A rhinoplasty, more commonly known as a nose job, is one of the more popular surgical procedures. People get one for a variety of reasons that can include the following:
- Changing the size of the nose
- Correcting a drooping or upturned tip
- Make the width of the nose more proportionate
- Smoothing humps or bumps
- Making the nostrils more proportionate
While people think of rhinoplasties as strictly cosmetic, many patients also get them done to correct problems like a broken nose or deviated septum. A rhinoplasty can be done by itself or along with another procedure like a facelift or eyelid surgery.
What Does Rhinoplasty Involve?
This procedure can be open or closed. The type of procedure you receive will depend upon your needs and what our surgeon determines would work the best in your case. A rhinoplasty of either type generally takes around two hours. The patient will be given general anesthesia or intravenous sedation beforehand.
How Should You Prepare?
The doctor may advise rhinoplasty patients to start eating more protein several weeks before the procedure to strengthen their immune system and promote healing. Similarly, if you smoke, you need to quit at least two weeks ahead of time. Smoking can increase the risk of blood clots after surgery and thus cause other complications. You should also avoid taking any medications that contain blood-thinners for they will increase bleeding.
You should avoid excessive sunlight or other sources of UV rays like tanning beds. You will need time to recover from the surgery and should thus plan to take time off from work. You should also arrange to have somebody drive them to and from the clinic.
You should inform their doctor if they develop symptoms of an upper respiratory infection like a cold. You should not eat anything after midnight before the day of the surgery. You also should not put any lotions or creams on the face or nose on the day of the surgery.
What Is the Recovery Like?
Full recovery from a rhinoplasty can take months as the nose heals and its swelling goes down. Our surgeon will apply tape and bandages to make the nose conform to its desired new shape and to reduce fluid buildup. During the follow-up visits, our surgeon will remove the splints and tape as they check the patient’s progress.
To learn more about this procedure offered at Southwest Michigan Plastic and Hand Surgery, visit one of our offices in either Portage or Battle Creek. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
