2023-12-14 14:19:25
Straighten a crooked profile, modify a protuberance, correct a sagging appearance, shape the size of the nose, but also improve breathing, fix a deviated septum, modify bone and cartilaginous structures. Rhinoplasty is the fifth most practiced plastic surgery procedure in Italy, with 20,722 operations in 2022, 7.9% of the total. It confirms itself as one of men’s favorites, while the average age of patients is decreasing, with many young people wanting to replicate the nose of some influencer on social media. But there are still many misunderstandings and misconceptions about this intervention. And, according to a study, between 5 and 15% of operations are performed to correct a previous operation that did not go well (secondary and tertiary rhinoplasty), usually due to complications of the unsatisfactory operation or the need for further improvements. Therefore, knowing some aspects beforehand can prevent patients from returning to the operating room.
“Rhinoplasty is a demanding operation, in which the surgeon’s skill is crucial in balancing the aesthetic improvements desired by the patient while maintaining correct nasal function”, explains in a note Raffaele Rauso, plastic surgeon in Rome and Naples, former president of the Federation Italian aesthetic doctors (Fime). Here are the most common mistakes when it comes to rhinoplasty:
“I can’t breathe anymore: I’m getting a nose job.” If you have a functional problem, it is not necessary to also intervene on the aesthetics of the nose. “Many patients mistakenly think that the operation that corrects a deviated septum (septoplasty) or an asymmetry also necessarily modifies its external shape. This is not the case – explains Rauso – because the functional intervention, which resolves respiratory problems or problems caused by a trauma or malformations, is different from the aesthetic one and affects different areas. Combining them together changes the operating timing: the longer the time, the greater the recovery phase. If the operation is only functional, in the end it does not present swelling, but nasal swabs are likely to be used.”
The surgeon just has to say that he doesn’t like his nose, without specifying how he would like to change it. “In plastic surgery, especially with the nose, personal taste has a huge impact. You have to be specific about how you want it to be changed: often potential patients know that they don’t like something, but they can’t pinpoint exactly what. If you don’t define it first the result, the risk of dissatisfaction is very high: we often operate again after a first rhinoplasty because we don’t like the result, not because technical errors have been made. In addition to an in-depth pre-operative interview, the patient must identify the surgeon who he prefers looking at the pre- and post-photos published on the website and social networks and must bring the images of the nose he would like in order to understand whether the patient’s aesthetic tastes are in keeping with his own face.” explains Rauso.
Nasal swabs are very painful and unavoidable. Today tampons are only used in some cases and are not so terrible. “Certainly – states the plastic surgeon – swabs are necessary if there are turbinates or a deviated nose, and in any case if there is a significant detachment. They are often feared by patients: in reality they are not painful, but annoying for the first few days, when you will need a throat spray as it gets irritated breathing only through your mouth.”
I want my new nose to be perfect. “An operation can make a nose straighter or more symmetrical, in short it can improve it, but it is important that the patient immediately understands that the perfect nose does not exist, it is an unattainable utopia – says Rauso -. It is important that the patient be well aware, otherwise you will certainly be dissatisfied with the result”
With his/her nose, I will be like him/her. Choosing a nose just to imitate a VIP or an influencer will not make us become like him/her in real life. Without considering that if you don’t have a similar anatomy to the starting subject, you will have a very different result: “A nose that seems beautiful to us may be completely unsuitable for your face – states the doctor -. Even following fashions, for example, choosing an upturned nose or a thin tip could cause problems in the future, given that changing the result of an operation is not so simple”.
One technique is as good as another. Rhinoplasty is a complex operation, which involves the removal of the superfluous and the remodeling of the osteo-cartilaginous framework. To perform it there are different techniques (closed or open rhinoplasty, conservative or structural, etc), each with its own pros and cons: the important thing is to rely on an expert doctor, who has the necessary experience to perform different techniques, allowing time to identify the most suitable one. “Relying on someone who only performs one method may mean not choosing the one best suited to your case”, explains Raffaele Rauso.
The rhinofiller is a ‘dress rehearsal’ before rhinoplasty. Rhinofiller, which involves injections of hyaluronic acid to temporarily change the appearance of the nose, is not an option to consider when considering rhinoplasty. “First of all, it is not always possible to intervene with the filler on the aesthetics of the nose: the rhinofiller can only be used in certain cases, otherwise it worsens the situation – explains the professor -. We must then consider that, according to scientific studies, the filler is never reabsorbed completely, especially in some places, so if you decide to have surgery, even after years, it is necessary to notify your doctor to avoid unforeseen events.”
Trust 3D imaging to predict outcome. There are 3D predictive programs in which, by inserting images of the patient, the final result can already be seen: “3D must be considered with extreme caution: in the surgical procedure there are too many variables to obtain a reliable result a priori, without considering that enough press a button to manipulate the nose in a way that cannot be replicated in reality, leaving the patient with unrealistic expectations,” explains Rauso.
Think that the final result can be seen immediately after the operation. Once the operation is completed, you must not be disappointed by the mirror, but be patient. “It takes months for the result to be definitive and there may be ups and downs caused by the swelling, which could appear even several months later, altering the result with humps or widened nostrils,” says the plastic surgeon.
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