Rhinoplasty, also referred to as nose job, has become one of the most common cosmetic procedures. People choose to undergo rhinoplasty for various purposes which could include cosmetic, reconstruction or health reasons. For some individuals, a nose job is carried out to enhance their overall appearance, get rid of aging signs, make their faces equally symmetrical, and others do the procedure to correct deformities and defects which may be caused by trauma or an injury. People who have breathing problems may also undergo the procedure as a remedy to their problem.
What do you expect during the procedure?
A rhinoplasty may be done through a general or local anesthesia. General anesthesia involves you inhaling the anesthesia via an intravenous line. This kind of anesthesia brings your whole body to a state of unconsciousness. A breathing tube is required if you undergo general anesthesia.
Local anesthesia, on the other hand, involves numbing only the part to be involved in the procedure. Outpatients are fit for this kind of anesthesia whereby they are injected with a pain-numbing medicine into the nasal tissue and sedated with a medicine via an intravenous line. This makes them woozy but not fully asleep. After the doctor numbs you, depending on your specific needs, you may receive either of the following techniques:- Open surgery. During this procedure, the doctor makes an incision from the inside and goes ahead to reach the cartilage for him to separate nostrils. This makes it easy to reach the bone and cartilage requiring correction.
- Closed surgery. Similar to the above case, the surgeon does the incision from the inside but then he removes cartilage outside out of the nose, reshapes it from outside and then returns it back. For this technique, you can be sure that there will be no visible scars formed, but you need to ensure that the surgeon is an experienced one.
- Nasal implant: this technique involves inserting implants inside the nose for augmentation of various areas. It could be done through either the closed or open surgery techniques. The implants to be inserted into your nose may be cartilage grafts, synthetic biocompatible materials or natural bones implants.
After the procedure
What follows after the operation is inserting dressings into the nostrils for a day or so. This is to keep the wall between the air passages stable. For the next one week, a metallic or plastic splint is placed over your nose. This is for ensuring that the nasal bone shape is maintained. A few days after the surgery may also require you to keep your head elevated and stay still. For almost two weeks, you can expect to live with some swellings and bruises, but cold compresses and painkillers may ease this.
Local anesthesia, on the other hand, involves numbing only the part to be involved in the procedure. Outpatients are fit for this kind of anesthesia whereby they are injected with a pain-numbing medicine into the nasal tissue and sedated with a medicine via an intravenous line. This makes them woozy but not fully asleep. After the doctor numbs you, depending on your specific needs, you may receive either of the following techniques:
What follows after the operation is inserting dressings into the nostrils for a day or so. This is to keep the wall between the air passages stable. For the next one week, a metallic or plastic splint is placed over your nose. This is for ensuring that the nasal bone shape is maintained. A few days after the surgery may also require you to keep your head elevated and stay still. For almost two weeks, you can expect to live with some swellings and bruises, but cold compresses and painkillers may ease this.