Rhinoplasty Surgery – All You Need To Know About It

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure performed to improve the appearance of the nose. A SeptoRhinoplasty is often performed to correct any defects within the nose such as a deviated septum or nasal obstructions. A nose surgery is also performed to restore the nose to its original shape after it has suffered a major injury during an accident or any other unfortunate event. In a Rhinoplasty procedure, the cosmetic surgeon changes the nasal bone, cartilage, soft tissues or adds tissues to the nose, to aesthetically improve the appearance of the nose for the patient.

There could be several different reasons why patients opt for a nose surgery. Rhinoplasty surgeons in India are known to perform nose surgeries which start from a slight alteration of the structure of the nose right up to the restoration of the nose to the original shape in case of accidents or injuries. Broadly speaking, a large nose can be made smaller, a small nose can be made larger, bent or deviated nose can be made straighter by Rhinoplasty surgery. Following are the issues that patients face which can be resolved with a Rhinoplasty: Breaking / Reducing A Large Nose: Sometimes nose may be noticeably larger in size. To make such nose more attractive, it should be lowered and narrowed. This is also called Reduction Rhinoplasty. Generally speaking, the small, cute and well-shaped nose looks beautiful than the large nose. Building / Augmenting Small Nose: Sometimes a nasal bridge is too low or narrow that nose looks under projecting and gives the face a flat look. Such a nose can be enlarged by modifying the shape of cartilage or adding some cartilage/ soft tissue to it. Another way to augment such nose is with a silicone implant, which is being carved as per the requirement of an individual nose. Hump Reduction: It is very common to have a bump like elevation near mid part of the dorsum of the nose. It looks like a blemish on top of the otherwise beautiful nose. It needs to be lowered to make dorsum of nose straight and achieve a beautiful nose. Reducing A Wide Tip: a Wide tip of the nose may be because of excess wide cartilage &/or because of thick skin & soft tissue portion. Such a wide tip can be made narrow & well defined to make the nose more beautiful. The wide upper part of the nose is because of wide nasal bones. They are broken from its place & moved inward to narrow them. Deviated / Crooked Nose: Instead of being centralized and straight, some nose has deviated to one side. Nasal bones with or without septum (central partition of nasal cavity) and nasal tip deviate in such cases. In such cases, the deviated nose is made straight & well centred. Reduction / Narrowing Of Alar Base: Very wide alar base (wide nostrils) can be narrowed to make nose symmetric & beautiful. Narrowing of this part needs to put incisions on the external side of the nose (sometimes it leads to unacceptable scarring). So, I avoid narrowing the alar base unless there is no alternate manoeuvre for correction.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most delicate and complex surgical procedures in plastic surgery. It is also a procedure that affects the patient’s everyday life since the nose is a prominent facial feature. Dr Siddharth Sakhiya, whose in-depth knowledge about plastic surgery has made him an expert for the patients in Surat and even abroad explains the different types of Rhinoplasty procedures. Following are the different types of rhinoplasties: Open Rhinoplasty – An open Rhinoplasty is the one where a doctor makes incisions across the columella, the narrow strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. Closed Rhinoplasty -. Under this procedure, the incisions are made inside the nose, which means there is no visible scarring on the outside of the nose. Non – Surgical Rhinoplasty – A non-surgical Rhinoplasty is a primarily minimally invasive procedure in which injectable fillers or fat are used to alter the shape of the nose of the patient. This is one of the safest nose jobs to undergo as a patient. Revision Surgery – Many times the patient is unhappy with the first outcome of the nose surgery and hence may opt for a second surgery to reach the desired results.

An ideal candidate for Rhinoplasty surgery can be anyone (male or female) who is unhappy with the appearance of their nose or has breathing problems due to issues in the nasal airways and the one who has realistic expectations. Apart from this following are some of the conditions that can make you an ideal candidate for a nose surgery: You are a legal adult. This criteria is important because the bones and the muscles in the face are fully developed by the time one reaches adulthood. In case of children or teenagers, the face is yet to fully form and hence a Rhinoplasty cannot be performed on underage patients. You have no major health issues. A patient for Rhinoplasty needs to be in an overall good health condition. No smoking. Since a Rhinoplasty is directly related to your nose, the best Rhinoplasty surgeons in the world have recommended that the patient who wishes to undergo a nose surgery needs to be either a non-smoker or must give up smoking one month prior to the surgery.

