Rhinoplasty – What to Expect..?

The promise of Rhinoplasty surgery is found to entrance a great number of individuals today, to seek out procedures to enhance their appearance, fix a birth imperfection, or resolve breathing issues. As with every other surgery, it is remarkably essential for rhinoplasty to ensure that both the patient and surgeon are on the same page as far as the situations that should be avoided after surgery, expectations on the recovery time and physical constraints are considered. It’s highly imperative to schedule your surgery in such a way to allow enough recuperation time, so that you can return to your normal activities accordingly. So, in this article, we will talk a tad about those expectations, you should have before having a rhinoplasty.

Pre-Surgical Preparations

          Prior to your surgery, it is important that you start preparing your body to encourage the healing process. Ensure that you refrain from any smoking habits (in case if you have), as smokers have the chance of slow healing and can even lose their skin amid the healing process. Also, stop alcoholic consumption. Don't take aspirin or aspirin compounds, or any medications like vitamin, hormone, or birth control pills, until a week after the surgery, to improve your healing time by reducing any possible swelling and bruising.

The Day Before Rhinoplasty

          Try not to eat or drink anything after the midnight before your rhinoplasty procedure; this will halt regurgitation when you are under anesthesia. Now, on the day of the surgery, you can take your everyday medicines (kindly have a talk with your physician) with just a sip of water.

Post-Surgical Recovery

          Rhinoplasty requires a couple of months to completely heal; so, make sure to plan your social engagements in like manner. There are chances for you to encounter post-operative depression, during the initial one to two weeks after the surgery; this is normal and should pass quickly as its own. Seek the help of your physician in the event that your anxiety or depression does not decrease over time. Also, be aware that the ultimate outcomes may not be visible for six months to two years.

Swelling, Bruising and Numbness

          Swelling and bruising of the eyelids, nose, and cheeks are normal during the first two weeks after the surgery, and it is extremely common for there to be bulbous swelling at the tip of the nose, which is the most heavily-operated area. No need to fear about this – the swelling will get reduced over time. What you can do from your side to reduce the inflammation of your eyelids is to use iced gauze pads every hour in the initial two days post-surgery (however, be cautious to keep your nose dressings dry).

          Likewise, be informed that the swelling inside your nose can cause nausea and breathing issues for the first week. So, during the initial recovery time, expect to inhale and sneeze from your mouth. It is recommended that you sleep on two or three pillows to reduce the possibility of swelling and for easier breathing.

          A few patients are also found to experience difficulty to smile because of the numbness and swelling during the initial couple of weeks after the surgery. No worries, your smile will come back to ordinary after the swelling subsides.

Aftercare

          It is imperative for you to follow your physician’s specific aftercare guidelines, for a speedy recovery. Make sure that you give enough care for the incisions that are made inside your nose during the procedure. Moderate bleeding is normal for the initial few days, so dress your nose with gauze, and change as frequently as required. Other things to be taken into consideration are discussed below:

·       Diet: Eat a light and cool diet as endured for the first 48-72 hours after the surgery; drink a lot of fluids. Try not to consume anything spicy or hot in temperature, as such foods will dilate your blood vessels thereby resulting in swelling.

·       Use Sunscreen: Keep your nose completely out of the sun for 4-6 weeks. Try to use a sunscreen for the first six months after surgery whenever you go outside.

·       Exercise Limits: Avoid strenuous activities like jogging, or weight lifting for the first four weeks of recovery, as this may result in increased heart rate, thereby increasing your blood pressure, finally making blood clots that have formed to help the healing process to ‘pop off’ resulting in bleeding and swelling.

·       No Smoking: Absolutely do not smoke for four weeks after your surgery. The nicotine in the tobacco is a vasoconstrictor that cuts off the blood supply to your tissues, in this manner, leading to scarring, infection and increased healing time.

          So, now, it’s time to commit to Rhinoplasty! Make a consultation appointment with Dr. Sandhya Balasubramnyan, and we will discuss the best option for you!

Rhinoplasty – For All Who Expect More…!

“My nose is long and flabby at the end…” “Whenever I smile, my nose looks wide and ugly…” “I’ve got my nose distorted in an injury, and now I suffer from breathing problems everyday…” – these complaints are common. It’s a fact that half a million people are unhappy with the nose with which they were born, and are living with such worries… Rhinoplasty is the best solution for all such people – it is not just a procedure with complex series of steps, and it is not as bad as you may think! Here we are gonna review various aspects and possibilities of Rhinoplasty, which may help people who wish to, enhance the appearance of their nose.

Understanding Rhinoplasty…

    Rhinoplasty is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures available today to reshape the nose. It involves making the nose larger or smaller, changing the symmetry or angle of the nose with respect to the upper lip, altering the nose tip, correcting the bumps, indentations, or other defects in the nose, to bring it into better proportion with the rest of your face. Rhinoplasty may also restore structural problems with the nose that cause chronic congestion and breathing problems.

    Rhinoplasty are generally carried out by surgeons who are trained either in plastic surgery, otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat specialty), or both.

The Procedures Involved…

During rhinoplasty, your surgeon will first access the bone and the cartilage support of the nose through smaller external incision made at the base of your nose, between your nostrils. Followed by this, the underlying bone and cartilage is readjusted to create a newly framed structure. For example, if you are dejected with the tip of the nose which is too large, your surgeon will sculpt the cartilage in this particular area, as a means to reduce its size. In case, if you feel that some portion of your nose is disproportionately small, cartilage or soft tissue grafts can be placed in order to create a more pleasing profile. Now, if the issue is that the bridge of the nose has a prominence, your surgeon will reduce this to yield better harmony. The angles of the nose in regard to the upper lip or the forehead can also be remolded by further sculpting the nasal support structure.

Next, the tissues are re-draped over the new frame and the incisions are closed. A small splint is then placed outside the nose to help maintain the new shape of the nose, as it heals.

Life after Rhinoplasty…

    All rhinoplasty techniques are different – so, recovering time varies from patient to patient, somewhat depending on how much your nose is altered during surgery. However, here are few things, which you can expect during your recovery stage.

• In the first week of rhinoplasty, it’s very common to have swelling and bruising around eyes and nose, sore throat, headaches, and nausea. Cold compresses and over-the-counter pain relievers will be recommended to help you abate these symptoms. Keeping your head elevated can also help to minimize swelling.
• While it’s crucial that you follow your surgeon’s post operative instructions, ensure that you take your antibiotics religiously.
• It’s still important that you should watch for any signs of infection, including worsening pain, redness, swelling, fever, red streaks or pus. If any such concerns occur, report immediately to your surgeon.
• Avoid any activities that would increase the risk of injury (For example, heavy lifting, excessive exertion, sun exposure etc.).
• It is indispensable to make sure that you don’t blow your nose and avoid any impact to the nose while the structures are healing.
• If you are a person who wears glasses, you must be very careful not to exert excess pressure on the nose bridge.
• Majority of the patients can return to work during the second week of recovery, as long as you do not work on any strenuous activities. At this time, gentle washing of the face can be resumed and a little makeup can be applied, as well (of course, that’s your choice!).
• By week three, you can recognize the new changes and start appreciating the brand new shape of your nose!

Even though rhinoplasty surgery is a minor surgery, there are complications, risks and recovery time to consider, as with any surgery. However, with proper analysis, combined with the skills of a qualified surgeon, rhinoplasty will become a very rewarding procedure for all.