Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty (Nose Job)

Rhinoplasty, also known as Nose Job, is one of the most preferred plastic surgeries. Thanks to the advances in medicine and development of new methods, nose surgery is one of the operations that gives the best results.

Rhinoplasty should be performed by considering all the nasal deformities as one. The structures in the nose are connected to each other and one deformity reflects to the others. A rhinoplasty surgery that is performed to fix only one deformity may cause other deformities to become more obvious and perhaps worsen. Therefore, the internal and external sides of nose should be evaluated as a whole, and surgical treatment should be performed in the same session.

For example, a curvature outside the nose is related to the curvature in the cartilage which is called the septum. In such a patient, “septorinoplasty and nasal concha surgery” should be performed in the same session. As a matter of fact, correcting the external curvature by itself is not possible without correcting the septum inside the nose. The improvement of the septum in the nose allows the patient to breathe more easily after the operation.

How is Rhinoplasty performed?

Rhinoplasty surgery is mostly performed under general anesthesia. In simple rhinoplasty interventions that only require small touches, local anesthesia can be preferred according to the surgeon’s preference. While the operation takes an average of 2.5 hours, a rhinoplasty operation usually takes a whole day with preoperative preparations and post-operative protocol and observation period. The first night of your stay in the hospital is important for your comfort.
There are 2 different rhinoplasy techniques which are widely preferred.

Open Rhinoplasty

In the nasal part called ‘columella’, which divides the nostrils from the middle, an incision is made through which the tissues inside are intervened and septoplasty or rhinoplasty surgery is performed.

Closed Rhinoplasty

In this technique, the incisions are made from the inside of the nose. Therefore, no incision or suture can be seen from outside. Nose cartilages and nasal back are reached through these nasal incisions. The necessary cartilage and bone re-shapings are made by working completely inside the nose.

Non-surgical Nose Job

For some cases where deformity in the nose is not so grave, one of the most preferred techniques is non-surgical nose job. In this method, that is also called nose fillers, a dermal filling is applied into the nasal bridge.

Non-surgical nose interventions which are a very reliable for slight problems such as low nasal tip, contour problem in the nose, wrinkled nose appearance and flatness of the nose, are quite simple operations and the products that are used for filling are completely reliable.

Ultrasonic (Piezo) Rhinoplasty

Piezo method, also known as Ultrasonic Rhinoplasty, is a method developed by surgeons in Italy in the 1980s. The main advantage of this surgical method is the way of utilizing the sound waves without harming your skin and creating a chemical problem, or correcting the nose without damaging the cartilage and nasal tissue.

Once done open or closed rhinoplasty, bruising and swelling in the nose occur sometimes. With Piezo Rhinoplasty, without the need to break the bones in the nose, the procedure is performed with ultrasonic waves. In this way, side effects such as bruising and swelling are kept at minimum level. 2 methods are applied while performing piezo rhinoplasty. Open technique gives more successful results in ultrasonic nose job procedures.

Tip Plasty (Nasal Tip Surgery)

One of the parts that affect the aesthetical appearance of the nose is the shape of the tip of the nose. The deformities widely seen at the tip of the nose can be listed as follows:

• Too wide nasal tip
• Nasal tip that looks squeezed
• Asymmetry in nostrils
• Droopy nasal tip
• Upturned nasal tip
• Narrow nasal tip

For the patients that have the problems mentioned above, tip plasty surgery is performed which is a sub-category of Rhinoplasty. The nasal bone is not intervened, only the soft tissue and cartilage of the nose is touched. Therefore, it is easier to perform than rhinoplasty. All the pre and post operation protocols are the same as other nose job surgeries. The duration is shorter and all the procedures can be completed in a period of 30-60 minutes. Recovery time is also shorter compared to rhinoplasty surgeries.

Septoplasty

Septoplasty is a cartilage deviation surgery. Septum is an anatomical structure inside the nose that separates it into two sections. The septum partly consists of bone and mostly cartilage. Normally it is necessary to have two equal nasal sections so that the patient can breath properly. However, in almost 70-80% of people, there is a deviation in the septum that is a result of the inherent structure or outer traumas and these patients are diagnosed as “septum deviation”. The surgery performed to correct these deviations is called “septoplasty” surgery.

Not every septum deviation can be operated. Septoplasty surgery is required when the nose deviation is accompanied by secondary discomforts such as nasal congestion, difficulty in breathing, snoring, frecuent nosebleeds, frequent sinusitis infections, or chronic headaches. Besides the septum, there are other anatomical structures called “concha” that make it easier for us to breathe and to moisten up the interior side of the nose. Due to allergy, as a side effect swelling and enlargement can occur in these concha tissues. This makes it even more difficult to breathe. In septoplasty surgeries patient obtains better results if concha is treated as well.

Revision Rhinoplasty

People who are not happy with their shape of the nose and continue to experience previous complaints after rhinoplasty surgery may want to have a nose job again. This second operation is called revision surgery.

In revision rhinoplasty surgeries, it may be necessary to extract cartilage from another part of the body. Mostly it is extracted from the ear or rib. If any cartilage extraction had been performed in these areas before, it may be possible to obtain cartilage from a cadaver because the amount of cartilage required to provide the new shape of the nose would be insufficient.

How long does it take to recover after a Nose Job?

The recovery period varies according to the severity of the operation. But mostly patients can start walking in 4-6 hours, and eating after 6 hours if there is no nausea or vomiting. In some cases, the patient can be discharged on the same day, and sometimes they are discharged the following day after being kept under observation for 1 night. At the end of the surgery, the surgeon places tampones inside the nose. These tampons are removed after 1-2 days and the cast placed on the back of the nose is removed approximately 1 week after surgery. Patients can usually return to work within 1 week if there is no complications after surgery. Swelling and bruises after the operation are very normal and within 1 week-10 days they decrease to a level to be covered with makeup. 1 month after the surgery 75-80% of the inflammation and edemma will disappear. The desired appearance and full recovery is achieved one year after surgery. During this process, it is very normal if the patient sees edema that occurs around the nose in the morning and disappearing later.

Caring for yourself after Rhinoplasty

After your Nose Job, you should clean the silicon tampone in the first week and keep it opened so that you can breathe more easily. Applying ice for at least 2-3 days will keep swelling and bruising away that may occur in the nose. It is necessary to take a break from sports that require physical effort for 1 month such lifting weights, tennis etc. From the second week patient can start walking and doing simple exercises.

It is necessary not to wear glasses for 6 months, if patient has to wear them, he/she should avoid it for at least 2-3 months, then he/she can use very light glasses. Instead, it is recommended to use contact lenses. In order to avoid edema, it is necessary to take a break for 1 month from sauna, solarium, sun bath and steam bath, sea, pool. Once the splint is taken off, patient can take a shower.