WHY IS IT PERFORMED?
Rhinoplasty, sometimes referred to as a “nose job” or “nose reshaping”, enhances facial harmony and the proportions of your nose. It can also correct impaired breathing caused by structural defects in the nose. There are several problems a Rhinoplasty can reat like nose size in relation to facial balance, Nose width at the bridge or in the size and position of the nostrils, Nose profile with visible humps or depressions on the bridge, Nasal tip that is enlarged or bulbous, drooping, upturned or hooked, Nostrils that are large, wide or upturned, Nasal asymmetry, etc.
INVOLVED RISKS:
Nasal Function changes: Potentially long-lasting or even permanent changes to your scent perceptions/olfactory processes or sinuses.
Vocal changes: Possible temporary or longer-term changes to the sound of voice for some patients depending on nose blockages/bone anatomy/vocal chamber/sinuses.
Asymmetry: Potential irregularity or asymmetry of your nose shape, nose bridge or nose tip after surgery.
Perforation: Nasal septal perforation (hole).
Bridge: May remain crooked or uneven, may not end up perfectly straight; bumps or humps may remain.
Skin or Scars: Skin could look different after surgery; e.g. visible scars and/or skin discolouration are possible.
Breathing: Some patients may have difficulty breathing for an extended period.
Revision: Requests for revisions are not uncommon for nose surgery; some patients may not like the way their ideal nose shape actually looks in relation to their other features OR the way it changes their entire facial appearance including eyes and smile. Often, revision requests relate to holding unrealistic expectations, however, some revision surgery may be medically or aesthetically warranted.
Infection: Our Surgeon will prescribe you with antibiotics and monitor you closely.
Delayed Wound Healing: Our Surgeon and Nurse coordinator will manage the healing process. This usually occurs within patients who are overweight, smokers or who have an infection.
Bleeding (Hematoma) or Seroma (Fluid Build Up): May require a second visit to the operating theatre to remove blood clots or blood pooling.
Poor Healing or Scarring: Scars continue to mature and improve for up to 18 months after surgery.
Numbness, Pain or Tingling: This often occurs in the treated area, but typically settles over a period of months to a few years.
Discomfort: This will be managed appropriately with during-surgery anaesthetic, post-op pain medications and other post-op care recommendations.
HOW THE PROCEDURE IS PERFORMED? (TECHNIQUE)
Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure.
The incision
Rhinoplasty is performed either using a closed procedure, where incisions are hidden inside the nose, or an open procedure, where an incision is made across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils.
Through these incisions, the skin that covers the nasal bones and cartilages is gently raised, allowing access to reshape the structure of the nose.
Open rhinoplasty incision across the columella
Reshaping the nose structure
An overly large nose may be reduced by removing bone or cartilage. Sometimes surgery of the nose may require the addition of cartilage grafts.
Most commonly, cartilage from the septum, the partition in the middle of the nose, is used for this purpose. Occasionally cartilage from the ear or rarely a section of rib cartilage can be used.
Correcting a deviated septum
If the septum is deviated, it can be straightened and the projections inside the nose reduced to improve breathing.
Closing the incision
Once the underlying structure of the nose is sculpted to the desired shape, nasal skin and tissue is redraped and incisions are closed.
Additional incisions may be placed in the natural creases of the nostrils to alter their size.
See the results
For a few days, splints and gauze packing may support the nose as it begins to heal
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER SURGERY:
The results of rhinoplasty surgery will be long-lasting. While initial swelling subsides within a few weeks, it may take up to a year for your new nasal contour to fully refine. During this time you may notice gradual changes in the appearance of your nose as it refines to a more permanent outcome.
HOW IS THE RECOVERY?
During your rhinoplasty recovery, a splint and/or packing may be placed inside your nose and a splint or bandages placed on the outside to support and protect the new structures during initial healing.
While initial swelling subsides within a few weeks, it may take up to a year for your new nasal contour to fully refine. During this time you may notice gradual changes in the appearance of your nose as it refines to a more permanent outcome.
Swelling may come and go and worsen in the morning during the first year following your rhinoplasty surgery.
