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RHINOPLASTY
What does rhinoplasty do?
It corrects unaesthetic characteristics in noses that
are too long or too big, bulbous, with a hump or with a 'hanging'
tip.
It narrows the nostrils, if they are to wide.
It corrects deformities such as those acquired as a
result of accidents.
It helps correct certain breathing problems.
It can give the nose a more masculine or feminine look,
according to the standards of proportion and harmony prescribed
for each sex.
What does rhinoplasty NOT do?
It cannot reproduce an exact copy of the nose of someone
famous. Remember that there is no such thing as two noses
that look exactly the same, that each face has its own proportions,
volumes, angles and outlines, and that the same nose that
looks beautiful on one face may look odd if it were reproduced
exactly on your own.
Even though it will make your face look more beautiful
and harmonious, and it will probably also improve your self-esteem,
it will not be enough to make you look perfect. We must be
realistic and accept that that kind of perfection does not
exist.
How is rhinoplasty performed?
Working through the nostrils, without the need of making any
exterior incisions, the surgeon reaches the cartilage and
bone located under the skin, he may rasp or trim them with
special instruments to give the nose the desired shape and
size. In more complex cases, where deeper modifications are
needed, it may be necessary to perform a little cut across
the columella (the tissue that divides the nostrils) to access
the bone.
The shape and width of the nostrils may also be modified.
This is done by means of two incisions at the base of the
nose wings, these incisions become imperceptible soon after
the surgery.
Bandages
When you leave the operating room you will have a cast applied
to your nose to help it maintain its shape and to protect
it. This cast will remain in its place during a week, then
it will be replaced by a soft plaster and Steri-strip tape
that will be removed a week later.
If only the tip of the nose was modified, then a cast will
not be necessary.
Amount of pain
Medium to low. Your physician will advice you to take analgesics
every 6 or 8 hours; this will bring great relief to you.
Removal of the stitches
4 to 7 days after the surgery.
Bruises and swelling
The bruises and swelling will intensify during two or three
days, before they begin to diminish. You may look like a boxer
and it may be quite shocking for those around you, but you
will feel much better than you look. Two weeks later, only
you and your surgeon will be able to notice traces of the
surgery. Cold compresses are very useful during the healing
process. In one or two weeks more, your nose will have a completely
normal appearance, but the definite results will be fully
appreciated after six months. The tip is what takes longer
to acquire its definite shape.
You may also notice some sporadic bleeding during a week or
ten days, but this is normal and you should not be worried.
Scars
All the incisions are made inside the nose and remain unnoticed,
except from those made on the base of the nose wings, if it
is considered necessary to modify the width of the nostrils.
However, these scars are very small and will become unnoticeable
in no time.
Recovery
If it was necessary to modify the bone structure of the nose,
you will have to rest at the hotel for 48 hours. A week after
the surgery, you will be able to return to your social activities
or job, if you do not mind to be seen with the bandage and
the swelling. You will have to wait a bit longer before doing
any hard work or physical exercise: a month or so, according
to the special characteristics of your own healing process.
During the first days you will have to sleep with your head
elevated so that the healing process will be free of complications.
During the first weeks, the patients tend to suffer from depression.
You may find it difficult to come to terms with your new look
and you may even feel that you made a terrible mistake in
deciding to have a surgery. But you shouldn't worry. Most
of the people who today are happy and satisfied with the results
of a surgery have also gone through that phase.
Possible risks and complications
It is very unlikely for a rhinoplasty to present any complications
when performed by a qualified surgeon. However, every surgical
procedure, regardless of its triviality, has some risks and
we should always think of them as a possibility.
Asymmetry. Even though the surgeon marks very carefully
the areas he is going to treat, there may be asymmetries.
The nose is a crucial feature of the face and it is, literally
speaking, always before our eyes, making any imperfection,
no matter how trivial it may be, very noticeable. According
to international statistics, rhinoplasties are the surgeries
that have the highest rate of revision surgeries. These revisions,
if necessary, may be carried out after six months.
Adverse reactions to anesthesia.
Infections, although they are very unusual if you take
the right antibiotics.
Hemorrhage.
Appearance of small red dots on the skin due to broken
capillaries which are, however, almost imperceptible.
Deformities due to impacts or carelessness before the
healing process is competed. Remember that your new nose will
be quite fragile at first (that is why it is protected by
a cast or tape) and that you will be responsible for taking
care of it and for avoiding any kind of accident.
It is advisable that you ask your surgeon whatever
questions you may have so as to do away with all those doubts
and fears so common for those who are about to undergo surgery.
Plenitas and its medical team will gladly answer all the questions
you may want to ask before your trip and during the personal
interview before the surgery. Likewise, we will gladly organize
your trip to Buenos Aires, if you wish to talk to the physician
in person before making a decision.
It is advisable that you write down all the questions
you may have prior to the interview, so that youwill be able
to read them to the physician and get answers for all of them.
If necessary, you may make drawings or take some pictures
with you to convey more accurately the kind of shape you wish
your nose to have. The surgeon will tell you if your wishes
are compatible with the outline and general proportions of
your face, and if they are not, he will suggest alternatives.Get
ready, psychologically and emotionally, for a very important
change. Bear in mind that for some people it takes some months
to recognize themselves after a rhinoplasty. Adults find this
change more difficult to accept than young people, since they
have lived longer with their old noses and become more used
to them.
If you wear glasses, you should try to find alternative
ways of wearing them, so that they will not rest on your nose.
For example, try to attach them to your forehead with tape,
this will allow the arms to rest on the ears as usual, but
the lens will be suspended in front of your eyes without touching
your nose.
Have a handheld mirror nearby. You will want to look
at yourself again and again after the surgery. We do not know
why those bruises are so fascinating... but they are!
It is advisable that you get the medication indicated
by the physician in advance (antibiotics , anti-inflammatories,
analgesics), so that you will not have to take care of that
right after the surgery.
Try to get some gel bags in a drugstore and have them
frozen for when you get back to the hotel, or some ice bags
and ice cubes ready to fill them. Cold compresses will help
reduce the bruises and the swelling.
You will probably not be able to read the first day
after the rhinoplasty, so you it is advisable to have a radio,
a discman or your MP3 player to keep yourself amused. If you
need to read or use your laptop you will have to wait until
the second day after the surgery.
Anesthesia
Local anesthesia and complementary sedation, or general anesthesia.
Length of surgery
One or two hours.
Hospitalization
There is no need to be hospitalized, it is done on an outpatient
basis.
Results
It must be taken into account that it is not possible to make
any definite judgments about the results of a rhinoplasty
before 6 or 8 months. We may say that in these cases patience
is a virtue that is rewarded with an harmonious and proportionate
nose that completely changes the overall appearance of the
face in a very favorable way. Patients who have been able
to achieve an adequate understanding
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