What is the 5th decade of rhinoplasty?
Like all other organs in our body, the nose undergoes some changes over time. With advancing age, the thickness of the subcutaneous tissues increases, and the ligaments are stretched. This is especially true of the subcutaneous tissues at the tip of the nose, where gravity causes a downward movement. This explains the fact that people with much more beautiful noses in their youth have lower nasal tips after the age of 40-50 and that they have a hump on their back, and their noses appear larger. Average bone and cartilage development is completed around 18 years of age. This age of maturation can continue until the age of 16 for girls and 17 for boys. After this age, bone and cartilage tissue will not develop, but changes in soft tissue (skin, subcutaneous, ligaments) will continue with advancing age or with changes in fat distribution in the body. Therefore, rhinoplasty surgeries can be performed on anyone over 17 as long as their general health condition permits.
Another reason for the nose shape change is the change in the proportion of fat tissue in the face due to weight gain or loss. Sometimes, at a very young age, the nose may appear relatively more considerable due to rapid weight loss, especially the fat pads on the cheeks and the melting of the fat tissue on the face, in addition to all these physiological changes.
Even people who are at peace with their noses in their youth may want to undergo surgery due to the physiological conditions I mentioned above. Breathing functions are negatively affected due to the physiological changes mentioned above. The most important situation that negatively affects breathing here is due to the decrease in the external valve angle due to the drop of the nose tip and the changes in the physiology in the nose.
These patients can apply to correct the drop and enlargement at the tip of the nose and to breathe better. In these patients, we can restore both the nasal cartilage, which we call septum, and the natural nose that breathes healthy with the surgery we will do, especially the tip of the nose.
At what ages can rhinoplasty be performed?
While rhinoplasty surgeries are generally preferred for cosmetic purposes at young ages, it may be necessary to perform a rhinoplasty surgery due to shortness of breath due to collapse in the nose, especially in advanced ages. It may also become essential regarding general health and breathing function in advanced ages. For this purpose, it would not be wrong to say that rhinoplasty surgery procedures can be applied at any age for different reasons. Nose surgery may be required at advanced ages. In this respect, the most crucial point in surgery planning is the person’s general health status. Especially in terms of cardiovascular and internal aspects, the person must be problem-free and stable for general anesthesia, and the relevant branch specialists must approve.
What changes in the nose in advanced ages?
Over time, the human body experiences many changes under gravity. Among these, the tip of the nose falls down, and the nasal cartilages are weak and collapse towards the air passage in the nose. Due to the decrease in the airway passage in the nose, and when we also take into account that general breathing problems often increase at this age, solving nasal obstruction becomes a functional and healthy surgery rather than a cosmetic procedure. In such patients, rhinoplasty surgery is applied.
Is there an upper limit for rhinoplasty surgery?
There is a lower age limit for rhinoplasty surgery but no upper limit. While nasal breathing disorder constitutes the medical indication, it constitutes cosmetic indications in cases that disturb the person psychologically. In other words, these surgeries can be performed without an upper limit at any age when the general health condition allows it. However, when we consider some of the drawbacks of general anesthesia at the decision-making stage, the person’s cardiovascular health and blood table should be within normal limits. They should not bring any extra life risks to the person. Before deciding on rhinoplasty at an advanced age, it will be advantageous to discuss in detail with your doctor with whom you plan to choose, using a detailed online consultation.
Are the same procedures applied in rhinoplasties above the 5th decade?
Yes, the same rhinoplasty surgery procedures performed in young people are applied at this age. The aim here is to expand the air passage and correct the collapse of the nasal tip and cartilages. For this purpose, all these procedures can be successfully performed with the septum cartilage in the nose.
How is the healing process in older people?
In rhinoplasty surgeries performed on patients over the 5th decade, the healing process is slightly slower than in young people. However, in this group of patients, minimally invasive approaches, such as some ultrasonic methods that less traumatize the tissues and bones, which we call minimally invasive, can be beneficial in reducing edema and bruises. The main reason edema reduction processes are a little slower compared to the surgeries of younger people is that lymphatic drainage is slower in advanced ages.
To summarise:
As a result, rhinoplastic surgeries can be performed at advanced ages if the person has conditions that adversely affect breathing, which we call functional, or if it only bothers the person aesthetically, e.g., if the nose bothers the person. To perform this surgery, it is important that the person’s general health condition can tolerate general anesthesia.
