Rhinoplasty In Leigh

Careful discussions regarding your reasons for wanting nose surgery are very important at this stage. Make sure that you obtain as much information as is necessary to enable you to make a fully informed decision about whether to go ahead with rhinoplasty surgery.

The surgeon should also ask for your medical history, to make sure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have a rhinoplasty. At this point, you would also normally be asked to read detailed information and sign a consent form, which means that you have understood the future benefits and possible risks associated with the procedure.

Photographs of your nose may also be taken by the practitioner for a “before and after” comparison later.

The surgeon may wish to write to your G.P. giving details of the operation so that if there are any problems associated with it in the short or long-term, the G.P. is aware of the surgery and can help you if you require any further treatment after the operation.

Anaesthesia

The operation can be performed under a local anaesthetic; some patients are given sedation via an intravenous drip, or a full general anaesthetic may be used.

As in any surgical procedure, the use of a general anaesthetic carries a small additional risk which your practitioner will discuss with you. No form of anaesthetic will be given to you without your surgeon discussing it with you first.

The operation

The surgery can be performed in an outpatient surgical centre, which may either be separately run by your surgeon, or may be part of a hospital.

The operation can take between 1 - 2 hours, but depending on the extent of the procedure, it can take longer. If you are having more than one procedure, you may be required to stay overnight.

The surgeon often cuts the skin inside the rim of the nostrils to avoid any visible scars. However, for more complicated operations an "open" technique may be used where a small cut is made across the base of the nose on the strip of tissue that separates the nostrils.

This "open" procedure may result in a small scar on the underside of the nose, but it can make it easier for the surgeon to operate in more difficult cases and it will be quite difficult to see the scar afterwards.

During surgery, the soft tissue of the nose is separated from the bone and cartilage underneath the skin. Then the bone may be broken and repositioned and the cartilage reshaped to achieve the look you require.

A splint is applied and the nostrils are packed lightly with medicated gauze. If the nose is not being reduced in size, then the nose is only taped while it is healing and stitches are not required. If stitches are used to close internal wounds, they will dissolve automatically and will not require removal by a doctor. If a cut is made across the skin separating the nostrils, then the stitches may need to be removed.

Repeat procedures

In about one case out of ten, a second minor procedure may be required, for example, to correct a slight deformity when the nose still looks slightly misshapen in some way. These relatively rare problems are unpredictable and can happen even to patients in the hands of the most skilled surgeons.

Some bleeding is considered normal after surgery. However, if the bleeding is heavy or uncontrollable, gauze may be put in the nose to stop the bleeding or any dressing already in the nostrils will have to be changed.

As with all operations, there is always a possibility of risks or side effects and, following rhinoplasty, these may include infection, nose bleed, a reaction to the anaesthetic, nerve damage and the occurrence of or irregularities such as a “lop-sided” nose.

As the skin swells after the operation, this may disguise or hide irregularities or deformities that become apparent after the swelling has gone down.

Unpredictable healing of bone and cartilage can also cause irregularities, which can appear weeks or months after surgery. These irregularities may be just felt by the patient or may also be visible on the nose.

Very rarely a slight reddening of the skin may occur - this is more likely if you have had a previous rhinoplasty.

If you are prone to keloid (red, angry, raised) scars, or have a history of problems with wound healing your surgeon may not recommend this procedure or may caution you that scars could be raised and very visible.

However certain regions do make special cases, and we would always recommend that you visit your General Practitioner before embarking upon a cosmetic procedure involving surgery.

As well as their advice and guidance they may also be able to refer you to a local NHS Hospital for a consultation.

The NHS has set out the following guidelines on how to get cosmetic surgery through the NHS:

"To qualify for surgery on the NHS you must meet specific criteria as set out by your local health authority. The NHS will not pay for surgery for cosmetic reasons alone. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery to correct, or improve, congenital abnormalities and injuries will usually be carried out free of charge.

NHS reconstructive surgery is performed by plastic surgeons who have had extensive training and belong to the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Surgeons who carry out cosmetic surgery through the NHS also belong to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

To receive cosmetic surgery from the NHS, you will normally need a referral from your GP. You will have a consultation with a plastic surgeon and an assessment by a psychiatrist, or psychologist. It will then be decided whether there is enough social, psychological, or physical benefit to be gained to justify surgery."

You should have realistic expectations and accept that there are limits regarding what nose surgery can achieve physically and emotionally for you.

Most patients with this reasonable attitude experience a positive outcome following a rhinoplasty by a skilled surgeon.

Some people, however, may be dissatisfied at first with the appearance of their nose following a rhinoplasty. That is why it is very important to be patient as your appearance will change significantly during the first three months and it can even take a year or two to see the final results of the surgery. Rushing to have a second operation on your nose before a full year has passed is almost always a mistake.