Rhinoplasty Details

The nose is our most prominent and distinctive facial feature. Columbus rhinoplasty or nose surgery—one of the most common cosmetic procedures—is a surgical procedure intended to alter the hard tissue components of the nose to reshape its architectural framework. After rhinoplasty surgery in Columbus, the skin and soft tissue components are re-draped over the new structure, conforming to the new shape and volume.

Procedure:

A rhinoplasty is performed in one of two ways: either closed or opened. While Dr. Michael Sullivan was classically trained to performed closed rhinoplasty, he has found his results over the last 25 years to be more accurate and predictable when using the open approach. The only difference between a closed rhinoplasty and an open rhinoplasty procedure is a small incision in the skin separating the nostrils. This is very thin skin, and once this incision heals, the resulting scar is imperceptible. When the skin is elevated away in the open rhinoplasty approach, Dr. Sullivan is able to directly visualize the surgical changes that are being made. Closed rhinoplasty, however, is still used for some minor rhinoplasty surgery problems.

After adequate exposure, the rhinoplasty surgery proceeds by removing, adding, or rearranging the underlying bone and cartilage. Imagine the work of a sculpture under the skin. All the irregularities and imperfections can be smoothed out.

If there are functional concerns, these are also addressed at this time. Some people have difficulty breathing through their nose in addition to an unsatisfactory nose. Functional rhinoplasty surgery or septo-rhinoplasty refers to surgery to correct breathing problems. There are many causes for breathing impairment, but most commonly, it is due to a deviated nasal septum or narrowing of the bone and cartilage framework of the nose. If you are having breathing difficulty and also contemplating rhinoplasty surgery, it makes perfect sense to correct both at the same time. All or a portion of this procedure may be covered by your insurance.

At the conclusion of the rhinoplasty procedure, the skin is re-draped over the new structure and conforms to its new shape. A splint is added to the outside of the nose to help retain the new shape while the nose heals.

Post-Op Results:

Immediately after rhinoplasty surgery, patients typically experience nasal congestion and stuffiness, much like what occurs with a normal head cold. Although pain medication is always prescribed, most patients find the discomfort from rhinoplasty to be minimal. In fact, most patients relieve what pain they have with Tylenol or Extra-Strength Tylenol. During the initial recovery, bleeding can be a concern; therefore, patients are instructed to avoid blowing their nose as well as heavy lifting or straining for the first 72 hours after surgery. Some patients may experience bruising and minor swelling after the procedure. Cold compresses are helpful to minimize this.

The nasal splint and sutures are removed 1 week following rhinoplasty surgery. Although your nose may appear slightly swollen, most patients are typically comfortable returning to work, school, or usual activities at this time. Light exercise is permissible 8 to 10 days after the procedure. Contact sports, however, must be avoided for a full 6 weeks because of possible injury.

Furthermore, the nasal skin may be more susceptible to sun injury immediately following rhinoplasty, and Dr. Sullivan will advise you to follow normal sun precautions. If you wear glasses, special arrangements may be necessary to ensure that the glasses don’t rest on the bridge of your nose. Tape or other devices are sometimes used to permit wearing glasses without damaging the rhinoplasty results.

The healing process following Columbus rhinoplasty surgery takes time. Although patients are comfortable with their appearance 1 week after rhinoplasty, improvements are evident almost every day thereafter. Most of the swelling is gone by 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. The final results, however, aren’t normally evident until 6 months to a year following nose surgery. The changes that occur after rhinoplasty surgery are so gradual that friends and colleagues often can’t pick up on the fact that nose surgery was performed.

Revision Rhinoplasty:

After completely healing, the rhinoplasty result may not be acceptable to the patient or surgeon. Sometimes, these undesirable changes don’t surface until 10 to 20 years after the rhinoplasty. Results experienced from techniques used years ago may not be fully realized until much later. One example of this is a rhinoplasty technique devised by Irvin Goldman, which was popular in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. This procedure led to a narrow, symmetrical nasal tip, but with continued healing and contraction, might also result in a pinched appearance.

The amount of revision surgery required depends on the degree of the nasal deformity. Typically, revision rhinoplasty surgery is more difficult than the initial procedure because of scar tissue, stiffness, and scar contraction. In some cases, breathing problems may also complicate matters. Whereas most initial rhinoplasty procedures involve taking cartilage out of the nose to reduce the size, revision surgery is usually quite the opposite. Cartilage support is often needed in these cases to rebuild a collapsed nose or to re-establish a better airway for breathing. This support may come from the use of nasal-septal cartilage, ear cartilage, bone, or synthetic implants.

Adding support in revision rhinoplasty may actually make the nose appear larger, although this isn’t necessarily the case. Some revision rhinoplasty procedures involve minor tweaking to make the initial result that much more pleasing. Prior to embarking upon revision surgery, a thorough examination and evaluation is highly recommended. All possible options should be explored and discussed.