How Rhinoplasty Surgery is done? Whole Procedure
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Photo by Tyler Frew MD, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rhinoplasty Surgery is surgery to change the size, shape or appearance of the nose. It is done for cosmetic reasons, to repair the nose after an injury, to correct birth defects, or to improve breathing. The goal is a nose that looks the way the patient wants and works well. Rhinoplasty can be open or closed, depending on what is needed and what your surgeon recommends.
Rhinoplasty is often called a "nose job," and it can correct many nose problems. Some people are born with a nose shape they want to change, such as a hump, a depressed or "saddle" nose, or a crooked nose. Some have breathing problems from structural issues such as a deviated septum. Others need surgery after an injury to the nose.
Some people have a normal-looking, normally working nose but choose rhinoplasty to change its appearance. Rhinoplasty is therefore done for both medical and cosmetic reasons. Allergies and sinus infections are usually treated with medicine rather than nose surgery.
How Rhinoplasty Surgery Is Done?
How is the nose reshaped by rhinoplasty? It helps to know the nose's anatomy first. The upper part of the nose is made of bone, and the lower part is made of cartilage, all covered by skin. The two nostrils are separated by the septum, a wall of cartilage and bone, and the inside of the nose is lined with moist mucous membrane. Here is the procedure step by step.
1- Anesthesia Is Given
Rhinoplasty is usually an outpatient procedure, and most patients go home the same day. It can be done under local anesthesia with sedation or under general anesthesia, depending on how extensive the surgery is and the patient's preference. With general anesthesia, you sleep through the operation.
With local anesthesia and sedation, you are relaxed and awake, and your nose is numbed so you don't feel pain during the operation.
2- Reshaping Of Nose
In most cases, the surgeon makes cuts inside the nostrils so scars are not visible. In more complex cases, such as tip work or revision surgery, a small cut is made across the base of the nose between the nostrils. The surgeon then lifts the skin off the cartilage and bone to reach the area being reshaped.
For a humped nose, extra bone and cartilage are removed. For a depressed or flat nose, the surgeon may add cartilage taken from the septum, ear or rib, or sometimes an implant.
3- Suturing Of Nose
The surgeon reshapes the bone and cartilage to get the desired shape, then closes the cuts with stitches. A splint is usually placed on the outside of the nose to hold the new shape. It may stay in place for 1 to 2 weeks. Packing inside the nose, if used, is usually removed after 3 to 5 days. The procedure usually takes about one to two hours, and you can usually go home the same day. Complex surgery can take longer.
Swelling, bruising, pain and headaches are common at first. Most swelling improves within 2 to 3 months, but the final result can take a year or more to show.
Limit for the Rhinoplasty Surgery
Cosmetic rhinoplasty is usually delayed until the nasal bone has stopped growing. According to MedlinePlus, that is around age 15 to 16 for girls and somewhat later for boys. Septoplasty, which straightens a deviated septum to improve breathing, is a separate procedure. It is done at any age when needed and is not a cosmetic nose reshaping.
What Outcomes You Can Expect From The Rhinoplasty Surgery?
There are some possible changes that a surgeon can make on your nose through the nose job. These changes include:
- Size of the nose can be changed
- An angle between the mouth and nostrils can be changed
- Bridge of nose can be straightened
- Reshaping of the tip of the nose
- The deviated portion of the nose is re-corrected
- Widening or narrowing of the nostrils
- Rhinoplasty Surgery, like other surgery, carries some risks.
Like any surgery, rhinoplasty carries risks such as bleeding, infection, and reactions to anesthesia. Having a rhinoplasty can also increase the risk of:
- Postoperative nose bleeding
- Breathing difficulties
- Numbness of nose
- Visible scars where cuts were made
- An asymmetrical nose
- Tiny visible blood vessels on the skin
Some patients are not satisfied with the results, and a few need a second (revision) surgery.
HP Thoughts: Read our post regarding the third stage or phase of rhinoplasty: Rhinoplasty recovery.
Sources
- Rhinoplasty, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
- Rhinoplasty, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
