Rhinoplasty, commonly referred to as a nose job, is one of the more common types of plastic surgery. Many people don’t like the way their nose looks. They feel it’s too big or too small, or they don’t like the shape. It may have a hump or the tip may be noticeably upturned. In some cases, an early fracture resulted in the nose being crooked or somewhat misshapen, and the person now wants that corrected. It’s essential for patients to be realistic about what cosmetic surgery for the nose can achieve. A surgeon may not be able to perfectly straighten an adult nose that was fractured in childhood. The doctor can reduce the size of a very large nose, but may not be able to safely reduce the size as dramatically as the patient would like.
After Rhinoplasty, patients can expect some relatively minor bleeding from the nostrils that they can wipe away with a soft cloth or gauze. Patients should not blow the nose and should avoid sneezing; this can be done by sneezing through the mouth. Most patients can return to most of their usual activities within a few days. However, many decide to take at least a week or two off from work. First, surgeons generally want their patients to wear an external splint for a week or so. Second, there will be facial bruising and swelling that takes time to fade. It’s also natural for further temporary swelling to develop after the splint is removed. Third, the person may have to breathe through the mouth for several days. All this is part of the normal healing and recovery process.
Some effects from the operation can be expected to linger for a few months. Patients typically don’t see the complete final result of the surgery for a few months because a small amount of swelling lasts that long. The nose may feel a bit odd, numb or stiff during that time. A surgeon such as David K. Hiranaka, M.D., D.M.D. can explain in more detail what a patient should expect from an operation to change the nose size, shape or angle. You can also visit them on Facebook for more information.
