Rhinoplasty is the name of the surgical procedure performed to improve the shape, size and appearance of the nose. This procedure improves the facial appearance by changing the shape of the nose, and the nostrils, reshaping the nasal bones and cartilages, and mostly improving the rotation and projection of the tip of the nose. Although rhinoplasty is often performed to enhance a person’s facial appearance, it can also be done to correct a functional problem with breathing, such as the deviation of cartilage in the nose. Rhinoplasty balances the facial structure, increases the self-confidence of the person and generally improves the aesthetic appearance.
Who Rhinoplasty Is Not Performed To?
Rhinoplasty is suitable for people who have a healthy and developed nose structure and want to improve the shape of the nose for aesthetic or functional reasons. However, in some cases, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the desire for rhinoplasty. These situations may include:
- Children or young people who want to have surgery at the age when the bone and cartilage structures of the face are not yet fully developed
- Those who are at risk for anesthesia due to systemic health problems, bleeding disorders, heart diseases and similar medical conditions
- People with psychological or mental health problems
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with an unstable lifestyle or drug and alcohol abuse
- People who are allergic to certain medications or materials
Before making a decision, it is important to talk to a doctor who has experience in rhinoplasty.
Is Rhinoplasty Surgery Difficult?
Although rhinoplasty is a surgery that is easily tolerated by a large amount of patients, it contains some difficulties due to its nature. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia, and during the procedure, the nasal cartilages and bony structures are often cut and broken and reshaped, the nostrils may be reduced and the tip of the nose reshaped. The length and difficulty of the operation depends on the condition of the nose, its structural features and the experience of the surgeon. Revision surgeries contain more difficulties in this respect.
How is the Postoperative Process?
After the operation, the patient wakes up with a silicone soft packing inside the nostrils. Although it initially allows some breathing through the nose, it is usually blocked in the following days. This blockage will continue until the day the packings are removed. After surgery, swelling and bruising around the nose and eyes may appear and may increase in the first few days. These bruises and swellings usually disappear within 2 weeks. The packings inside the nose and the splint on the top of the nose are removed after an average of 1 week and nose washes are started. The full recovery process varies depending on the person’s age, general health and the difficulty of the surgery, but it takes an average of 1 year. It’s also important to follow your doctor’s instructions before and after surgery, which will help speed up the healing process.
At what age can rhinoplasty be performed?
Rhinoplasty is usually recommended to be performed after the age of 17-18 years, when the development of nasal bone and cartilage is completed. At this age, the nasal bones and cartilage are fully developed, and it is safer for the surgeon to perform nose shaping procedures. Rhinoplasty in advanced ages depends entirely on the desire of the person and, of course, whether the general health status allows this surgery.
Preoperative Evaluation
Your consultation and examination with your doctor before rhinoplasty is extremely important. Your doctor will share with you the aesthetic and functional problems he detects during the examination and will inform you about possible solution alternatives. The other point that is as important as these is undoubtedly what kind of nose you want. In this context, making clear statements about the nose you want will be decisive for your happiness after surgery. Various simulations based on the photographs taken before the surgery may be useful in this respect.
Which technique?
Rhinoplasty can be performed using different surgical techniques. From the surgeon’s point of view, this choice is mostly related to the experience gained over the years and feeling comfortable. From the point of view of the patient, it is mainly related to whether there is an incision at the tip of the nose, which actually becomes almost completely uncertain within months. When we look at the surgical technique to be chosen, there are 2 main techniques. There are also various subtypes of these basic approaches, which are expressed openly and implicitly. A preliminary interview with your doctor is extremely important in terms of choosing the most appropriate technique for you and your nose.
