What is rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is a surgery to reshape the nose. The procedure can reduce or increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the nostrils or change the angles between the nose and the upper lip.
How does the procedure work?
Rhonoplasty begins with the skin on the nose being separated from it’s supporting framework of bone and cartilage. Then the nose is sculpted into the desired shape. The nature of how the nose is sculpted is dependent on the desired effect. The skin is the rewrapped around the newly formed framework.
What are the different techniques?
There are two different techniques to create the initial incision. An incision can be made within the nose. This leaves no visible scarring. If the surgery is more complicated or the doctor prefers the technique, there is also a procedure where a small incision is made across the vertical strip of tissue surrounding the nostrils. Scarring is not generally a problem with this method because the incision is underneath the nose where it can not be seen.
Is rhinoplasty safe?
Rhinoplasty is a safe surgery. When rhinoplasty is performed by an efficient, knowledgeable doctor complications are infrequent and usually minor. There is a possibility of infection or a reaction to the anesthesia.
Will there be any downtime?
There will be some downtime. The first day after surgery should be spent lying down with your head elevated. Swelling will reach it’s peak after two or three days, but most patients are up and about after two days. You can return to work a week after surgery, but it will be about two weeks before most of the swelling and bruising are gone.
How soon will I see the results?
The swelling and bruising will be greatly decreased after the first two weeks and your new nose shape will be apparent.
How long will the surgery take?
Surgery usually lasts one to two hours. If the procedure is more complicated it may take a little longer.
Am I a good candidate for rhinoplasty?
The best candidates are patients attempting to achieve improvement, not perfection. Good candidates are physically healthy and realistic in their expectations. Rhinoplasty can also help people with birth defects or breathing problems.
What can I expect after surgery?
When surgery is completed, especially during the first twenty-four hours, your face will feel swollen, your nose will be tender and you may have a dull headache. Medication will be prescribed by your doctor to aid in these discomforts. You may also experience stuffiness for the next several weeks.
Is additional treatment necessary?
Rhinoplasty can be a difficult surgery. At times one surgery may only fulfill part of what the patient had anticipated and a second surgery can bring the desired results.
What are the limitations of rhinoplasty?
Sometimes the bones and cartilage won’t retain their original shape. The original cartilage is smooth, but the new cartilage the doctor uses sometimes contains a few small imperfections.
Who are the treatments provided by?
Treatments are provided by plastic surgeons and ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctors. Rhinoplasty is performed in a surgeons office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center or a hospital.
Instructions before treatment
The patients’s individual surgeon will provide specific instructions prior to surgery. There will be guidelines on eating, drinking, smoking and medications to take and avoid. Patients should make arrangements for someone to drive them home after the surgery.
Instructions for after treatment
Stay in bed with your head elevated for twenty-four hours after the surgery. Apply cold compresses for the next two or three days to help reduce swelling. A little bleeding is common during the first few days. Do not blow your nose for a week after the surgery even though the stuffiness may be somewhat uncomfortable. Blowing your nose can tear the tissue and work against the healing process.