WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What do I need to know about rhinoplasty? Rhinoplasty is surgery to repair or reshape your nose. How do I prepare for rhinoplasty? Your surgeon will talk to you about how to prepare for surgery. He may tell you not to eat or drink anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. Your surgeon will tell you what medicines to take or not take on the day of your surgery. What will happen during rhinoplasty? - You may have general anesthesia and be asleep during surgery. You may have local anesthesia and be sedated but awake during surgery. With an open procedure, incisions will be made on your nose and around your nostrils. With a closed procedure, incisions will be made inside your nose. You may also have incisions through your septum. The septum is the wall of tissue inside your nose that separates your nostrils.
- Your healthcare provider may file or shave the bone to straighten or reduce your nose. He may use cartilage tissue or bone from another part of your body to rebuild your nose. He may need to break your nose bones to reshape your nose. Your healthcare provider may straighten your septum during surgery. Swollen tissues may also be trimmed or partially removed. The incisions will be closed with stitches. You may have a splint to hold your nose in place while it heals. Gauze may be packed into your nose to help prevent bleeding.
What are the risks of rhinoplasty? You may bleed more than expected or get an infection. Your nose may not look the way you expected it to. You may have trouble breathing because of swelling in your nose. Blood or fluid may enter your lungs when you inhale. The tissues in your nose may start to die from the pressure of gauze packing. Your eyes may be damaged and cause blindness. The fluid around your spinal cord may leak from your nose. You may have skin irritation or a visible scar. |