Rhinoplasty, popularly referred to as a nose job, is one of the most popular procedures performed by many south Florida plastic surgeons for a number of reasons. Whether done for health reasons or for aesthetics, a nose job will cause a patient to have many questions that need to be answered before the surgery is scheduled.
What Is the Most Common Reason for Having Rhinoplasty?
One of the most common reasons that you would have rhinoplasty may come in regard to your ability to breathe properly.
- When it is done to improve the way the nose works, it is called reconstructive surgery.
- When it is only meant to change the appearance of the nose and face, it is cosmetic.
What Is Rhinoplasty Recovery Time?
How long it takes to recover from your nose job will depend on a number of factors including the type of procedure (open vs. closed), your age and health status and your usual healing time. Everybody recovers at different speeds, but the surgeon can give you general guidelines for what is typical. Swelling and discoloration of the skin should start to recede and fade within two weeks of the procedure. External stitches will be removed in a week, while internal stents, which are used to remove blood from the area, may be removed in four days or may remain in place for as long as two weeks.
Discuss the restrictions that the doctor wants you to follow before going back to work or doing anything that is strenuous.
Full appearance of the finished nose should be seen in three to four weeks but may continue to shift and settle for up to a full year.
Medications Before and After Rhinoplasty
When you are ready to be scheduled for your nose job, the surgeon will discuss any medications that you are taking, including any over the counter and herbal remedies that you might be using. Some of these may increase bleeding time, which increases your risks during surgery and may also cause additional healing time. After your surgery has been completed, the surgeon will prescribe antibiotics to reduce your risk of infection and will also give you pain medications to reduce the amount of pain that you feel.
Certain vitamins may also increase bleeding risk and will be stopped before the surgery is scheduled.
It is important to follow the doctor's instructions regarding medications so that you do not cause yourself undue pain.
What If My Rhinoplasty Fails?
In some cases, a single operation is all that is needed to achieve the right results. In other cases, though, the need for a secondary surgery becomes apparent for one of many reasons. In those cases, a second rhinoplasty will need to be performed to adjust the results from the first one.
What about Smoking?
Your plastic surgeon will warn you about smoking before your surgery. Smoking causes the smallest blood vessels, called capillaries, to contract and may increase bleeding risk. It can also cause the skin around the nose to contract and may lead to wrinkling and other deformities around the site of the incision. The surgeon will ask you to stop smoking at least six weeks before the surgery and to continue to abstain until you are recovered.
Who Pays for the Nose Job?
If your rhinoplasty is being done for only cosmetic reasons, you will have to pay for the cost of it on your own. However if you are faced with health issues that make a nose job necessary, your insurance plan may cover a large portion of the expense, including the doctor’s fees, the hospital stay and the follow up care and medications.