Rhinoplasty: Potential Risks and Considerations You Should Think About

So, you hate the way your nose looks. According to many studies, you’re not alone. Other than breast augmentation, which is the most popular elective cosmetic surgery, many people list rhinoplasty as the type of elective procedure they would most like to have to improve their overall appearance. This is often because we feel insecure if we have a real or imagined flaw with our face since it is the first thing people see when they talk to us. Instead of spending your life feeling self-conscious about every social encounter, it may be time to consider modifying your nose in order to feel better about your appearance overall.

In many ways, rhinoplasty is similar to a lot of other elective cosmetic surgery procedures. It is highly invasive and requires the use of general anesthesia. These two items alone can lead to internal bleeding, infection, or an adverse reaction to the medication used to induce sedation. There is a small subset of the population that are genetically predisposed to react negatively to general anesthesia. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that they are in this subset of people until they have surgery and the doctor finds out the hard way. 

Internal bleeding and infection are common to almost any type of operation and are so common that doctors and surgeons closely monitor their patients for signs of these adverse reactions during the post-operative period. Internal bleeding that goes undiagnosed in your abdominal cavity can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. Internal bleeding is usually limited to the face, but can extend into the brain. This can be dangerous if the blood compresses areas of the brain and goes undetected. Infection is also dangerous as it can spread to the bloodstream and end up widespread throughout your body. It is important to notify your doctor of any increase in pain, redness or inflammation along incision sites so that they can start you on a round of antibiotics immediately. 

There are also risks and side effects that are unique to rhinoplasty. These include nerve damage in the nose or face area that result in permanent numbness or pain. Small blood vessels in the face called capillaries can be damaged and may burst open, leaving unsightly red marks that will not go away. Your nasal passage airway may be obstructed and cause breathing difficulties or whistling. You can lose your sense of smell which, in turn will affect the way you taste food. Patients that smoke are at increased risk of skin necrosis and delayed wound healing. Tobacco smoke constricts blood vessels which slows delivery of healing agents to the incisions in the face. This can be particularly devastating after facelift or rhinoplasty operations. With any surgery there is always the risk of permanent scarring.

Choosing an experienced and educated plastic surgeon can go a long way to reducing these risks, but will not eliminate them completely. It is important to keep these things in mind when considering rhinoplasty.