Rhinoplasty: restoring harmony to the visage

Rhinoplasty is the third most popular cosmetic surgery. Giuseppe Giudice, specializing in plastic, aesthetic and cosmetic surgery and full professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Bari, explains how rhinoplasty works and what to know before undertaking the operation.

«[Rhinoplasty] is n operation that allows a morphological, functional and aesthetic regeneration of the nasal pyramid» says the professor, who also mentions that more and more men are becoming interested in getting it. The surgery is carried out under local anesthesia and lasts 50-80 minutes.

«The nose isn’t re-made from scratch, but simply corrected» Giudice specifies. The objective is correcting irregularities. «Each patient has defects that can be improved, and they must be preemptively discussed during the pre-operation check up. We discuss the type of defect to be corrected with the patient, what correction they want, and lastly what result we can get.»

What is rhinoplasty, “fashion” surgery or a procedure for everyone?

In the 2000, rhinoplasty was a status symbol that only celebrities undertook. This line of thinking belongs to the past, and right now nose surgery does not carry any stigma with it. The main objective of rhinoplasty is “to reach harmony between nose and face, without altering any features”. Each surgery is tailor-made specifically for each patient, aiming to correct any imperfection that alters the harmony of the visage.

There are two methods to perform a rhinoplasty: the first one leaves no scars and is carried out by  making incisions inside the nostrils. The second one, called “open rhinoplasty”, requires a small surgical incision at the base of the columella. «This access allows a complete opening of the nose skin cap, making it easier to see the possible causes of the osteo-cartilagineous deformity and of the asymmetry of the face». According to Professor Giudice, the result of this technique is way more precise and only leaves a small and barely visible scar.

Post-operation: how much time do you need to heal?

«Post-operative care is fairly standard. Normally, at the end of the operation the surgeon inserts nasal swabs, which are to be kept in place for 3 days after the operation» says the surgeon. «This entails respiratory difficulties like those given by the common cold, because not only will the nose be occluded by the swabs, but it will also be swollen.»

«I also want to debunk the urban legend that removing nasal swabs is painful. This is false, as if the procedure is carried out by an expert, there is little pain» assures the professor.

«Going back to post-op procedures», concludes the professor, «a small plaster or a plate must be held in place for at least 8 days, in order to keep still the nasal bones that were fractured and repositioned. After 12-15 days, the last step is to remove the bandages. As for bruises, they usually heal between 8-12 days, depending on each patient.»