Rhinoplasty

 

Many people are not happy with the appearance of their nose and are looking for some method that will correct any abnormalities and achieve the desired result. Rhinoplasty, is one of the most frequent surgeries performed today, with great success. The non-aesthetically acceptable appearance of the nose can be a birth defect, came after a break, injury or disease, or after some type of surgery in this area. Rhinoplasty can correct the shape, reduce or increase the size of the nose in order to achieve harmony of the face and contribute significantly to increasing the self-confidence of the person. The desired result is a more attractive shape of the nose that follows more the aesthetic proportions of the face.

Aesthetic & functional rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty can be performed not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for functional reasons. Combining the remodeling of the nose with a plastic diaphragm can effectively address certain respiratory problems, such as those created by a deviant (crooked) septum. Rhinoplasty surgery is performed in order to restore the shape of the nose in harmony with the rest of the face, improving the overall appearance of the face.

The effect of rhinoplasty

The desired result is a more attractive shape of the nose that follows more the aesthetic proportions of the face. After careful examination of the skin and skeleton of the nose by the doctor, it is possible for the surgeon to explain the realistic expectations that the patient may have for the result after such surgery. Often, if there is an abnormality in the cartilage of the nose that makes it difficult for the patient to breathe, this can be corrected during the same operation. Under the care of a competent and experienced surgeon, rhinoplasty can transform the appearance of the face, while maintaining the individual character of the patient, with amazing results that can improve the emotional, physical and total well-being of the patient. Most patients are fully happy with the effect of rhinoplasty.

Am I a suitable candidate for rhinoplasty?

Consider yourself a suitable candidate for rhinoplasty when:

• You are at least 15 years old
• You have reached the end of your facial development
• You are generally healthy
• Do not smoke
• You are thinking of doing rhinoplasty for personal reasons and not because someone else is forcing you to do it
• You have realistic expectations for the operation

During your meeting with the doctor, you will further discuss whether rhinoplasty is the right treatment for you, after an extensive evaluation of the structure of your nose, medical history and overall health.

What can rhinoplasty do for me?

Rhinoplasty is the perfect procedure to achieve the following: Balance the size of the nose with the other facial features

• Modification of the range of the back of the nose
• Improving the profile of the nose, including removing humps or depressions
• Correction of the tip of the nose Change the angle between the nose and mouth
• Dilution and remodeling of nostrils Correction of asymmetry or deviation

Each operation is perfectly tailored to help each patient achieve the desired result. The desired result will be discussed with the doctor before the operation in order to ensure full communication and understanding between the patient and the doctor about the most accurate outcome.

What do you need to do before rhinoplasty?

• Before your surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. Pantelidis will give you precise instructions to ensure safety and accuracy on the day of the operation.
• Try to reduce, or even stop smoking before surgery.
• Also, do not consume food or drink after the midnight of the previous day of your surgery.
• It is necessary to tell the doctor about any medication followed, as you may need to stop taking certain medicines before surgery.

Classic Rhinoplasty

The operation can be done either with the use of local anesthesia, or preferably with the use of general anesthesia.

The incisions are made in the nostrils. The bones of the nose, cartilage and soft tissues are reshaped through these sections to improve the external appearance.

Open Rhinoplasty

This technique is often used in difficult, oversized noses or re-interventions in the nose area. It includes an external incision in the skin of the nose in the area between the upper lip of the mouth and the top of the nose which is barely visible after it has been stitched.

Plastic of the acrorinium

If only the tip of the nose is not aesthetically acceptable, this can be corrected either by the method of classical rhinoplasty or by open rhinoplasty. Large nostrils can be reduced to aesthetically acceptable boundaries using very small sections on the sides of the nostrils.

After rhinoplasty

• After surgery, the patient is released from the hospital with a splint in the nose area.
• In the nose are placed gauze, which remains in place for 24 hours, while the splint is removed after 7 days.
• The majority of swelling and bruises gradually subside over one week.
• The patient may return to his daily activities after about 3 days. The external stitches (if any) are removed in 5 to 7 days.
• About 60% of the aesthetic result is evident after 3 months, while the final result will be seen in 12 to 14 months.
• Transient bleeding and decreased sense of smell may be a result of this surgery, but problems that usually do not last long.
• The effect of rhinoplasty is permanent and any remaining abnormalities can be corrected with much smaller surgery, under local sedation.

How is rhinoplasty done?

• Rhinoplasty is performed in one of the most modern clinic surgeries with which we cooperate .
• Patients are subject to total sedation.
• The whole procedure takes about 1.5 hours and patients can immediately return home
• In closed rhinoplasty, incisions are made within the nostrils.
• In an open rhinoplasty, incisions are made in the columella, the tissue between the nostrils. With both of these methods, Dr. Pantelidis gently lifts the soft tissue covering the nose. Gives the desired shape to the bone and cartilage of the nose.
• If the patient has a deviant septum (diaphragm), Dr. Pantelidis will adjust the diaphragm and internal structures of the nose in order to improve breathing.
• If the patient wishes to change the shape of the nostrils, this is done in the final stage of rhinoplasty.
• Patients should have someone with them to accompany them home and should rest for the rest of the day.

