What is Rhinoplasty? Everything you need to know to make an informed decision

Let’s face it: Appearances do matter! And it’s not just a matter of individual opinion. A study in the Journal of Economic Psychology suggests that attractive-looking people earn higher tips than their “ordinary-looking” colleagues. And, a paper available on the American Psychological Associations’ website points to appearances having a direct impact on self-confidence, income levels and general financial well being of individuals.

One of the most visible characteristics of your personal appearance is your nose. Luckily, when people feel dissatisfied with the shape, dimensions or other elements of their noses, they can do something about it. That something is a commonly performed surgical procedure called rhinoplasty (RIE-no-plas-tee).

WHAT IS RHINOPLASTY?

Rhinoplasty, also known as a “nose job”, is a common surgical procedure that’s requested of facial plastic surgeons. Its objective is to alter and improve the dimensions and proportions of the nose in relation to other facial characteristics. The primary motivation for electing for a rhinoplasty procedure is to change one’s appearance.

However, there might also be other non-cosmetic drivers for the procedure, such as to improve breathing. For instance, if a patients’ facial features, including the nose, are badly damaged in an accident – fire, for example – that could compromise their breathing. Then, rhinoplasty may help to restore breathing functionality as part of a broader facial reconstruction surgical procedure.

There are three components to the nose:

• Skin, which is the outer layer of the nose
• Bone, which comprises the upper portion of the nose; and
• Cartilage, which is what makes up the upper and lower parts of the nose

Depending on the aims and objectives of the procedure, which are set out in consultations between surgeon and patient, there may a need to alter either or all these components. In deciding the scope and extent of the surgery, your surgeon will also take into consideration other facial features.

Some of the common characteristics that rhinoplasty addresses include:

• The size of your nose in relation to other facial features
• Width of the nose in relation to the bridge, or in proportion to the nostrils
• Any visible depressions or humps on the bridge
• Addressing features of the nasal tip, such as droops, bulbous or bulges, hooked noses or upturned tips
• Overly wide, upturned or large nostrils
• Asymmetry of the nose

At the end of the day, rhinoplasty seeks to bring facial balance by adjusting the proportion of a patients’ nose.

HOW RHINOPLASTY CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The introduction to this post highlighted the importance of the nose to one’s overall appearance. There are several aspects to how that impact can manifest itself, and rhinoplasty can play a vital role in addressing or mitigating some of the fallout. With consultation and assistance from the best rhinoplasty surgeon in Turkey, your life can change in several ways – for the better:

• Restoring self-confidence: If the nose is severely disproportionate to the rest of the face, people tend to focus first on that “anomaly”. It is common for individuals with nasal deformities or unbalances to feel unjustly discriminated against. Sadly, research justifies these individuals’ “feelings”.  When this happens repeatedly, it can have a debilitating impact on one’s self-confidence.  Rhinoplasty can restore fascial symmetry which then boosts your self-confidence
• Alleviating breathing problems: Nasal passageway obstruction can cause acute breathing problems. This can lead to severe challenges while performing day-to-day activity, such as work, exercising or socializing. With the help of rhinoplasty, surgeons can help alleviate breathing problems
• Dealing with seasonal issues: You may be one of the millions of individuals that suffer from seasonal breathing issues. A turn in the climate may cause you to have severe allergic reaction. Runny and stuffy nose, and red and watering eyes may be some of the symptoms related to issues with your sinus. While antiallergy medication does help in most cases, for some, rhinoplasty might be the preferred option for more permanent relief
• Treating sleep disorders: Many sleep disorders are a direct result of obstructions of airflow through the nasal passage. Lack of sleep can not only cause loss of productivity, but can lead to other physical and social challenges. Based on many studies, the conclusion is that sleep disorders don’t just impact an individual, but also disrupts sleep patterns of their partners and spouses. By adjusting nasal structures appropriately, rhinoplasty can help you get a good night’s sleep
• Addressing birth defects: Some nasal anomalies, like deviated nasal septum, may be genetic in nature – you are born with them. As a result, one nasal passage is smaller than the other, which may cause sinus problems. Typically, this might also be the cause of your snoring issues. Rhinoplasty can help alleviate these issues
• Restoring sinus functionality: Most individuals have a total of eight sinus cavities located in the forehead, cheekbone, between your eyes and behind each eye. Approximately ten-percent of the population have an extra one – a 9^th sinus – which causes severe blockage and narrowing of the transaction passage (called ostium). With the help of rhinoplasty, surgeons can restore normal sinus functionality
• Conducting facial reconstruction: In many cases, trauma to the facial region can cause damage to the nose. Burns, blunt force injuries, falls or industrial accidents can leave the nose severely damaged, causing total or significant loss of normal breathing functionality. In such cases, you might be able to carry on your daily life with the help of breathing aids, like oxygen tanks, but reconstructive rhinoplasty could be a way to restore normal breathing functionality without the use of such aids

With so many life-altering benefits of rhinoplasty, it’s not difficult to understand why patients often elect for the procedure.

UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS

Like any surgical procedure anywhere in the world, performing rhinoplasty in Turkey isn’t without some risks. However, given the world-renowned nature of experience and competence of Turkish surgeons in performing this procedure, the benefits far outweigh the risks that come with it. Nonetheless, before making such a life-altering decision, each patient must be aware of those risks. That’s how you’ll make an informed decision.

Some of the common risks of rhinoplasty include:

• Persistent pain that could last longer than expected
• Numbness of the area around the procedure which might persist for a while
• Discoloration and swelling
• Dizziness and nausea from procedure-related medication
• Accumulation of seroma (clear fluids) under the wound.
• Hematoma (the accumulation of blood) under the healing incision
• Post-operation infection
• Sinusitis (inflammation of the lining of the sinuses)
• Keloids (heavy scaring) around the incision
• Reduction in your sense of smell
• Unintended nerve damage
• Hole or puncture in the nasal septum (septal perforation)

While these risks may seem alarming, only a small percentage of patients might have exposure to them at any given time. And even then, experienced surgeons can mitigate or address those risks. For instance, follow-up surgery can address minor septal perforation, while seroma is addressed by drainage. And with proper antibiotics and medication, doctors are even able to successfully mitigate the post-procedural risks from Sinusitis.    

MAKING AN INFORMED CHOICE

Now that you are more informed about the life-altering nature of rhinoplasty, it puts you in a better position to make your decision about opting to have the procedure. However, given the transformational impact that such a procedure has on your life, that decision is not one that’s made lightly.

For prospective patients considering having rhinoplasty in Turkey, three very critical aspects to factor into a decision like this include:

• Cost
• Quality of care; and
• Training and experience of the surgeon

Cost

The Turkish healthcare system offers its citizens reasonable access to free world-class healthcare. Under Turkish law, in line with Circular No. 2010/16 even foreigners, that don’t carry visit-specific private insurance, can access healthcare services for free in emergencies. However, most elective procedures performed in private facilities do come with a cost.

For procedures like rhinoplasty in Turkey the cost is highly competitive relative to most other jurisdictions in the world. In fact, in some instances, patients from other parts of the world might find opting for Turkey as their choice for the procedure might even be less costly than having it done in their home countries. Though the procedure itself is identical to that performed elsewhere in the world, the cost is more attractive in Turkey primarily because of exchange rate differentials and differences in the cost of living.

In most jurisdictions in the world, publicly-funded healthcare does not extend to cosmetic procedures. However, there may be exceptions if your rhinoplasty surgery is a life-saving procedure. Even if it is cosmetic/elective in nature, many private insurance plans may cover some or all the cost. If you are visiting Turkey, you can also subscribe to local or international private insurance plans to fund your rhinoplasty procedure.    

Quality of care

And if you are wondering about the quality of service and level of care that you should expect, you don’t have much to be concerned about on that score either. The same international healthcare standards apply for all Turkish clinics offering the procedure. For surgery like rhinoplasty in turkey the cost of state-of-the-art equipment is a critical factor. And all clinics are equipped with the latest devices to ensure the best possible patient outcomes – both during the procedure and while in post-operative transition.

In fact, the international level of Turkey’s healthcare system is recognized by the fact that the country has bilateral or multilateral healthcare providing agreements with a number of nations, including  Albania, Germany, Austria, Holland, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Libya, Norway, the Czech Republic, Romania, Denmark, Sweden, Turkish Republic of Cyprus, France, Quebec, Macedonia, Switzerland and Georgia. These agreements also cover foreigners sent to continue medical treatment in Turkey.

And, if Turkish is not your communicating language of choice, you don’t need to worry about that either. As part of delivering high-quality patient care, most private clinics have English-speaking doctors, surgeons, nurses and support staff that have either working or fluent English-speaking skills.

Training and experience of the surgeon

In most cases, the surgeons performing your procedure have trained and worked in some of the most renowned institutions globally. Many surgeons practicing rhinoplasty in Turkey also consult extensively with world-class international experts on an as-needed basis. As part of their continued effort to deliver high-quality rhinoplasty services, Turkish surgeons also continually undergo training on the latest developments in the field.   

With the best rhinoplasty surgeon in Turkey working for you, the decision for rhinoplasty in turkey may be the most informed choice you can make.