Rhinoplasty FAQs

HOW LONG DOES THE OPERATION LAST?

Surgery lasts for about 2 hours in the case of  primary rhinoplasty and accordingly more in revision cases.

DOES RHINOPLASTY HURT?

The fear of pain is probably the most important fear of someone thinking of having rhinoplasty. And that’s mainly based on vague information, which is probably related to past times and different techniques. In reality, open rhinoplasty is an extremely painless procedure by common confession of all people who have undergone it. A common postoperative comment is that the operation proved much easier than they had imagined and that they did not feel any pain. Maybe a little discomfort like stinging in the nose on the day of surgery, but certainly no pain. It is characteristic that this enthusiastic information is now flooding the internet, coming from people who are now relieved, having completed the operation, wanting to share the information with other people, thus relieving them in advance  from a fear, which turns out to be unfounded.

DO I HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF ANESTHESIA?

The next thing most patients report being afraid of is anesthesia. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and is extremely safe. After all, the anesthesiologist is a permanent member of the surgical team, which functions as an orchestra. Perfectly harmonized, coordinated and effective, it works tirelessly with strained attention, always keeping in mind the absolute safety of the patient in the operating room.

HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO STAY IN THE CLINIC?

The patient can be discharged in the afternoon of the day of surgery or stay at the clinic over night and depart the next morning. Therefore, the maximum hospitalization time is 24 hours.

HOW LONG DOES RESTORATION LAST?

Post-operative recovery is relatively quick.  The day after surgery it is advisable to stay at home to put ice on the face but from the next day we can exit the house, drive and for those who do not do a heavy manual job, we allow their presence in the  workplace from the third or at the latest on the fourth post-operative day.

However, for those whose job requires intense physical activity, assistance should be taken from a partner concerning the manual part or a longer absence period from work, if possible, which can last 2 weeks.

WILL I HAVE GAUZES IN THE NOSE?

Many people who had previously undergone rhinoplasty describe with horror the postoperative nasal packing with  huge gauzes that swell the nose like an eggplant, stay there for at least four days causing pain and discomfort and in most cases patients faint from pain while removing them.

These stories belong to the past. Nose plastic surgery is now an operation that is characterized by minimal discomfort, but no pain.

The doctor uses soft silicone ventilation tubes, which allow the patient to breathe through the nose even on the day of the surgery.

They are removed easily and painlessly, the following day, just before the patient is discharged and returns home.  Nothing remains inside the nose. A small splint is placed above the nose for protection and limitation of swelling.

I FEEL NERVOUS ABOUT HOW I AM GOING TO LOOK. CAN I SEE THE RESULT BEFORE THE PROCEDURE?

Many people are strongly possessed by the desire to do rhinoplasty but are very nervous about postoperative effect. Their biggest fear is what they’ll look like afterwards, whether they’ll like the result and whether after the change they’ll look like their old self.  Two answers are capable of eliminating these anxieties:

1. The image simulations on the computer. At the very first visit and after taking high resolution photographs of our face, the doctor can process them directly on the computer and show the proposed post-operative result there.
2. Our ability today to have direct access to information, allows us to see the aesthetic view and personal philosophy of the doctor seeing samples of his work on photographic albums and reading information about it in Forums.

CAN I SAY HOW I IMAGINE MY NOSE?

Discussion with our doctor about the specific points that should be focused on will help  establish a field of communication and  develop common objectives for the operation. We’ll see if we share the same aesthetic point of view. We should have realistic expectations that our nose infrastructure and the skin that covers it, can support and keep up with the other features of our face, eyes, cheekbones, lips.

After hearing us, the doctor will in turn tell us what needs, can and what cannot be done in order to help us make the right decision.

CAN I BRING A PICTURE OF A NOSE THAT I LIKE AND HAVE MINE DONE EXACTLY LIKE THAT?

Each face is unique, with specific proportions and characteristics, with spots that need to be highlighted and weaknesses seeking for improvement. The nose corresponding to all these pursuits is just as unique and does not look like any other. Therefore, it is not certain at all that a fine nose on a different face will fit ours or that it will bind harmoniously with our facial characteristics.

WHICH ARE THE BENEFITS OF OPEN RHINOPLASTY SURGERY?

Open rhinoplasty creates an incision in the skin of the collumella and lateral internal incisions in our nostrils. With the aid of these incisions we can lift the skin and the underlying soft tissues and have direct access to the cartilaginous and bony skeleton of the nose. This  allows the meticulous dissection of the tissues with progressiveness and direct visual control     ( small increment movements), while in each phase we have the possibility to return the skin to its place and check the aesthetic outcome.

