Cosmetic surgery facelifts - what you should know about
rhinoplasty:
Cosmetic surgery facelifts refers to a set of operations
done to enhance facial features. The objective may be to correct
birth related disfigurements or for enhancing the symmetry and beauty
of the face.
There are several kinds of cosmetic surgery facelifts that are
being done. In recent years, increasing numbers of both men and
women have undergone facelifts of one kind or another.
This article looks at one type of facelift surgery - rhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty means molding the nose or forming the nose. The shape
of the nose is molded into something more appealing by using operating
on the bone or cartilage in the nose, implanting an artificial material
or by grafting tissue taken from a different part of the patient's
body.
Sometimes, accidents may deform the nose so that breathing becomes
difficult or labored. In these cases, rhinoplasty becomes a necessity
and the operation then has a utility that goes beyond the merely
cosmetic.
If only minor deformities need to be corrected using cosmetic
surgery facelifts, the success rate is usually much higher than
if complex changes are being targeted. Results from rhinoplasty
will depend on the surgeon's skill as well as the basic anatomy
of the patient's nose.
The patient's skin type has a major impact on the success of
rhinoplasty procedures. Thick skin can often mask much of the changes
brought about by the operation. However, very thin skin may also
be a disadvantage - even minor imperfections in the bone or cartilage
structure show up prominently.
Surgeons do not recommend rhinoplasty and certain other cosmetic
surgery facelifts on children until they have completed the growth
spurt accompanying puberty.
The nose has several parts including skin, the pyramid made of
bone, cartilage and the nose tip which consists of both skin and
cartilage. The separation between the two nostrils is called the
columella.
Some procedures are done as an internal rhinoplasty. This involves
making incisions that are entirely inside the nose cavity. External
rhinoplasty is also called an 'open' procedure and may involve incisions
around the columella. Complex rhinoplasty operations are often open
procedures.
The skin, bone and cartilage are separated as needed. The nose
is molded into the desired shape by removing one or more of these
nose components. In some cases, new material may be added to the
nose - this can be bone, cartilage or tissue from the patient's
body. It could also be synthetic material.
After the rhinoplasty operation, the surgeon may use a splint
to assist the nose to retain its new shape. Nose packs or stuffing
may also be used.
In many cases, a local anesthetic is sufficient. This is given
after the patient has been mildly sedated. Such operations take
less than two hours and are done as outpatient surgery. The patient
can usually go home soon after the operation, although driving is
not recommended immediately after the procedure.
If the procedure involved is complex and takes a lot of time,
a general anesthetic may be used. A hospital stay of a few days
may be required in such cases.
Some patients may have swelling on their face after the surgery.
The doctor will usually advice the patient to keep his head elevated
for a day or two. Mild discomfort in the nose is not uncommon. Some
patients may have experience headaches. Swelling on the face may
increase for a couple of days after the operation but will usually
begin to go down from the fourth day or so.
The patient can usually be up in two days, although it can take
a week to resume work or school. Strenuous activities are to be
avoided for three weeks. The post-operative side effects of these
kinds of cosmetic surgery facelifts are usually minor.
Ultimately, by going in for rhinoplasty or other cosmetic surgery
facelifts, the patient may be seeking a change in self-image rather
than just physical appearance. However, it is unlikely that an operation
can accomplish that by itself. Unless the patient is willing to
accept himself including all the 'imperfections', he is likely to
be disappointed in the outcome.