How's recovery from rhinoplasty?

• For a short time after rhinoplasty, patients may have a feeling of "bloating", nose pain or mild headache, swelling and bruising, bleeding or stuffiness.
• You may not be able to breathe through your nose in the first 24 hours after surgery.
• A soft bandage is placed inside your nose to maintain the structure after surgery, which is removed witin 24 hours.
• Most patients return to work in 1-2 weeks.
• The effects of rhinoplasty gradually become visible as the days after surgery pass and the swelling subsides.
• Small oedema may recur in the first year after surgery. It's usually seen in the morning. Contact lenses can be worn immediately, but it may take 3 weeks to wear glasses.

Will I like the effect of rhinoplasty?

The effects of rhinoplasty may take a few months to show as the swelling and bruises have subsided. Some initial results are obvious, but they may seem somewhat abnormal because of the oedema. The end result is usually permanent, giving patients the opportunity to have a nice appearance for many years. Patients with realistic goals are generally very happy with the new shape of their nose. The exact result depends on the structure of the patient's nasal bone and cartilage, facial shape, skin thickness and age.

Is rhinoplasty considered safe surgery?

Rhinoplasty is considered safe for most patients with only a small risk of complications such as infection, nose  bleeding, nose obstruction and reaction to anesthesia. Some patients may be unhappy with the aesthetic effect of the procedure.

What is iterative rhinoplasty?

Iterative or secondary rhinoplasty corrects malformations created by previous nose surgery. It is a more difficult procedure than the original rhinoplasty because there is less cartilage and because scars may have been created or tissues may have tightened. It is recommended that you wait at least a year after the initial procedure before undergoing revision  rhinoplasty, as the results will continue to show and the swelling may take several months to subside. To learn more about rhinoplasty, please contact us to make an appointment and discuss them in detail with plastic surgeon Dr.  Pantelidis.

From what age can rhinoplasty be done?

For the treatment of aesthetic malformations, rhinoplasty surgery (except in the case of hare lips cases done earlier), can be done safely after the age of sixteen years.

How painful is rhinoplasty surgery?

With the use of appropriate local anesthesia solutions during surgery, postoperative pain for the patient is negligible.

Is it necessary for the patient to stay in the hospital for 24 hours? Not necessary.

To minimize the possibility of postoperative microbial infection, the patient is required to take prophylactic intravenous antibiotics, a procedure that is done legally only in a hospital.

How long the swelling lasts in the area of the face and after how long, the patient can return to his daily occupations

Most of the edema from the facial area is due over a period of one week, i.e. the amount of time the patient carries plaster on his nose. Edema in the nose area is gradually absorbed over a period of at least six months. This means that the characteristics of the nose are thinning and gradually emerging and the final result of the operation is visible about a year after the day of surgery.

After removing the splint in seven days, will the patient be able to understand any difference in the shape of his nose?

The immediate improvement of the external shape of the nose is particularly evident, however, the aesthetic image of the nose continues to improve for a period of one year.

Rhinoplasty surgery also corrects any respiratory problems that may coexist in the same patient?

Often the straightness of a crooked nasal septum is a prerequisite for achieving a satisfactory aesthetic result in a stiff nose. Other times, the lifting of a declining tip made for aesthetic reasons offers the maximum in restoring the respiratory function of the patient. A well-trained Plastic Surgeon, has the ability during the operation, to diagnose and effectively treat problems of nasal septum scoliosis and hypertrophy of nasal niches. In other words, the skeleton of the nose must be treated as a whole in order to achieve an even aesthetic and functional result.

What aesthetic malformations of the nose require the use of the technique of open rhinoplasty and when closed rhinoplasty is required?

The technique of open rhinoplasty is used in cases where a detailed modification of the tip of the nose  is required (i.e. when the tip of the nose is asymmetrical, oversized, etc.), when there is serious post-traumatic damage to the skeleton of the nose (e.g. after an accident), when re-intervention is made to correct problems after previous rhinoplasty and in cases of congenital abnormalities. Closed rhinoplasty surgery is used when the patient's main problem is located in the back of the nose and the tip requires only minor modification. An experienced Plastic Surgeon can perform both techniques equally well and choose the technique that is suitable for each patient in order to achieve the best possible aesthetic result.

Rhinoplasty surgery can be combined with other surgeries on the face when necessary?

 

Many times in order to achieve harmonious characteristics on the patient's face, it is necessary the simultaneous intervention of the Plastic Surgeon on the chin (growth chin), the correction of the left ears, etc. An experienced Plastic Surgeon can effectively advise his patient on the type of procedures, which can give the best possible result, for the aesthetic improvement of his face.

How safe is this operation to be performed in an area outside an equipped hospital unit?

In our country, this operation is forbidden to take place in places outside a hospital that has a fully equipped surgical field. The performance of this surgery and other operations in private clinics, multi-dispensaries, etc., poses significant risks to patient safety and should be avoided.

When is the outcome of this surgery considered satisfactory?

The aesthetic result of this surgery is considered satisfactory when it is so natural that the intervention of the Plastic Surgeon cannot be perceived. An experienced Plastic Surgeon, always has the necessary photographic archive that proves the quality of his work.