Rhinoplasty is among one of the top 5 cosmetic surgeries most in demand in the general population in many regions of the world. Without going any further, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) estimated that more than 200,000 rhinoplasties occurred in 2017. This procedure is the third most common cosmetic procedure in the country, although the number of patients has decreased by 44% compared to 2000.
In countries such as Spain, rhinoplasty is the fifth most demanded cosmetic surgery. It is estimated that 1 out of every 10,000 inhabitants has undergone it, the typical profile being that of a young person between 18 and 45 years of age. Although it has lost strength in recent decades, it is undoubtedly still a highly demanded procedure.
In most cases, rhinoplasty is based on the reduction of certain protruding parts of the nose or to seek asymmetry in the patient’s face, but not all cases respond to this scenario: in some occasions, the patient may want to lengthen his or her short nose. If you want to know all about this procedure, read on.
What is rhinoplasty?
From a technical point of view we can define a rhinoplasty as a set of surgical procedures that seek to solve the main aesthetic problems of the nose.There are two main types of rhinoplasty procedures, such as bony hump (that annoying “hump” that gives the nose an eagle beak appearance), deviations to the right or left of the entire nose, congenital malformations, certain respiratory disorders or simply situations in which the patient is unhappy with his/her face because of the nose.
There are two main types of rhinoplasty procedures:
- Closed rhinoplastyClosed rhinoplasty: is the most common. The pertinent changes are made to the nose through the nostrils, which is why it does not leave a scar.
- Open rhinoplastyIn this case, cuts are made to expose bones and cartilage. It is a more laborious surgery and is only recommended in complicated cases.
If you are considering going to a cosmetic surgeon for a rhinoplasty, you should be aware that this is a relatively innocuous surgical procedure, but quite laborious as far as postoperative care is concerned. Without going any further, the patient may require the presence of nasal packing to keep the modified structures in place for up to 5 days and eat only liquids for a while. Of course, this is a full-fledged operation, not an anecdotal touch-up.
What is a surgery to lengthen a short nose?
A short, flat or flattened nose is one in which the nasal tip is very small, giving the face a “short” appearance.giving the face a “weak” and “characterless” appearance. We put both adjectives in quotation marks because we could not disagree more with this professional definition, since both characteristics are determined by the individual, not by his external physiology. Perhaps the nose in question does not follow the aesthetic canons of Leonardo Da Vinci, but it is up to the patient to decide whether he/she is comfortable with it or not.
A short nose (from a medical and not just an aesthetic point of view) is usually due to a lack of cartilage development, injuries, autoimmune disorders, drug abuse such as cocaine or other unsuccessful cosmetic operations. In many cases it is not just a question of beauty, as the patient’s own respiratory capacity may be relatively compromised in their day-to-day life.
Having elucidated this, it is necessary to emphasize that a lengthening/remodeling of a short nose has to be performed by inserting grafts.. You may be shocked by what you are about to read, but most nasal grafts are autologous, that is, they come from the patient himself. Let us explain.
Autologous grafts in augmentation rhinoplasties
Most clinics choose to use the patient’s own tissues to lengthen the nose, as they are fully compatible with the patient’s own tissue.The majority of clinics choose to use the patient’s own tissues to lengthen the nose, since they are totally compatible with the patient’s immune system and the risk of rejection is practically nil. Of course, it is not the same to place a metallic prosthesis under the skin of a person than a segment of his own body, at least from a physiological point of view.
For this, surgery must be performed prior to the augmentation rhinoplasty per se. In this preliminary step, the surgeon obtains tissue from the nasal septum (or even from the ear) which is then grafted to the area of interest. The nasal septum lamina that serves as a donor is called quadrangular cartilage. In any case, the surgeon must leave a support of this cartilage so that it continues to serve as internal support for the nose, since the physiology of the entire area cannot be risked for the sake of aesthetic well-being.
In case it is the second operation of this kind in the patient, the surgeon may observe by X-rays that there is not enough donor tissue. In this case, the auricular area of the ear is used, since the type of cartilage is very similar to the one present in the nasal structure. We know it sounds unpleasant, but this is the best way to avoid a rejection of the implant by the patient, which will certainly be more harmful.which will undoubtedly be more harmful than this previous procedure.
There are several types of grafts that are considered in this type of process:
- Cartilage graftsare used to supplement or replace the cartilages of the dorsum and tip of the nose. They are those that we have already described in previous lines.
- Bone graftsare used as reinforcements for other grafts and to supplement nasal structures of a bony nature, such as the septum.
- Fat graftsserve to smooth the contour of the nose and other imperfections. These grafts come from the abdominal area, as this is where most fat is usually available.
How is augmentation rhinoplasty performed?
Depending on the type of operation, you can opt for general or general anesthesia, although the second option is the most common. The procedure itself is not too complex since, as we have said, in most cases “closed rhinoplasties” are performed through the nostrils themselves. In addition to graft placement, bone elements that cause imperfections in the harmony of the nose can also be sculpted.
The patient will be able to leave the clinic in about 4-6 hours after the operation, so there is no need to stay overnight in the hospital.so there is no need to stay overnight in the hospital. Anyway, as we have said previously, the recovery is relatively slow and expensive for a cosmetic surgery. Before undergoing it, find out about post-operative care, because we assure you that they are not as simple to manage as it might seem at first in many cases.
Considerations
As many surgical portals indicate (very adequately, in our opinion), the most important aspect of a surgery to lengthen a short nose is not aesthetic, but functional. First and foremost, the most important thing is for the patient to regain natural breathing, and after that goes hand in hand with physical and emotional well-being thanks to a “more harmonious” nose, at least by typical standards.
This means that the most sensible thing to do is not for the patient to go to the office with an “ideal nose” in mind but, based on their facial physiology and the availability of autologous grafts, the best possible procedure will be followed to obtain a better respiratory functionality, and then, an aesthetic well-being. It is worth mentioning that the price ranges from 2,900 – 3,800 euros/USD..
Summary
What to say while maintaining impartiality? A rhinoplasty is no mean feat, as the post-operative the postoperative period is expensive and there are multiple risks to take into account.The following can occur: nasal obstructions, severe bleeding, ruptured blood vessels that require cauterization, infections, or simply that the patient does not receive the desired aesthetic result.
Therefore, we advise you to consider this type of surgery only if your facial physiology hinders you in certain daily tasks, such as breathing or exercising, or if your nose is a real problem of self-esteem beyond the anecdotal. It is much better to accept that facial harmony is a chimera and that aesthetic standards are there to be broken than to spend money on a surely unsatisfactory result.