DO YOU HAVE A NOSE FOR GOOD RHINOPLASTY?

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Title: DO YOU HAVE A NOSE FOR GOOD RHINOPLASTY?

Word Count: 920

Author: Lucky Balaraman

Email: hi_lakshman@...

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DO YOU HAVE A NOSE FOR GOOD RHINOPLASTY?

Copyright 2005 Rhinoplasty-information.info

WHAT RHINOPLASTY IS

As you might already know, rhinoplasty is surgery performed

on your nose. It may be required for any of three reasons:

· To enhance your appearance

· To correct malformation stemming from illness, accident

or birth

· To improve your breathing functionality

With a rhinoplasty, you can increase or decrease the size

of your nose, change its shape, alter the angle of the

nose’s tip or change the distance between your upper lip

and your nose.

It is important that you think of having the procedure done

only after you have stopped growing, which means after your

15th birthday if you are female or after your 17th birthday

if you are male.

TYPES OF RHINOPLASTY

There are two types: closed and open. In closed

rhinoplasty, all the surgery is performed inside your

nostrils. No scar will be visible and recovery is fast.

However, in some cases your surgeon might not be able to

access the target areas from inside your nostrils and

closed rhinoplasty will not be viable.

In open rhinoplasty, your surgeon will make additional

incisions on the outside of your nose, on the bridge. There

will of course be a scar, usually at the bottom front of

the fleshy partition between the nostrils. If your surgeon

has a good skill level, this scar will not be visible from

usual viewing distances.

RHINOPLASTY COSTS AND FINANCING

It can cost between $3,000 and $20,000 depending on the

complexity of the operation, the quality of the operating

room and the ‘brand value’ of this room and your surgeon.

The typical cost is $4,500.

If you are planning a rhinoplasty for cosmetic reasons, be

advised that in all probability your insurance policy will

not cover it. However, if it is done for one of the other

reasons mentioned at the beginning of this article, there

is a good chance your policy will include it. If your

insurer says it is covered, be sure to get

pre-authorization from them before the operation.

If your insurance policy does not cover it and you need

external financing, there are companies specialized in

medical loans that you could approach. For a current list,

go to one of the popular search engines and search for

“patient financing”.

FINDING A RHINOPLASTY SURGEON AND CLINIC

Your life depends on the surgeon and the facility at which

you plan to have your rhinoplasty (sorry for being blunt,

but it’s important).

Your surgeon should be certified by the American Board of

Plastic Surgery and rhinoplasty should be one of his/her

specializations.

To find such a surgeon in your area, go to the Board’s

website at http://www.abms.org . Then go to your State

Medical Board

(http://www.smartrhinoplasty.com/checkasurgeon.html#SMB)

and find out whether there has been any disciplinary action

taken against him/her (a sure sign of incompetence).

You need to further verify the skill of your potential

surgeon by finding out whether hospitals think s/he’s

acceptable. Basically you need to find out if s/he has

“operating privileges” for rhinoplasty in an accredited

hospital. The doctor’s receptionist is a good source for

this information, which should be double-checked with the

concerned hospital.

If your surgery is going to be in a hospital, it behooves

you to check out the credentials of the hospital before

agreeing to go there. Do this at the American Hospital

Directory, http://ahd.com .

If your surgery is going to be in a clinic or surgical

center, check whether it is accredited to

1. The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory

Surgery, (888) 545-5222, (847) 949-6058,

http://www.AAAASF.org

2. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health

Care, (847) 853-6060, http://www.aaahc.org

3. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare

Organizations, (630) 792-5005, http://www.jcaho.org.

You must of course double-check with the above institutions.

Likewise, if you are going to have general anesthesia, be

sure your anesthesiologist is certified by the American

Board of Anesthesiology, (919) 881-2570. If your surgeon

uses a nurse anesthetist, check with the American

Association of Nurse Anesthetists, (847) 692-7050.

When all is said and done, make sure you can be rapidly

admitted to a nearby quality hospital in the event of

unforeseen complications.

BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE SURGERY

Before: Three weeks before your surgery, stop smoking,

aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs. Ask your surgeon

for further routine preparatory steps.

During: Your surgeon will use a chisel or rasp to reshape

your bone and cartilage. S/he will also add this cartilage

back if necessary. The operation typically takes from one

to two hours; you will be quite comfortable because of the

anesthesia. Your surgeon will finish by packing your nose

and affixing an external splint.

After: Your surgeon will give you painkillers to help you

cope with the natural swelling and bruising of your nose. .

S/he will remove the packing in 24 hours and the splint in

a week. S/he will also ask you to apply ice packs as

required. Although you can typically return to work in 1 –

3 weeks, the swelling and bruising will take six weeks to

subside for closed rhinoplasty and up to six months for

open rhinoplasty.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS FROM RHINOPLASTY

If you have followed the earlier guidelines about careful

choice of your surgeon, anesthetist and operating facility,

there is only a 1.7% – 5% chance of life-threatening

complications (S.Valentine Fernandes on emedicine.com).

Overall rates for complications are 4% - 18.8% (same

author).

CONCLUSION

Follow all these guidelines carefully and your rhinoplasty

will be near 100% perfect. Good luck with your surgery!

About the Author:

Lucky Balaraman is an experienced author who writes on a

variety of subjects. For more information on rhinoplasty,

visit his website at:

http://www.rhinoplasty-information.info