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When you became interested in rhinoplasty, you may have first researched about how you want your nose to look like, which cosmetic clinic and surgeon to trust, the cost of the nose job surgery, and the risks and complications that you may encounter during and after the procedure. You may have gotten your answers through the internet and some referrals from family, friends, and acquaintances. But how does rhinoplasty work? I bet your friends will tell stories about their experience but would spare you some details to prevent scaring you away. Of course, it is important, though, that you know the ins and outs of the plastic surgery procedure that you are undergoing, so read on and find out the answer to ‘how does rhinoplasty work?’, what to expect during the surgery, and decide if this is really the option that you would want to get to improve your facial profile.

 

What changes can rhinoplasty make?

If you are considering to undergo a nose job surgery, there must be something in your nose that you want to be changed. Trust that your rhinoplasty surgeon would explain how the procedure would alter the look and function of your nose, and determine if your condition can be addressed by this plastic surgery procedure. Generally speaking, rhinoplasty can help in the following situations:

  • rhinoplasty resultsStraightening a crooked nose from the inside out
  • Removing a prominent bump on the nose bridge
  • Reducing the protrusion and refining the size of the nasal tip
  • Narrowing the nostrils
  • Correcting the asymmetry of the nose after a traumatic injury
  • Addressing some medical conditions that cause breathing problems (deviated septum, sleep apnoea, birth defects, etc.)

These are just some of the things rhinoplasty can do to improve the appearance and function of the nose. For more information, you can schedule an one-to-one consultation with our reputable surgeons at AU Rhinoplasty Sydney so they can inform you more about what you can achieve from the cosmetic surgery procedure.

 

Are you a good candidate for a nose job surgery?

Before thinking about the procedural steps of the surgery, you must first figure out if it is safe for you to undergo such a cosmetic surgery option. Rhinoplasty surgeons perform strict screening and medical evaluation of their patients so that both your safety and their reputation are on the line.

 

Age

Typically, surgeons would prefer patients who are of legal age, maybe at least 16 or 17 years old. This addresses two points; one, the patient is old and wise enough to decide for herself, and two, her facial structures are already fully developed. Young patients who are self-conscious about their nose are instructed to wait because their noses can still change their appearance as they grow. Otherwise, undergoing rhinoplasty at an early age may alter the final results as the years pass. The only exemption to this rule is if the patient has birth defects like cleft lip or palate, in which case the surgeon recommends doing the procedure as soon as possible to improve the respiration and health of the baby.

 

Overall health

Patients who are interested in undergoing rhinoplasty should be physically healthy and has no medical conditions that can affect their healing and recovery. Health problems like diabetes and blood disease (hemophilia), as well as some lifestyle habits that harm the body like smoking would restrict the patient from undergoing nose job surgery, or any surgical procedure for that matter.

 

Expectations

Patients should be guided when building realistic expectations about the surgery results. Idealistic imagination of how you would look like after the surgery is the number one reason for dissatisfaction post-procedure. Listen to your surgeon as he guides you on how the procedure works, what he will do to address your nasal problem, and how long it would take for you to appreciate the final outcome of the surgery.

 

How does rhinoplasty work?

rhinoplasty evaluationNow that you know most of the things about rhinoplasty, it is time for you to have a brief background on how rhinoplasty surgery happens. Initially, the surgeon works with your anaesthesiologist to put you either in intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia, depending on the complexity of the procedure.

As the anaesthesia kicks in, your rhinoplasty surgeon will then perform the incisions to visualise and manipulate the internal nasal structures. He can perform the closed technique (all incisions are inside the nose) or the open technique (same as closed but has an external incision along the base of the nose in between the nostrils), whichever is necessary for the procedure. He will then alter the size, shape, and projection of the nasal bone and cartilage, either by reducing it through scraping some parts of the bone or adding some using implants, donor bone or cartilage (allograft), or transplanted bone or cartilage from your rib or ear (autograft). The use of these materials during this surgery needs to be discussed with you during the initial consultation, as harvesting cartilage and bone from the other parts of the body is a separate procedure from rhinoplasty.

Once the revisions and reshaping on the structure of the nose are complete, the surgeon will then suture each incision closed with absorbable sutures. After which bandages and splints will be used to support and protect the nose as it starts to heal.

 

How does rhinoplasty work? : Afterthoughts

How does rhinoplasty work? The answer may be dependent on so many factors, but the success of the procedure lies between you and your surgeon’s teamwork. No matter how experienced and reliable your surgeon may be, if you would not do your part in taking care of the post-surgical results and maintaining the integrity of the procedure by following all his post-op instructions, then dissatisfaction with the results may be highly possible.