Are You In for a Nose Job? Learn How Rhinoplasty Works

For those who are not content with the shape and appearance of their nose, there is a solution – rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty is a surgical operation whereby the nose can be reshaped. Rhinoplasty can be the answer to cosmetic problems or to more serious medical ones. The procedure can radically alter the appearance of a person’s nose – it can change the nose’s shape and size, and even the span of the nostrils. More importantly, the procedure can be sued to correct particular medical problems, such as birth defects, breathing problems and facial injuries.

Rhinoplasty is permanent, therefore the decision to undergo the procedure done by a cosmetic surgeon must first be considered carefully. Basically the deliberation must center only on whether rhinoplasty is really what the patient wants. If it is, then the only remaining consideration is whether he is in the proper age to undergo the treatment and whether he can afford the treatment financially. The age consideration refers to whether the patient has already completed their growth spurt period.

A person who undergoes the procedure must be prepared for possible side effects of the surgery. Although complications after the operation are rare, the happening of the same cannot be totally discounted since risks are attached to all surgical operations. The possible complications include infection, nosebleed or an adverse reaction to anesthesia. An unpleasant problem might be slight scarring, especially where the procedure performed utilizes the open technique, whereby the procedure is performed outside the nose. Fortunately though, such scars are rare and are often invisible or unnoticeable. Moreover, the other complications such as infections can easily be treated by the surgeon and can be prevented by religiously following the instructions given.

A patient who underwent the procedure will feel uncomfortable during the first few days. His face will feel puffy and his nose will most probably ache. These discomforts are manageable and can easily be removed by taking pain medication and applying cold compress. The stitches, dressings or splints, if any, shall be removed after about one week, and recovery after that will speed up.

Recovery after a rhinoplasty is unusually fast. For some people it would only take two days before they can do their usual activities again. For others, recovery may take a little longer and the swelling may last for a few months. The patient must constantly return to his plastic surgeon so that his recovery will be closely monitored.

Finally, after the surgery, a patient’s activities will have to be limited. Any strenuous activity should be avoided as much as possible and extreme care must be taken when cleaning the face or touching the nose.