Panama Medical Vacations

Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery

Rhinoplasty (nose)
Rhinoplasty is the surgical procedure to repair of a defect of the nose, including reshaping or resizing the nose. Rhinoplasty may be performed to change the size of the nose, change the shape of the nose, narrow the nostrils, and/or change the angle between the nose and lips. This surgery involves the re-sculpting of the bone and cartilage.

Prior to Surgery
Any necessary precautions prior to surgery will be outlined for you in the treatment plan. If you require pre-op therapy, you will receive the proper instructions. If you are a smoker, you may be asked to stop for a time prior to your surgery. You might also be asked to refrain from using vitamin E (in large does), aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines since they can lead to increased bleeding during surgery.

The Procedure
Rhinoplasty typically only takes an hour or two, although complicated procedures may take longer. During surgery the skin of the nose is separated from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage so that they can be sculpted to the desired shape. The nature of the sculpting will depend on your problem and your surgeon's preferred technique. Finally, the skin is positioned over the revised bone and cartilage.

Many plastic surgeons perform rhinoplasty from within the nose, making their incision inside the nostrils. Others prefer an open procedure, especially in more complicated cases; they make a small incision across the vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils.

When the surgery is complete, a splint will be used to allow your nose maintain its new shape. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints also may be placed in your nostrils to stabilize the septum, the dividing wall between the air passages.

After Your Surgery
After surgery-particularly during the first twenty-four hours-your face will feel puffy, your nose may ache, and you may have a dull headache. You can control any discomfort with the pain medication prescribed by your surgeon. You should expect to be in bed with your head elevated for the first day.

You will have increased swelling and bruising around your eyes for the first two or three days. Applying cold compresses will reduce this swelling and make you feel a bit better. In any case, you'll feel a lot better than you look. Most of the swelling and bruising should disappear within two weeks or so. A little bleeding is common during the first few days following surgery, and you may continue to feel some stuffiness for several weeks. Your surgeon will probably ask you not to blow your nose for a week or so, while the tissues heal.

If you have nasal packing, it will be removed after a few days and you'll feel much more comfortable. By the end of one or, occasionally, two weeks, all dressings, splints, and stitches should be removed.

Risks
After surgery, small burst blood vessels may appear as tiny red spots on the skin's surface; these are usually minor but may be permanent. As for scarring, when rhinoplasty is performed from inside the nose, there is no visible scarring at all; when an "open" technique is used, or when the procedure calls for the narrowing of flared nostrils, the small scars on the base of the nose are usually not visible.

In about one case out of ten, a second procedure may be required-for example, to correct a minor deformity. Such cases are unpredictable and happen even to patients of the most skilled surgeons. The corrective surgery is usually minor.

While there is always an element of risk, having an American-trained surgeon, a professional staff and a world-class hospital make your Panama brow lift at Hospital Punta Pacifica, Affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, a safe and rewarding procedure.