 Rhinoplasty surgery: origins and modern techniques
Added: 01/19/2006 |
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Rhinoplasty surgery is considered to be the outpatient procedure which is performed under the anaesthesia. The surgery starts when the surgeon makes incisions inside the nose (a close rhinoplasty surgery) or across the thin tissue separating the nostrils (columnella). If the surgeon has chosen the close rhinoplasty surgery there will be almost no visible scars. But if open nose procedures have been applied, there is a risk of small scars.
Rhinoplasty surgery has a pretty interesting history. It's a common knowledge that the first intranasal rhinoplasty surgery was performed in 1887 by surgeon John Orland Roe. Later, the rhinoplasty surgery was pioneered by Jakob Lewin Joseph in 1898. In the past the surgery was performed to help people change their nose size or shape because it caused them social discomfort and embarrassment. The first rhinoplasty surgery patient of Jakob Lewin Joseph was a young man who had a significant problem: he had a pretty large nose and was embarrassed to appear in public.
Nowadays, rhinoplasty surgery has become a common remedy for a wide variety of problems associated with a nose, the central facial feature. The surgery can be performed under local or general anaesthetic (depending on the doctor's or patient's preference). The surgeon makes incisions inside nostrils (inside their rim). In some cases, tiny incisions can be made on the nose rim (open nose procedures). Nose soft tissues become separated from underlying structures and then from bone and cartilage which cause deformity to reshape. As a matter of fact, in some cases the surgeon shapes a small piece of the person's original bone or cartilage to strengthen or increase the nose structure. Often this can be done for various cosmetic purposes (for example, in order to improve the nasal tip shape) or specific medical purposes (for example, to improve the nose function and breathing). It's worthy admitting that sometimes (for instance, when the patient has damaged or weakened bone and cartilage) a surgeon uses synthetic implant to reconstruct the nose.
Speaking about the rhinoplasty surgery recovery, it's necessary to mention that on the day following the surgery the patient's face usually feels puffy; the person may feel nose aches and have dull headache. Any possible discomfort can be controlled by certain pain medications prescribed by the doctor. During the first day after the rhinoplasty surgery it is advised that the patient should stay in bed with his/her head elevated. Among other possible discomforts that the post-operational period can bring are bruising and swelling around eyes, which are likely to reach its peak in two or three days. It's evident that swelling can be reduced by applying cold compresses on eyes.
One of the common complications of the rhinoplasty surgery is little bleeding (particularly during the first two or three days after the procedure). Often the patient can suffer from some stuffiness for about several weeks. While the tissues heal the patient should be careful not to blow the nose for a certain period of time (as a rule, a week). It is advised that the patient keeps his head elevated as long as possible, avoid alcohol, hot baths, blowing the nose, etc. At the same time the patient must try not to sneeze through his or her nose and cough it out. Another important issue to be taken into account after the rhinoplasty surgery is a necessity to wear a hat and strong sunscreen for at least half a year (because the nose skin will be sensitive to the sunlight and ultraviolet radiation).
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