A rhinoplasty, also referred to as a nose job, is a surgical procedure on the nose to change its shape or improve its function. It is meant to enhance facial harmony and the proportions of your nose, and can be done for medical reasons, such as to improve breathing problems related to structural abnormalities and to correct deformities resulting from birth defects or trauma. The goal of a cosmetic rhinoplasty is to help you improve the size and shape of your nose for an appearance that is in better balance with other facial features.
What Are the Benefits of Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty offers significant cosmetic, health, and emotional benefits. The procedure is designed around your concerns as well as your ideal facial proportions. Having rhinoplasty can mean making your nose a central feature on your face that gets good attention. Cosmetically, rhinoplasty can achieve:
- Better symmetry
- Narrower nostrils
- A straighter, more refined bridge
- Ideal size
- A refined nasal tip
The health aspects of a successful rhinoplasty include gaining the ability to breathe easier. Breathing easier physically is coupled with breathing easier on an emotional level. The results of your rhinoplasty can touch many areas of your life, leading to improved self-confidence. Of course, you must enter into your rhinoplasty procedure with realistic expectations. No plastic surgery procedure can fully eradicate the damage that may have come from feeling self-conscious about some aspect of one's appearance. That said, many people who undergo rhinoplasty experience a vastly changed view of themselves. They no longer harbor negative energy toward their appearance as a result of their nose. This shift in attitude shows up in all aspects of life as the good feelings within finally shine through.
How Do I Know if I'm a Good Candidate for Rhinoplasty?
Most adults who are interested in refining the shape or size of their noses are good candidates for rhinoplasty. Our doctors include a thorough medical history and examination in their pre-surgical consultations with patients to ensure there are no serious illnesses or medical conditions that may pose surgical or post-surgical risks. Patients must not smoke or must quit smoking several weeks before having surgery. During our consultation, we also discuss our anticipated outcome and the scope of surgical improvements that can be achieved. In this way, it is our objective to set realistic expectations for each patient. If you are interested in rhinoplasty, it is important to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect nose. Every person's nose, no matter how perfect it seems, has some irregularities. Through rhinoplasty, we seek to reduce those irregularities and bring the nose into ideal proportion with the rest of the face.
Can You Improve My Breathing Through My Nose?
Rhinoplasty can alter bone, skin, cartilage, and, sometimes, all three. Most rhinoplasty patients are interested in achieving cosmetic improvements. However, the surgical procedure can also address functional concerns. Issues that can cause difficulty breathing range from congenital disorders such as cleft palate, nasal valve collapse, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, narrow nasal bridge, small nostrils, and more. Deviated septum is the most common reason for functional rhinoplasty. In this condition, the central piece of cartilage in the nose is imbalanced; sitting too far to one side. In this case, functional rhinoplasty can straighten this partition, equalizing the two sides of the nasal passageway. Rhinoplasty surgery can correct cosmetic and functional concerns simultaneously, allowing for one period of recovery.
What Should I Do Before My Rhinoplasty?
The objective before rhinoplasty surgery is to ensure that your body is ready for the stress of surgery and surgical recovery. Physical readiness can be achieved through:
- Sufficient rest in the week before surgery.
- The avoidance of smoking, tobacco, alcohol, and blood-thinning medications.
- Avoidance of sun exposure (wear sunscreen daily).
- Proper skin hygiene, especially around the nose.
- Adequate hydration. Patients are encouraged to double their normal water intake during the week before surgery.
- Avoidance of harsh products like Retin-A, benzoyl peroxide, and various acids during the week prior to surgery.
- Preparation of a comfortable post-surgical recovery area at home.
- Meal preparation ahead of time eliminates the need to cook during your recovery period.
- Picking up prescriptions and medical supplies before the day of surgery.
When you choose our Fort Lauderdale office for your rhinoplasty procedure, you can expect to receive clear, detailed instructions that will help you prepare for surgery. Our team is available to assist you if you have any questions.
What Happens After Surgery?
After rhinoplasty, you will spend an hour or two in the recovery area where staff can monitor you as you recover from anesthesia. Once you are cleared to leave, you will be released to a trusted loved one who will drive you home. This person or another trusted companion should stay with you for 24 to 48 hours. You may have a splint in place to support your nasal structures as tissue healing occurs. You will take prescribed medication to manage any discomfort. It is important that you take your medication as directed and do not postpone doses because you feel better. It can be difficult to catch up to pain once it occurs. During your initial phase of recovery, you can expect to feel congested due to the swelling in the surgical site. It will be difficult to breathe through your nose for at least a few days. To help your body move through these side effects as quickly as possible, follow your post-operative care instructions very carefully. During the week after your rhinoplasty, you will sleep with your head elevated. You can walk but you must avoid activities that could harm your nose. For example, you should not play with children or pets until your nose has healed completely.
Your post-op visit may happen five to seven days after your procedure. At this visit, the doctor will most likely remove your splint. While some degree of improvement will be noticeable by this time, it is common for swelling, bruising, and minor discomfort to persist for another week or so. These side effects subside over four to six weeks but are usually subtle enough for patients to return to light activities after their follow-up visit. Strenuous activities must be avoided for up to four to six weeks, and it is necessary to continue sleeping on your back and following the post-op instructions that are still applicable for this interim period of recovery. After rhinoplasty, the nose continues to heal and undergo changes for up to one year. These are so subtle that you will likely be the only person who notices.
Do Patients Stay in the Hospital?
The vast majority of patients undergo rhinoplasty as an outpatient procedure. Provided that you have someone who can stay with you for at least the first 24 hours of your recovery, we expect that you will be released from the surgery center an hour or two after your procedure is done. Patients who do not have a reliable person who can stay with them at home may be advised to arrange a brief stay in the hospital or appropriate medical care facility for one or two days. This is necessary to facilitate optimal healing beginning right after surgery.
Rhinoplasty
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Ready to Take the Next Step? Contact Us.
To learn more about rhinoplasty or other procedures we offer, schedule a consultation with Cosmetic and Reconstructive Specialists of Florida by calling 954-466-0325. We serve Fort Lauderdale, FL and nearby areas.
