While rhinoplasty is an effective cosmetic solution for changing the shape of the nose and helping patients achieve their desired appearance, the surgery also provides several health benefits. If you have trouble sleeping or breathing, a nose job may be worth considering for your health.
Beyond Aesthetic Appeal: Medical Benefits of Rhinoplasty
The nose is more than a prominent facial feature — it also functions to enable breathing. Those who were born with a defect or had an injury to the nose may find their breathing partially restricted.
Rhinoplasty surgery is not only a solution to improving the aesthetic appearance of the nose; it is also a corrective procedure that can address breathing problems, sleep disorders, birth defects, and injuries.
Rhinoplasty for Correcting Breathing Problems
The nose is a complex structure, and its primary purpose is to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This airflow can become restricted if there are issues in the nose due to genetics, injury, or trauma, compromising your breathing and overall health.
A septoplasty can be performed alongside a rhinoplasty. The corrective procedure straightens a deviated septum, or the thin cartilage separating the nostrils, and enables patients to breathe more freely.
Addressing Sleep Disorders with Rhinoplasty
Airway blockages can cause poor quality of sleep. For example, snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that is aggravated when the airways or nostrils are too narrow. It makes it difficult to breathe through the nose while sleeping.
Rhinoplasty for sleep apnea can correct nasal structures and improve breathing. Many people with this condition experience a better night’s sleep after getting the surgery.
Role of Rhinoplasty in Repairing Birth Defects and Injuries
Another reason for performing rhinoplasty is congenital disability correction. The surgery can correct nasal underdevelopment, clefts, masses, and lumps, and the benefits can be life-changing.
Nasal injuries like a broken nose can alter your appearance and create breathing issues. Rhinoplasty can fix the septum or reset fractures to ensure the nose resumes normal function, and it can also restore the nose to its former appearance. Rhinoplasty can also reduce the pain associated with a broken nose.
The Process of Rhinoplasty: From Consultation to Recovery
Just like any other surgery, choosing to get rhinoplasty is a decision that requires thoughtful consideration and open communication with your plastic surgeon. Here’s what to expect at each step of the process.
What to Expect in the Initial Consultation
During your meeting with one of our plastic surgeons, Dr. Robert Goldstein and Dr. Brandon Elnekaveh, you will be asked about your medical history, concerns, and goals to determine whether rhinoplasty is the right procedure for you. Your plastic surgeon will do a physical examination of your facial features, use a scope to observe the septum and other structures, and determine what changes need to be made. They will discuss surgery options, outcomes, and potential risks.
Understanding the Surgical Procedure
Rhinoplasty is typically an outpatient procedure. Depending on the extent of your surgery, it can be performed under general or local anesthesia with intravenous sedation.
The place of incision depends on the surgical technique used. A closed rhinoplasty involves placing the incision inside the nostrils; in open rhinoplasty, the incision is made across the base of the nose. Your plastic surgeon will raise the skin to reveal nasal bones and cartilage. They will reduce, add, or rearrange the underlying bone and cartilage to fix a deviated septum or other structural issues. When done, they will use small stitches to secure the skin in place. The rhinoplasty procedure can take one to three hours to complete.
The Recovery Process and Long-term Results
You must take one week off from school or work to heal after surgery. Pain medications will be prescribed, but most patients only need them for a few days. You will wear a small cast on your nose, and you will need to rest, ice, and clean your nose as recommended by your plastic surgeon.
Breathing may be difficult because a splint is placed inside the nose to support and protect the septum. Swelling typically peaks on the third day, and you may have bruising under the eyes.
Your plastic surgeon will remove the splint and cast a week after surgery. You can resume normal activities and routines within two weeks after surgery, but you’ll need to avoid contact sports for six weeks.
A lot of the swelling subsides during the first month, and breathing will become easier. At 6-12 weeks post-surgery, most of the rhinoplasty recovery is complete, and you should start to feel the benefits of your rhinoplasty. However, full healing of bone and cartilage may take up to one year.
Contact Bronx Plastic Surgery to See If Rhinoplasty Is Right for You
At Bronx Plastic Surgery, we strive to ensure each patient feels comfortable and well-informed about all aspects of a procedure. We always begin with a consultation to discuss your eligibility for the surgery and discuss procedure options with you. We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of care available, from start to finish.
Our experienced plastic surgeons are here to answer all your questions and concerns about rhinoplasty or our other plastic surgery procedures. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.