Advancements in the cosmetic and medical industry have made it possible to change the shape of the nose. It is done by a surgery known as rhinoplasty. The bone is present in the upper portion of your nose, and the lower part is cartilage. Usually, rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that changes and adjusts the bone, cartilage, skin or all three. There are reasons why you would need this procedure, from changing the way your nose appears to improve breathing or both! Your surgeon will let you know whether rhinoplasty is a good option for you. You can also discuss the outcomes with your surgeon.
The surgeon will have to consider your facial features, skin on the nose and changes you’d like while planning your surgery. Once your rhinoplasty is scheduled, the surgeon will make a customized plan according to your needs. Depending on your insurance plan, part or total rhinoplasty cost can be covered by the company.
Rhinoplasty Procedure
Before undergoing surgery, a consultation with your surgeon is vital to discuss the factors determining whether a rhinoplasty surgery procedure will work for you. You can expect the following in this meeting-
- Taking medical history
What motivated you to undergo rhinoplasty? What do you expect from the surgery? These two are essential questions that your doctor will seek answers to, along with your medical history. The doctor needs to know about your medical history that includes nasal obstruction, medication and surgeries. Bleeding disorders (like haemophilia) can make you unfit for rhinoplasty. - Physical Exam
A complete medical exam, including blood tests, is done by your doctor. They will need to examine your facial features and nose (from inside and outside) before the surgery. The exam will help your doctor understand the changes required. The thickness of the nose skin and strength of the cartilage are factors on which the outcomes depend. These factors also help your doctor to know the impacts of rhinoplasty on your breathing. - Photographs
Photographs of your nose before the surgery are taken from different angles. Your doctor can show different possible results of the surgery using computer software. The photos are required for before-and-after assessments, surgery reference, and long-term reviews. The essential role of images is to help discuss goals that need to be achieved from the surgery. - Discussion about your expectations
The doctor will let you know about the limitations of rhinoplasty. Though it is normal to feel self-conscious while talking about appearance, you must speak openly about your desires from the surgery with your doctor. Augmentation of the chin might be suggested by your surgeon in case you have a small chin. It is not necessary to have chin surgery, but it might be better to maintain balance in the facial profile because a small chin can make the nose more prominent.
You’ll need to make transport arrangements after your rhinoplasty procedure, especially since anaesthesia is administered. Anaesthesia can cause the following effects for a few days after surgery-
- Slowed reaction time
- Memory lapses
- Impaired judgement
You can ask a friend or a family member to stay with you for a couple of nights. In this way, they can help you with recovery and care after surgery.
What can you expect?
Since each surgery is customized as per need, there is no proper series of rhinoplasty procedure steps.
During the Surgery
Depending on your surgery requirements and surgeon’s preference, local or general anaesthesia needs to be administered. Usually, your doctor will tell you which anaesthesia is suitable.
- Local anaesthesia with sedation
Local anaesthesia numbs only a part of your body and is used in an outpatient procedure. Your surgeon injects a pain-numbing medicine into your nasal tissues, and sedation is given via an intravenous line. You become dizzy but not unconscious. - General anaesthesia
It affects your whole body, and you remain unconscious throughout the procedure. The drug can be inhaled or passed via a small tube injected into your hand, neck, or chest vein.
Rhinoplasty is either done from the inside of the nose or through a shallow cut at the base of the nose. It is possible to change the shape of your nasal cartilage and bones in various ways depending on your requirements and available tools. Cartilage from deeper inside the nose to ear is used for small changes. Cartilage from other body parts like ribs can be used for more significant changes. After this, the nose’s skin and tissue are placed back, and the wound is closed with stitches. Bending and crooking the wall (septum) between two sides of the nose is also done to correct and improve breathing.
For more information on the rhinoplasty procedure, you may call ALCS Clinic.