When you are planning on having the revision rhinoplasty, there are several things that you will need to think about. One of the main things will be some of the risks that are involved in this type of procedure. Therefore, you want to make sure that the surgeon clearly discusses all of the different risks with you before surgery. Dr. Daniel G. Becker, rhinoplasty expert from New Jersey, has detailed some of the risks that fall under a revision nose job and what to expect.
Bleeding
The first risk is a lot of bleeding. This is one of the most common things that might happen during the rhinoplasty. This is because there is a chance that the blood vessels can be damaged during the surgery. Most of the time, the patient is only going to lose a small amount of blood from the surgery but there are some people who will experience a significant blood loss. This is especially true if the person suffers from a disorder that causes them to bleed more than other people.
For most patients, they are only going to need the nasal packing for between 12 to 36 hours. You will need to tell the doctor if you are taking any medications like baby aspirin because these medications can thin out the blood and cause you to bleed a lot more. More than likely, the doctor will tell you not to use any of these medications before and after the surgery for a short period of time. You will also need to be careful when you are blowing your nose because it can cause your nose to bleed more than it should.
Reaction
The second risk is that you could have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. Most of the time, you don’t have to worry about this because the anesthesiologist should be qualified enough to administer the general anesthesia. The surgeon will make sure that you will well care of before and after your surgery. This means that you will always be monitored to see what your body is doing. You will need to have the general anesthesia if you are having the revision rhinoplasty because you don’t want to be awake while they are going surgery on your nose.
You will receive a variety of different medications that put you to sleep. Also, your airway will be protected by a breathing tube. The doctor will do a physical exam before the surgery to make sure that your health is good enough to have the surgery. The doctor will also ask you if anyone in your family has ever had any type of reaction to the anesthesia. This is the best way to make sure they are prepared for any type of problems that could come up during the surgery.
Blockage
The third risk is a nasal blockage or the sensation that your nose is blocked up. This is because the nasal contours will be reshaped when the changes are made to the septum. This also means that the overall size of the nose will be reduced during the surgery. Of course, there will be some swelling and numbness after the surgery that could contribute to a person having some temporary difficulties with breathing. This will resolve itself after the swelling has gone down and you get more used to the new nose. There is a chance that the nasal septum will be perforated or a weakened nose could collapse.
Most of the time, as long as the surgeon knows what they are doing, then you don’t have to worry about any major problems happening during the surgery. If you have any scar tissue from the surgery, then your airway might be a little more narrow. Even though it rarely happens, a graft can slip out of place, so it could block the nasal passage partially. This is another reason why you will need to have an exam before the surgery to make sure that there are fewer complications during your surgery especially if you have any type of breathing problems.
Infection
The fourth risk is any type of infection. This is something that will rarely happen during the surgery, but it is still considered a risk. If you have a nasal lining that has been compromised, past use of drugs, soft tissue that is scarred, or the need for grafting, then there is more of a risk of the infection happening to you. To help make sure that you are not going to have an infection, the patient will have to watch for some of the symptoms of an infection. Some of these symptoms might include excessive swelling, fever, pain, or an odor that is coming from discharge. If the person is experiencing any of these symptoms, then they will need to contact their surgeon immediately.
Dissatisfaction
The fifth risk is that the person is not going to be satisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Most of the time, this might happen if there was not any clear communication about what you are looking for out of the surgery. Therefore, it is very important that you talk about exactly what you want out of the surgery and make sure everyone is clear on the plan. This is the best way to make sure that you are not going to have any unrealistic expectations for your surgery. The doctor might be able to make corrections to the surgery based on your desires, if you have any structural support or tissue remaining, the amount of scar tissue that you might have, or the elasticity of your skin. You want to make sure that all of your goals for the surgery are realistic and that they match everything that the doctor is discussing with you. This is especially important before you go under the knife to have this type of surgery.