Along with the skin, the periosteum and perichondrium are also elevated , membranes  that carry vessels and nerves on them. The ability not to injure them explains why the method has less pain, swelling and almost no bleeding than the closed method since on the one hand it lifts and removes the vessels without dissecting them and on the other hand allows the use of a bipolar cauterisation for hemostasis. With this method, blood is not spilled into the subdermis and the unfavorable  bruises are less noticeable.  Also, the nose’s muscular system is not affected at all, so post-operatively the nose is still moving, following our facial expressions and does not look like a frozen nose of a porcelain doll.

In addition, it provides the excellent possibility of placing and stitching in place numerous grafts, making it impossible for them to migrate over the years. The ability to stitch up grafts provides excellent stability in the newly formed structure and therefore the method is called structural approach. Finally, it gives an excellent opportunity to restore the deficiency of nasal valves as well as to eliminate perforations of the nasal septum.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE INCISION IN AN OPEN PHINOPLASTY?

The extremely careful stitching of the skin incision with thin, dense and not particularly tight stitches, to which the surgeon must devote enough time with love and patience, explains why the healing of the incision never leaves a noticeable scar behind after  three to four months post op and why no one has ever had to undergo surgery to repair an annoying scar.

WHEN ARE THE SPLINT AND STITCHES REMOVED?

The splint is removed on the seventh postoperative day along with the very thin stitches. Removal is easy and painless and in the area of the skin of the nose special adhesive pads are placed for another three days to help the edema subside faster.

WHAT SHOULD I HAVE IN MIND BEFORE THE SURGERY?

Ιn consultation with our doctor we should regulate any medication we take in a chronic basis (medicines of particular interest are anticoagulants , antihypertensives, contraceptives, aspirin, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics). The day before surgery we should have a light dinner and drink fluids until bedtime. An empty stomach is required in the morning of the surgery and we should not consume any fluids. We will arrive at the clinic 1 hour before surgery to carry out preoperative screening. Then we will have a brief meeting with our doctor and we will proceed with the operation.

WHAT SHOULD I HAVE IN MIND AFTER THE SURGERY?

After the operation it is of particular importance to place ice on our face for about forty-eight  hours. This helps significantly the reduction of swellings and bruises. We should avoid for a few days intense physical activity, crouching, lifting weights, excessive exposure to heat and sun. We should also know that we are forbidden to wear glasses for at least two months, so we replace eyeglasses with contact lenses and use a hat instead of sunglasses.

IS THERE AN IDEAL TIME FOR THE SURGERY?

Each season has its own advantages or disadvantages over others in performing the procedure. Neither excessive cold nor too much heat is forbidden, since we can be protected from them. It would be advisable to choose a time when we are neither too busy professionally nor have personal commitments, so that good psychological state and time convenience allow us to enjoy a beautiful surgery and devote some time to ourselves.

WHICH IS THE MOST SUITABLE AGE GROUP?

Rhinoplasty is performed extremely rarely in children and only in cases of traumatic nose injuries or deformity. Starting at the age of 17 for girls and 18 for boys, the procedure can be performed to elderly people as well, with appropriate regulation of their medication.

IS RHINOPLASTY CONCIDERED “LUXURY”?

It is undeniable that a person’s beauty is mainly what lies hidden in his soul. The possibility we have today to straighten a deviated nasal septum, reduce the volume of hypertrophic nasal turbinates and deal with other pathological conditions in our noses and at the same time correct any of the imperfections that make us feel uncomfortable with our appearance, is truly a great opportunity.

Some particular features of our noses that may embarrass us and reduce self-confidence in our social contacts can now effectively be dealt with an intervention which  has the ability to contribute in the beauty and harmony of our face.  Finally, let’s not forget our daily life standards. We live in a society that has given beauty a high degree of acceptance in all its shades. And that has an impact on our psychology and self-confidence, on our social contacts, relationships, even our professional prospects. So as the intervention is adapted in the current economic environment, we would say that it is an affordable necessity rather than an excess of luxury. That’s why it has embraced people of all social layers and is not an intervention for just a few . Also, the natural ,non-surgical effect, motivates more and more men nowadays, who, along with the operation to straighten the nasal septum, reduce the volume of their turbinates or remove polyps from the nose, seek to make some small or larger changes in its appearance, giving shine and harmony to their face, without easily allowing others to understand the reason of their positive change.