What to Expect From Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty or nose surgery is a cosmetic procedure to change the shape and contour of your nose. It can be done for a variety of reasons including to improve the appearance of your nose or to correct a defect from an injury or birth defect. The upper portion of the nose is bone, while the lower portion is cartilage. Both of these areas can be sculpted to change the shape of the nose.

There are several different types of techniques including open, closed, filler and secondary. The open procedure is used for major nose reshaping while the closed option is used for more minor nose reshaping. Filler rhinoplasty is not permanent but it is a method that allows a surgeon to make minor corrections by inserting fillers to even out bumps or dents in the nose. The secondary procedure is also known as revision rhinoplasty and used to correct earlier surgical results or correct problems that develop after earlier surgeries.

If you are considering the surgery, the first step is having a cosmetic surgeon evaluate your nose and talk to you about your expectations. Your doctor will go over your options and what technique will work best for you as well as the risk factors you should be aware of. As with any surgery there are several risk factors that must be considered including infection, bleeding, recurring nosebleeds, difficulty breathing or persistent pain and swelling.

Before you can be scheduled for surgery you will have to stop smoking, if you are a smoker since this presents an obstacle to your recovery. Your doctor will also want you to stop drinking alcohol at least a week before your surgery since this can also impact your healing process.

Certain medications can increase your risk of bleeding so you will need to discuss with your doctor all the over the counter medication, vitamins and prescription drugs you are currently taking to assess which medicines you may need to temporarily discontinue taking before your surgery.

After your surgery you will experiences some normal post op drainage and bleeding and you will have to limit some activities such as exercising, swimming, and even blowing your nose because it can aggravate your healing process.

The healing process itself can be slow and you should be prepared to have a nose splint on for a week. The swelling in your nose will continue to go down over the course of several weeks and all post op dressings and splints can be removed by the end of week two. Your doctor may need to place a soft splint inside your nose to help prevent scarring.

Scarring can lead to difficulty breathing through your nose later on. Most of the swelling (85%) will be gone within a month but it can take up to a year for the results of your rhinoplasty to be evident as the remaining swelling goes down so you will have to be patient to see how your final nose looks.