Nose Reshaping
The shape of a person’s nose is one of his or her most obviously inherited physical features. Noses are strong features: midline, protruding. Not surprisingly they can be very tied up in sexual identity for adult males. In both ancient Rome and India, nose amputation was the punishment of choice for adultery. In fact, ancient operations devised to rebuild amputated noses formed one of the foundation pillars of modern plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Nasal contours often declare one’s ethnic heritage and can be a source of pride for some people and distress for others. Cosmetic nasal surgery (rhinoplasty) evolved over centuries and has often been performed to cloak or at least downplay racial origins. By the mid-twentieth century, small noses for women were very popular, and many surgeons performed more or less the same operation on all their female patients.
What came to be called the retrouseé nose became synonymous with the obviously “done” nose. That cute little nose with the turned-up tip worked for some faces and was a disaster for others. (Watch for images of actresses over the age of 50, as well as the occasional male singer, and you will find many examples of retroussé noses, some of which now look quite odd.)
Rhinoplasty is performed with general anesthesia or local anesthesia and sedation. If a patient has breathing problems related to obstructing internal structures of the nose, surgery will be more extensive and recovery more prolonged than it is for patients having only some nasal tip work or perhaps reduction of a small nasal hump. Incisions often can be confined to the inside of the nose, although some patients will require an incision on the skin pillar between the nostrils (columella) and, if the nostrils are to be made less fl ared, within the creases where the nostrils join the cheeks. These external scars may be permanently visible, especially in patients with thick skin.
All patients can expect considerable swelling and bruising and may have black eyes that take weeks to resolve completely. Older patients are especially prone to extensive bruising. Internal nasal surgery may include internal nasal packing or internal splints that may require the patient to breathe through his mouth for several days until the packs are removed. External splints may have to be worn for several weeks. Patients may not be able to wear glasses until nasal swelling subsides and in some cases may need to adjust or replace their frames. Nasal swelling takes months to resolve completely, and the final contours of the nasal tip may not be evident for nearly a year.
A good cosmetic surgeon will plan a rhinoplasty that will both maintain nasal stability and result in a balanced facial profile. This sometimes requires addition of implant material, usually an autograft of bone or cartilage. The treatment plan may also include surgery on the chin.
Common minor complications after rhinoplasty include the appearance of spider vessels (telangiectasias) on the nasal skin and irregularities of nasal contour. It is estimated that at least 10 percent of rhinoplasty patients undergo revisional surgery. Secondary surgery is usually but not always minor.
Nose reshaping can have a profound permanent effect on a person’s appearance, and the incidence of dissatisfaction after rhinoplasty is significant, especially in adult men. Some authors have gone so far as to state that the average rhinoplasty patient has some type of preexisting psychiatric disturbance, although this opinion is not universally shared.
The bottom line: Rhinoplasty and mentoplasty can permanently and dramatically alter a person’s appearance in a way that can have significant familial, ethnic, and psychological implications. These potential issues should be thoroughly discussed before surgery. Postsurgical contour irregularities are common.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Webworldarticles.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
This article was sent to us by:
Norah Leighs at
09112010
1. Nose Surgery or Rhinoplasty
All articles in this directory are property of their respective authors. Additionally, read our Privacy Policy
© 2010 WebWorldarticles.com - All Rights Reserved. Partners: Gunblade Saga