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Bid for Surgery: Nose Surgery
Nose Surgery
(Rhinoplasty)
| Procedure: |
Reshape the nose by reducing or increasing
size, removing a hump, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing the span of nostrils, or
changing the angle between nose and upper lip. It may also relieve some breathing
problems. |
| Risk Factor: |
Infection. Small burst blood vessels
resulting in tiny,
permanent red spots. Incomplete improvement, requiring
additional surgery. |
| Side Effects: |
Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes
and nose. Often asssociated with headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness. |
| Length: |
1 to 2 hours or more. |
| Anesthesia: |
Local with sedation, or general. |
| In/Out: |
Usually outpatient. |
| Recovery: |
Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous
activities: 2 to 3 weeks. Avoid hitting nose or sunburn: 8 weeks. Final appearance: 1 year
or more. |
| Duration: |
Permanent. |
| The Procedure |
Rhinoplasty, or surgery to reshape the nose, is
one of the most common of all plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty can reduce or
increase the size of your nose, change the shape of the tip or the bridge, narrow the span
of the nostrils, or change the angle between your nose and your upper lip. It may also
correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems. |
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| The best candidates for a |
Rhinoplasty can enhance your appearance and your
self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause
other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully
about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
The best candidates for rhinoplasty are people who are looking for improvement, not
perfection, in the way they look. If you're physically healthy, psychologically stable,
and realistic in your expectations, you may be a good candidate.
Before surgery, these rhinoplasty
patients have large, slightly hanging
noses, with a hump and an enlarged tip.
Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet aesthetic goals or for reconstructive
purposes-to correct birth defects or breathing problems.
Age may also be a consideration. Many surgeons prefer not to operate on teenagers until
after they've completed their growth spurt-around 14 or 15 for girls, a bit later for
boys. It's important to consider teenagers' social and emotional adjustment, too, and to
make sure it's what they, and not their parents, really want. |
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| Types of anesthesia |
Rhinoplasty can be performed under local or
general anesthesia, depending on the extent of the procedure and on what you and your
surgeon prefer.
With local anesthesia, you'll usually be lightly sedated, and your nose and the
surrounding area will be numbed; you'll be awake during the surgery, but relaxed and
insensitive to pain. With general anesthesia, you'll sleep through the operation. |
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| The surgery |
Rhinoplasty usually takes an
hour or two, though complicated procedures may take longer. During surgery the skin of the
nose is separated from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage, which is then
sculpted to the desired shape. The nature of the sculpting will depend on your problem and
your surgeon's preferred technique. Finally, the skin is redraped over the new framework.
If your nostrils are too wide, the surgeon
can remove small wedges of skin form
their base, bringing them closer together.
Many surgeons perform rhinoplasty from within the nose, making their
incision inside the nostrils. Others prefer an "open" procedure, especially in
more complicated cases; they make a small incision across the columella, the vertical
strip of tissue separating the nostrils.
Incisions are made inside the nostrils
or at the base of the nose, providing
access to the cartilage and bone, which
can then be sculpted into shape.
When the surgery is complete, a splint will be applied to help your nose
maintain its new shape. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints also may be placed in your
nostrils to stabilize the septum, the dividing wall between the air passages.
The surgeon removes the hump using a
chisel or a rasp, then brings the nasal
bones together to form a narrower
bridge. Cartilage is trimmed to reshape
the tip of the nose.
Trimming the septum improves the
angle between the nose and upper lip. |
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| Do I have to stay in a
hospital after the surgery? |
Rhinoplasty may be performed in a surgeon's
office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. It's usually done on
an outpatient basis, for cost containment and convenience. Complex procedures may require
a short inpatient stay. |
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| Risk factors, complications, side effects?
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When rhinoplasty is performed by a qualified
plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Nevertheless, there is
always a possibility of complications, including infection, nosebleed, or a reaction to
the anesthesia. You can reduce your risks by closely following your surgeon's instructions
both before and after surgery.
After surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on the skin's
surface; these are usually minor but may be permanent. As for scarring, when rhinoplasty
is performed from inside the nose, there is no visible scarring at all; when an
"open" technique is used, or when the
procedure calls for the narrowing of flared nostrils, the small scars on the base of the
nose are usually not visible.
In about one case out of ten, a second procedure may be required-for example, to correct a
minor deformity. Such cases are unpredictable and happen even to patients of the most
skilled surgeons. The corrective surgery is usually minor. |
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| How long would recovery take? |
After surgery-particularly during the first
twenty-four hours-your face will feel puffy, your nose may ache, and you may have a dull
headache. You can control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed by your
surgeon. Plan on staying in bed with your head elevated (except for going to the bathroom)
for the first day.
You'll notice that the swelling and bruising around your eyes will increase at first,
reaching a peak after two or three days. Applying cold compresses will reduce this
swelling and make you feel a bit better. In any case, you'll feel a lot better than you
look. Most of the swelling and bruising should disappear within two weeks or so. (Some
subtle swelling-unnoticeable to anyone but you and your
surgeon-will remain for several months.)
A little bleeding is common during the first few days following surgery, and you may
continue to feel some stuffiness for several weeks. Your surgeon will probably ask you not
to blow your nose for a week or so, while the tissues heal.
If you have nasal packing, it will be removed after a few days and you'll feel much more
comfortable. By the end of one or, occasionally, two weeks, all dressings, splints, and
stitches should be removed.
A splint made of tape and an overlay
of plastic, metal, or plaster is applied
to help the bone and cartilage of the
nose maintain their new shape.
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| Would I have a new look? |
After surgery, the patient has a smaller
nose, a straighter bridge, a well defined
nasal tip, and an improved angle
between the nose and upper lip.
In the meantime, you might experience some unexpected reactions from
family and friends. They may say they don't see a major difference in your nose. Or they
may act resentful, especially if you've changed something they view as a family or ethnic
trait. If that happens, try to keep in mind why you decided to have this surgery in the
first place. If you've met your goals, then your surgery is a success.
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| Cost of this procedure varies with region from a low of
$4,703 to a high of $7,435. This cost includes surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility
costs. |
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