgery, their confidence is increased and they finally feel good about the way they look.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

WHAT DOES RHINOPLASTY SURGERY INVOLVE?
Before scheduling nose surgery, the patient meets with the plastic surgeon for consultations. The surgeon asks the patient about his/her previous medical history including nasal obstructions and medications he/she takes. If the patient suffers from bleeding disorders, he/she might not be a good candidate for this surgery.

The surgeon also examines the patient’s nose, from the inside and outside and determines what changes can be done to the nose. The surgeon also checks other facial features such as skin thickness and how strong is the cartilage at the end of the patient’s nose. During the examinations, the surgeon determines how nose surgery will affect the patient’s breathing.

Finally, the patient talks about his/her goals and expectations from the surgery. The surgeon takes all the patient’s desires into consideration and creates a customized treatment plan that will bring the best possible results.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE NOSE SURGERY?
Once the nose surgery has been scheduled, the patient is consulted with the anesthesiologist to determine whether his/her surgery will be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The choice of anesthesia depends on the severity of the surgery.

Before the surgery, the patient should avoid medications like aspirin or ibuprofen for two weeks. This way, the patient can prevent excessive bleeding during and after the surgery. The patient should also avoid herbal supplements and stop smoking.

Finally, the patient should arrange for someone to drive him/her home after the surgery and stay with him/her for at least 24 hours. This way the patient can rest and speed up the recovery.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING NOSE SURGERY?
Each rhinoplasty procedure is different and customized for the specific facial anatomy and the goals the patient wishes to achieve with it.

So, there are different steps that the surgeon takes during each surgery. The surgeon can change the shape of the patient’s nasal bone and cartilage according to the nose structure and how much the bone or cartilage needs to be added or removed. The cartilage can be reshaped, sutured or resuspended. It can also be grafted to improve the nose shape or improve breathing. If the surgeon is doing a revision rhinoplasty, he might need to take extra cartilage from the patient’s ear or another body area to correct the errors. The surgeon can also improve the nasal bone by precise resetting or fracturing.

Once the changes have been made according to the treatment plan, the surgeon places absorbable stitches inside the patient’s nostrils and stitches the incisions at the base of the patient’s nose. The stitches are removed after a week. The surgeon can also place soft silicone splints in the patient’s nose which are removed during the recovery period. The patient can also wear a rigid splint on the back of his/her nose to additionally protect it.

The patient may leave the hospital and go home soon after the surgery unless advised otherwise.
WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED AFTER THE NOSE SURGERY?
The most common side effect after nose surgery is bruising. It can appear around the nose and extend under the eyes. Bruising is a natural response during healing and gradually disappears. It can vary in extent according to the patient’s tendency to bruise, the severity of the surgery and the surgeon's expertise.

There is no rule on how long the bruising lasts after the nose surgery but there is a general timeline:

On the first day after the surgery, the patient starts to notice bruising. The bruises are red because of oxygen present in the blood. The full bruising develops the next day because it takes some time for the blood from incisions to lose oxygen and then change its color. Then the bruises become dark, purple or black.

After 5 days, bruising starts to fade away. The bruises look less purple and more greenish. They continue to lose color.

After a week to 10 days, the bruises are less visible and become yellow in color.

After 2 to 3 weeks, the bruising should completely fade away. But this solely depends on the patient and how fast his/her body heals.

Other visible side effects include swelling. Most of the swelling resolves after a couple of weeks post-surgery, but some minor swelling may last for 6 to 12 months.

After all the swelling has resolved the patient can see the full results of the nose surgery.

The patient also experiences nasal congestion and stuffiness which makes it difficult to breathe through the nose. This happens because of the swelling which restricts the nasal passages. It’s important not to blow the nose at this point because blowing can damage nasal structures and compromise the final outcomes. To relieve the feeling of congestion, the patient can use a saline spray. The possibility of breathing more comfortably through the nose returns after a week or two, but some patients can feel congestion for a couple of months.
HOW LONG IS THE DOWNTIME AFTER THE NOSE SURGERY?
WHAT ARE SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FASTER RECOVERY?
The patient should follow all the recommendations of the surgeon in order to heal and recover faster. Some of the recommendations include:

- The patient shouldn’t touch his/her nose. It’s very important not to put pressure on the nose, touching included, for minimally 1 to 2 weeks post-surgery.

- The patient shouldn’t wear glasses, because even light pressure can harm the nasal tissue. Glasses can be worn after 2 to 3 weeks.

- The patient should sleep on his/her back with the head slightly elevated for 1 to 2 weeks in order to heal faster.

- Strenuous activities should be avoided as well as hot showers. While the patient is wearing bandages on his/her nose, he/she should take baths instead.

- If the patient is exposed to the sun, he/she should use high SPF, especially on the nose, because the sun can cause irregular discoloration on the skin of the nose.

- The patient should avoid pulling clothes like shirts or jumpers over the head but wear clothes that fasten in the front instead.

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Plastic Surgery

Rhinoplasty
Nose aesthetic and functional plastic surgery

RHINOPLASTY – NOSE SURGERY

Procedure info at a glance

WHAT DIFFERENT NOSE SURGERIES ARE THERE?

Traditional rhinoplasty

Functional rhinoplasty

Revision rhinoplasty

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NOSE SURGERY?

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

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RhinoplastyNose aesthetic and functional plastic surgery

RHINOPLASTY – NOSE SURGERY

Procedure info at a glance

WHAT DIFFERENT NOSE SURGERIES ARE THERE?

Traditional rhinoplasty

Functional rhinoplasty

Revision rhinoplasty

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NOSE SURGERY?

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

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