Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Patients usually feel fine immediately after surgery. As a precaution, most surgery centers do not allow patients to drive themselves home after an operation.
The first day after surgery, there will be some swelling of the face. Persons should stay in bed with their heads elevated for at least a day. The nose may hurt and a headache is common. The surgeon will prescribe medication to relieve these conditions. Swelling and bruising around the eyes will increase for a few days, but will begin to diminish after about the third day. Slight bleeding and stuffiness are normal, and vary according to the extent of the surgery performed. Most people are walking in two days, and back to work or school in a week. No strenuous activities are allowed for two to three weeks.
Patients are given a list of postoperative instructions, which include requirements for hygiene, exercise, eating, and follow-up visits to the doctor. Patients should not blow their noses for the first week to avoid disruption of healing. It is extremely important to keep the surgical dressing dry. Dressings, splints, and stitches are removed in one to two weeks. Patients should avoid excessive sun or sunburn.
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There are several reasons why a person's nose or sinuses can become blocked including a deviated septum or chronic inflamed nasal turbinates. This video shows actual footage from a surgery aimed at relieving this blockage through removal of these offending nasal structures.
During an open rhinoplasty, an incision is made in the skin between the nostrils (A). Closed rhinoplasty involves only incisions inside the nose. Rhinoplasty may involve a change in nostril width (B) or removal of a hump on the nose (C) using bone sculpting. After surgery, a splint supports the nose (D), and a cold compress reduces swelling (E). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
Other Information
Rhinoplasty (Greek: Rhinos, "Nose" + Plassein, "to shape") is a surgical procedure which is usually performed by either an otolaryngologist, oral surgeon, or plastic surgeon in order to improve the function (reconstructive surgery) and/or the appearance (cosmetic surgery) of a person's nose. Rhinoplasty is also commonly called a "nose reshaping" or "nose job". Rhinoplasty can be performed to meet aesthetic goals or for reconstructive purposes to correct trauma, birth defects or breathing problems. It can be combined with other surgical procedures such as chin augmentation to enhance the aesthetic results.
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