According to the Medical Council of India, a doctor who has an M.Ch/DNB degree from an accredited medical college in India is qualified to be a Plastic Surgeon. But do not look at only the certifications or the degree of the doctor, you must also take into account the years of experience of the doctor. Dr Siddharth Sakhiya who has more than a decade of experience in this profession, plus exposure to some of the best plastic surgery hospitals in Mumbai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad believes that since Rhinoplasty is a very delicate surgery, the more experienced surgeon, the easier it is to trust them as a patient. Another important factor when choosing the best Rhinoplasty surgeon is your comfort level during interactions with him/her. You can also take a look at previous patients’ testimonials to understand the overall feedback about the doctor.

Pre-surgery consultations are a vital element leading up to the actual surgery. A consultation with the Rhinoplasty surgeon will involve understanding what is a Rhinoplasty, what are the risks that go with it, what is the pre-surgery and post-surgery care necessary and so on. As a patient make your expectations clear with the doctor so as to reach a mutually beneficial output. Get all your doubts cleared from the doctor. Do not hesitate to ask questions that may seem slightly uncomfortable. It is best to have a 100% clarity before the surgery itself to avoid any type of conflicts later. Book a consultation with Dr. Siddharth Sakhiya to discuss about your concerns, treatment options, costs and likely outcomes. When you book a consultation, Dr. Siddharth Sakhiya will: Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors. Perform a nasal analysis Explain the problem to youAsk for your photographs Investigations will be done for anesthesia fitness During your consultation be prepared to discuss: Your surgical goals and expectations with regard to both appearance and health. Medical conditions, drug allergies, and previous medical treatments. Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use if any. Details if you have undergone any previous surgeries.Likely outcomes,and any risks or potential complications.

Your plastic surgeon may ask you to undergo certain routine blood tests before the surgery. This helps them in establishing your health condition and alleviates any complications that may arise in the surgery. The Rhinoplasty surgeon may also ask you to stop certain medications prior to the surgery. Also, in case you are a smoker then you will have to stop smoking 4 weeks prior to the surgery. You cannot consume any food or liquids (minimum) 6 hours prior to the surgery.

Make sure you reach the surgical clinic well before the actual time of the surgery. Wear loose-fitting clothes (ensure that none of the clothes need to be pulled over the head). Follow all the pre-operative instructions given by your doctor. During the surgery, an Anesthesiologist will give you anaesthesia to make you pain free. Your pulse and vitals will be monitored throughout the surgery.

After the surgery, the doctor will ask you to rest in the clinic until the anaesthesia completely wears off. A nasal splint will be attached to your nose after the surgery. You cannot remove this since it is essential to the setting and healing process of your nose. Generally, the doctor will remove this splint after a week of the nose surgery. There will be swelling on the upper lip, near the eyes, cheeks and some bruises may also be visible. Regularly using an ice pack will help to subside the swelling over a period of two weeks. Your diet during your recovery should be soft and nutritive. Avoid eating spicy food which might result in coughs or sneezing. A little bleeding is normal after Rhinoplasty, but in case you observe that you are bleeding excessively, then immediately get in touch with your Rhinoplasty surgeon. The best Rhinoplasty surgeons give medication to reduce the pain as well as edema post-operation. A full week’s rest is essential when recovering after a nose plastic surgery. You can slowly start resuming your activities after the nasal splint is removed and your doctor gives you an all-clear.

Since Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure, it comes with certain risks. As someone who is contemplating undergoing a nose job, you must be well aware of the risks involved. Please note that Rhinoplasty is a very safe medical procedure and all the risks mentioned below are very rare occurrences. The outcome of the surgery may not be up to the mark as expected by the patient. Prolonged swelling is possible. Normally the visible swelling stays for 15 days, but the complete swelling may take 6-8 months to go. Failure to resolve nasal obstruction, it is very rare that it may lead to breathing problems. Chronic numbness near the upper lips and teeth. Septal perforation (a permanent hole between the nose divider) Damage to the sense of smell or taste. Excessive dryness to the nose.

Nose surgery costs in India vary from city to city and surgeon to surgeon. A non-surgical Rhinoplasty cost in India is slightly lower than a surgical Rhinoplasty. But the actual cost estimate will be given to you by your surgeon. Since every case is unique the skills required and the time required will be different. Therefore, it is better if you consult your rhinoplasty surgeon on matters of cost.

Unfortunately, major general insurance providers do not cover the cost of Rhinoplasty surgery, since it is a cosmetic procedure. The ambit of health insurance is limited to essential medical expenses and surgical procedures. Since a nose surgery falls under aesthetics and plastic surgeries it will not be deemed as essential. The nose is a prominent and defining feature of a  person’s face. A beautiful and well-shaped nose, not only improves the looks of a person but also boosts their self-confidence. It makes them feel good about themselves and this reflects in all other aspects of their life. A rhinoplasty may be just a surgery but its impact is beyond the cosmetics.