Rhinoplasty — correction of nose form.

From aesthetic standpoint, nose is the central part of person’s face. It’s also important from functional standpoint: nose is responsible for breathing and olfaction.

Rhinoplasty is a modern operation that’s performed to restore normal breathing function and eliminate aesthetic defects of the exterior part of the nose (its form is changed).

Rhinoplasty also helps to eliminate inborn defects and acquired defects of osteochondrous part of the nose. Pretty often, surgeons also perform septoplasty during rhinoplasty — they make plastics of deflected nasal septum. Deflected nasal septum can either be inborn, or acquired, and may cause problems with breathing, allergic reactions (allergic rhinitis) from the side of mucous membrane.

Indications for such operation can be the following: aesthetic defects of the nose (crook in the nose, low nasal bridge, a long nose, deformation of nose end) and functional defects (problems breathing, sleep apnea).

Today, rhinoplasty is a complicated, high-precision operation where every millimeter should be measured, and its positive result depends on surgeon’s professionalism and artificial approach. Keep in mind that every rhinoplasty operation in one and the same patient poses challenges for the next surgeon performing them. Sometimes patient doesn’t understand how exactly the surgery was performed, so the surgeon should foresee all possible variants, plan every stage and step of the operation, etc.

Rhinoplastics can be performed with open or close approaches. When closed rhinoplasty is made, cuts are made in the mucous membrane: such operation is usually made with the help of an endoscope, and it causes less bleeding while requiring shorter recovery period. Open rhinoplasty is made with a cut on the skin (columella), soft tissues are separated from nasal bones and cartilage, and cartilaginous structures are modeled and installed in the right position. The choice of method depends on the initial state of patient’s nose, previous plastic surgeries and surgeon’s preferences.

On the primary consultation, a surgeon performs visual examination, gathers patient’s medical history (whether any other operations were performed before, checks for chronic diseases of nose and accessory sinuses of the nose, peculiarities of injuries and traumas), makes images of the nose, performs computer tomography of facial bones, and plans a special treatment program together with visualization. An anesthesiologist also organizes a consultation, checks the results of analyses and gives his consent for the operation. The duration of operation depends on its complexity and can take from 2 to 4 hours.

Contraindications are the following: age up to 18 (except traumatic deformations of the nose), chronic diseases of ear, nose, or throat in acute stages, cold-related diseases, empyesis and herpetic fever on the skin near nose, diabetes, poor blood coagulability, oncologic diseases, and psychological disorders.

During rehabilitation period, a patient has to wear a plaster bandage on the nose for about 2 weeks — it fixes nose form and prevents swelling. After the operation, breathing restores, although a person may have hemotomas in infraorbital regions (caused by osteotomy of nose bones), swelling in the middle part of face that will disappear by the end of the second week after the operation. Preliminary results of rhinoplastics can be visible in 10 days. Final aesthetic result of rhinoplastics cam be evaluated in 6 months, or even in a year when the changes of osteohondrous structures and soft tissues will finally fix. During 2 months after the operation, a person is prohibited to do sports, go through thermal procedures (sauna, bathhouse), smoking and drinking are also not recommended. It’s crucial to visit doctor regularly for being examined and having bandages removed. Follow all recommendations strictly.