Rhinoplasty

 

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that involves the reshaping of your nose by replacing the bone or cartilage. Rhinoplasty is one of the most common types of plastic surgery.

 

When Should Rhinoplasty Be Considered?

 

- If you are not satisfied with the shape, size or angle of your nose,

- If your nose is too big, too small, or disproportional to the rest of your face,

- If you have respiratory problems caused by the impairments in your nose,

- If you have a nasal bridge or a droopy, very high or wide nose tip.

 

If you experience one or more of the problems mentioned above, if your overall health is good and you have realistic expectations, if you feel ready and have a positive attitude about this procedure, you can be an excellent candidate for this procedure.

 

 

 

Pros

The shape, angle and size of your nose improves.

Structural problems that restrict breathing and cause congestion are corrected.

Rhinoplasty can have a significant impact on your image and self-confidence.

 

Cons

Depending on the technique used in the surgery, there may be incision scars in some parts of the nose.

It may take time to get used to your new look.

How is rhinoplasty performed?

After the nose area is anesthetized, the surgeon will make incisions to access the bones and cartilage supporting the nose. The incision is made with one of the two common techniques, which are open and closed techniques.

Your nose can be reduced or enlarged in size, and shortened or lengthened by adding or removing bone and cartilage and adjusting the supporting structures inside the nose.

End grafts made of cartilage can be used to reshape the tip of your nose, making it higher, longer, shorter or thinner.

Your skin and other soft tissues will reform, taking the shape of the underlying structure. In some patients, tissue filler or fat grafts can be added to increase volume in the desired areas.

Today, Preservation Rhinoplasty (PR) is a quite common technique that respects the skin envelope, SMAS and the complex ligaments, and attempts to keep the natural dorsum. Hence, Preservation Rhinoplasty technique has a protective nature. The tip of the nose and the back of the nose are the primary protection areas. Undesirable situations are not experienced in this technique, such as irregularities or collapse of the nose back. In this technique, the need for cartilage is very low, and the part that provides the soft and moving area at the tip of the nose, called the Pitanguy's ligament, is preserved. In this way, the moving and soft structure of the nose tip is maintained.

The procedure is performed under the nasal membrane, and this eliminates the risk of any damage or problems in the nasal muscles or respiratory functions. In other words, both respiratory functions are not impaired, and the desired outcome is obtained by protecting the vascular nerve package.

Another technique that has been used quite frequently in rhinoplasty is the let down technique.

In the let down technique, cartilage and bone are removed from certain parts of the nose. Afterward, only those areas are cleared, and the back of the nose is pressed inward.

In the Let Down technique, the arched part is corrected by removing the deeper parts from the visible area, instead of removing cartilage and bones directly from that area. In this way, the natural appearance of the back of the nose is not deteriorated. When the patients touch the nose after the surgery, they do not experience the feeling of irregularity as in traditional rhinoplasty, and the healing process is shorter.

How Long Does the Outcome Last?

The results of rhinoplasty are permanent; therefore, it is important to clarify the goals during the planning of this procedure. Rhinoplasty should be performed on the nose that has completed its developmental period. Performing Rhinoplasty before development is complete can alter the outcome, and cause potential problems and complications.

Risks

Serious risks are rare, and the post-operative satisfaction rate is high in rhinoplasty.

Yet, all surgical procedures have a certain degree of risk. Some of the possible complications of all surgical procedures include:

- Reaction to anesthesia.

- Hematoma or seroma (accumulation of blood or fluid under the skin, which requires removal).

- Infection and bleeding.

- Changes in skin sensation.

- Scarring.

- Allergic reactions.

- Unsatisfactory results that may require additional procedures.

- Numbness and tightness in the surgical area, which usually improves in parallel with several healing processes.

- Nasal congestion due to swelling inside the nose after surgery.

- Possibility of damage to the nasal septum.

- Possibility of puffy scars at the base of the nose in surgical procedures with the open technique.

 

Process

 

- It is very important for you to follow all the instructions provided by your surgeon to have a healthy healing process.

- The duration of stay in the hospital is 1 day unless there is a medical necessity.

- After the surgery, nasal splints will be placed inside the nose, which will allow breathing through the nose. A bandage and splint will be placed on the nose.

- After being discharged, you will have post-surgical follow-ups on the days to be determined by the surgeon. During the follow-up visits first the split (in your first clinical control), and then the splint will be removed (on the 7th day), respectively.

- It may take one week for you to return to your daily routine.

- You will have pain. It can be relieved with painkillers, and it only lasts for two to three days.

- Immediately after the procedure, there will be discomfort due to swelling, bruising, tightness and numbness. The bruising will disappear in a week; however, the feeling of tightness, swelling and numbness may remain for a month.

- You will feel tired and sensitive during the first days due to your surgery.

Keeping your head elevated for the first few days after surgery will make you feel better.

- Smoking reduces circulation, delays wound healing and significantly increases the likelihood of serious complications; therefore, you should discontinue smoking at least four weeks before and four weeks after your procedure.

- In order to plan your date of returning to work, you should consult your surgeon according to your workload.

- Exercise and most activities can be resumed after three weeks.