People usually care so much about how they look. They are always seeking a better appearance, face, and body. Cosmetic surgery has made it so easy for people to change any feature in their body they don’t like, especially in the face.
People freak when they find any abnormality in their faces, any scar, discoloration, fine wrinkles, or blemishes. They immediately visit their dermatologist or plastic surgeon to get rid of the unpleasant appearance.
People would also go to the dentist, endure braces and pleaching pains to have what’s called the “Hollywood smile”. Besides, surprisingly, you can now change certain parts in your body in terms of size, you can either reduce or enlarge some part of the body, for example, breast augmentation and breast reduction surgeries.
Today, we are going to discuss one of the most required changes in appearance, specifically in the face. Today, we are discussing rhinoplasty, or also known as a nose job.
Many people are not satisfied with how their noses naturally appear. They might think it is too big or too long and they want it thinner or shorter. Therefore, many of us would think that nose jobs are only aesthetic.
Well, in fact, nose jobs can be done also to treat a functional abnormality in the nose. To understand this aspect, let us explain how the nose works.
It is the surgery that changes the shape of the nose by adjusting the bone component, the cartilaginous component, the skin, or all three. And as we mentioned, it is one of the most common types of plastic surgery.
Rhinoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in the world. More than 200.000 procedures were performed in the United States alone in 2018, making it the third most common cosmetic surgery procedure in the country. This surgical technique is regarded as one of the most difficult in plastic surgery.
Nasal dimensions and symmetry are closely related to facial attractiveness since they are a major feature of the face. Even for very experienced surgeons, the technical challenges, the vast range of various procedures mentioned, and the effort to obtain consistent results can be tough.
As we said, many people might not be satisfied with the look of their noses. They can change the size or the angle, they can straighten the bridge, reshape the tip, or narrow the nostrils.
However, aside from the aesthetic purpose of rhinoplasty, it can also be done to:
- Change the proportions of the nose.
- Repair an injury.
- Repair a deformity.
- Correct a birth defect.
- Improve the breathing ability.
Rhinoplasty to help breathing
Well, to me it seems like a pretty bad set of symptoms to live with. However, when you are planning to get a nose job, you should consider many things including your other facial features, the skin on your nose, what you want to change, and the risks of the surgery.
Rhinoplasty Risks
Just like any major surgery, rhinoplasty has risks, including:
As previously said, rhinoplasty is one of the most difficult surgical operations, and one of the primary reasons for this is its lack of predictability. An immediate positive surgical outcome may not be such one year later.
This is mostly due to the numerous factors involved in the healing process. Individual nasal tissue responses are not always predictable, and as a result, undesirable outcomes might occur.
Although the risk for major complications is low, functional and, mainly, aesthetic complications can cause social and psychological issues and may result in legal problems for the surgeon.
Surgical complications can be defined as hemorrhagic, infectious, traumatic, functional, and aesthetic
- Bleeding
Bleeding after rhinoplasty is a common complication. They are typically minor and can be treated with head elevation, nasal decongestants, and compression. If the bleeding persists, an anterior tampon should be performed, and the patient should be evaluated. If the bleeding continues despite the anterior tampon, posterior hemorrhage should be considered, and a posterior tampon should be used. Although significant bleeds are uncommon, an endoscopic approach or angiographic embolization may be required in some cases.
- Infection
Infections during rhinoplasty can vary from minor cellulitis to serious systemic infectious diseases. As an early complication of rhinoplasty, cellulitis may occur. It typically responds well to cephalosporins, although constant monitoring is required to prevent progression.
Septal abscesses are a consequence of an untreated hematoma, and the treatment of choice is surgical draining followed by antibiotics. They might occur in the septum, tip, or dorsum of the body. Severe infectious processes are quite uncommon. They occur in fewer than 1% of the cases.
- Adverse reaction to anesthesia.
- Breathing difficulties.
- Permanent numbness in or around the nose due to nerve congestion or injury.
- The possibility of an uneven look of the nose.
- Scarring.
- Pain.
- Discoloration.
- Swelling that might persist.
- The need for additional surgery.
- Septal perforation.
- Intracranial injury