What is functional rhinoplasty, why is it done and what is the process?
Description of functional rhinoplasty:
- Functional rhinoplasty is a physiological surgery performed simultaneously with rhinoplasty surgery to enable the nose to perform its functional functions better.
- This surgery is performed to improve the very important functions of the nose such as breathing, smell, and warming and humidifying the inhaled air.
- The process after functional rhinoplasty surgery is extremely comfortable and the patient can return to his normal daily life immediately afterwards.
Advantages of functional rhinoplasty surgery
- Better breathing is achieved through the nose. With this surgery, the comfort of life is improved by correcting the cartilage, bone curvatures and flesh growths in the nose.
- It is useful against sleep apnea and snoring. Snoring can be reduced with more physiological breathing during sleep. A functional surgery can provide significant benefits in improving the person’s snoring as well as having a deeper and more comfortable sleep.
- It contributes to improving the quality of life. As we know, the most basic need of life is to breathe. The correct functioning of an organ in the nose, where this function first begins, provides much more positive contributions to the person than one can imagine.
How to decide on functional rhinoplasty surgery?
- Talking to the first patient and intranasal examination. This stage consists of a detailed evaluation of the patient’s complaints and endoscopic examination by the relevant physician. Meanwhile, in addition to the anatomical examination of the patient, the intranasal physiological conditions are also evaluated in detail with the help of an endoscope.
- In some cases, more detailed imaging examinations may be requested by the physician.
What is done in the operation and how does the process work afterwards?
- Although the surgery varies depending on the anatomical defect in the person’s nose, it takes an average of 30-45 minutes in addition to the rhinoplasty surgery alone.
- Generally, very thin silicone is placed in the nose, which is completely removed after 2-3 days, and the patient is prescribed sea water and nasal moisturizers.
- It is generally recommended that the patient use these sprays for 6-8 weeks. There may be crusts in the nose for a few weeks after the surgery, but these will heal in a short time and the patient will start to see the real positive effects of the surgery after 6-8 weeks.
Is functional rhinoplasty operation risky?
All surgeries may have some minor risks. However, with today’s anesthesia and surgery technology, this is very low in experienced hands. Although rare, these are general operation risks such as bleeding and infection, and their treatments are quite simple and they are not life-threatening risks.
FAQ:
What is functional rhinoplasty?
This term refers to surgery that aims to improve the patient’s nasal functions, such as breathing and smell, while performing rhinoplasty surgery and where cosmetic and medical reasons are combined. The synonym of this is “Septorhinoplasty” surgery, which also refers to changing the shape of the nose by changing the curvature of the cartilage.
Are septorhinoplasty and functional rhinoplasty the same?
When we say septorhinoplasty, it only refers to the surgery to correct the curvature of the cartilage in the nose or the flesh growths in the nose, which we call turbinate hypertrophy. This operation takes an average of 30-45 minutes. However, the term Septorhinoplasty is used if a shaped cosmetic procedure is planned outside and inside the nose.
Are functional rhinoplasty surgeries painful?
However, since the nose is not mobile, patients often say they have no pain. However, slight edema and bruising under the eyes are usually seen.
How is the healing process after functional rhinoplasty?
If an aesthetic procedure is performed both inside and outside the nose, that is, septorhinoplasty surgery will be performed, and moderate edema is often seen on the nose and under the eyes. Edema under the eyes becomes unnoticeable for anyone looking outside two weeks after the surgery. However, the process of edema reduction, especially on the tip and back of the nose, will take a few more months. Therefore, the final results of the patients undergoing the first surgery will appear after an average of 4-6 months.
Can I achieve the result I want with functional rhinoplasty?
If you work with an experienced surgeon, you can very likely achieve the results you desire. But I would like to point out that no rhinoplasty surgery can be perfect. Moreover, there is never an absolute geometric symmetry between the two sides of the human face and nose. This is part of the naturalness of the human face, and you should plan your postoperative expectations accordingly.