Rhinoplasty is a surgery and like all surgeries there is a fair risk of complications in Rhinoplasty too. Only procedure without complications is a procedure not done at all. Rhinoplasty is an intricate procedure and there are a lot of considerations that go into it. Complications in Rhinoplasty can occur mainly in four categories: intraoperative, immediate postoperative, early postoperative, late postoperative.
There can be many complications that can arise post Rhinoplasty and an expert surgeon will explain them to you during the consultation. If is very important for you to understand that every complication is not the surgeon’s fault. The people’s eye point of view is what makes most of the patient’s think that the Rhinoplasty has gone wrong and it is a complication. However you should always give time to yourself as well as those around you to adjust to the new you. That being said there are some common complications arising from Rhinoplasty which you should be aware of:
- Ansomia i.e. change in the sense of smell
- Infection post the surgery
- Poor healing of the wound leading to scarring
- Constant numbness or pain in the nose
- A hole in nasal septum which can be very difficult to correct
- Difficulty in breathing
- Swelling in the skin and discoloration
- Asymmetry in the appearance of the nose
- Bleeding after the rhinoplasty can occur for various reasons such as hypertension, surgical technique, easy bruising and tempering with the stiches.
- Need of rivisional rhinoplasty because of hanging or retraction of the columella, damage to the lacrimal sac, saddle deformity, box tip, droopy tip, callus formation etc.
- And last but not the least, you being unhappy with the appearance of the nose
Although the chances of complications in Rhinoplasty are minimal, but you need to be aware of them. They can be further classified as:
Functional complications:
Functional complications associated with Rhinoplasty are mainly difficulty in breathing and loss of sensation of hot and cold in the nose. Both are very important functions. These complications can be caused because of septal deviations and surgical scars.
Transplants, grafts and Implants
Quite often transplants, grafts and high quality implants are used in Rhinoplasty to give it the desired functionality and the shape to the nose. Although complications because the body rejects the implants are rare, but they happen. The problems due to these can be generally correct with the injectable fillers.
Transplants and grafts can cause problems like infection, extrusion, distortion and resorption but they are rare and can be treated easily. Growth in the grafted cartilage proves to be a problem but easily correct later.
Complications because of skin and soft tissues
Numbness is one of the major problems after Rhinoplasty. Since nerves are also affected in Rhinoplasty therefore numbness and loss of sensation in nasal tip is quite common. Usually this goes away after about a year but if it does not then you must let the surgeon know.
Other problems that can arise include infection on the skin, swelling and haematoma. These are common problem and eventually go away with time and treatment.
Apart from these one aspect which we cannot neglect is the physiological aspect of the complications. Rhinoplasty is a procedure in which you will have a lot of expectations and fulfilment of those expectations largely depends on the existing structure of the nose and the surgeon’s expertise. A surgeon will do his or her best to make sure that best aesthetic look is provided to your nose without compromising on the functionality. Care and sympathetic handling of the patient can prevent this complication.
Rhinoplasty is a procedure that is based on experience. An expert surgeon will not only rely on his expertise but also draw from his knowledge of the literature and modern techniques available around the world. Complications can be made very rare with careful planning, discussions and correct operative techniques.