Common Side Effects of Rhinoplasty

Do you really want a "nose job", but the thought of going under the knife makes you nervous? This is a normal reaction since one of your most prominent facial features is on the line, but a little research on your part goes a long way in alleviating your apprehension.

The "nose job", or rhinoplasty as it should be called is a relatively safe surgery with rare complications. However, all surgery has risk involved with it, so forewarned is forearmed! As mentioned, rhinoplasty side effects are uncommon, and usually minor. Let's take a look at some of these rhinoplasty side effects.

Wound infections

The chance of delevoping a wound infection as a rhinoplasty side effect is lower than 2%. If the surgeon uses an implant, then this will slightly increase the possibility of an infection. Should an infection occur, antibiotics and drainage will be the treatment of choice to take care of abscesses, cellulites and granuloma.

Blood vessels bursting

After your surgery, you may notice small red spots on your nose. This is a rhinoplasty side effects due to ruptured blood vessels. Most often, this is not a permanent condition, but nevertheless, it should not be neglected

Abnormal nose shape

This rhinoplasty side effect is the most worrisome, and can sometimes be due to factors beyond human control. A nose with an abnormal shape can be caused by a failure during the surgical procedures. For instance if the patient was sleeping on a critical area without the proper splint, or a properly applied splint. Another cause might be that the patient's head was not kept sufficiently elevated. When these conditions occur, the nose can begin to pull to one side if the cast does not provide the correct support.

Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds can occur frequently for periods ranging from one week up to four months. To reduce the severity of this rhinoplasty side effect, the patient should avoid blowing their nose. Patience is the key.

Toxic shock syndrome

This is the one rhinoplasty side effect that is least likely to occur. According to statistics, the percentage of TSS after rhinoplasty is less than 0.016%. However, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and sunburn-like rash are the common symptoms, and should be reported to your doctor immediately.

One rhinoplasty side effect you should be aware of is that about 10% of rhinoplasty patients needed follow-up surgery. Most of the time this is due to cosmetic reasons rather than medical reasons. Regardless of the reason, the most patients will have to wait another 12 months before follow up surgery is performed.

Lest these side effect scare you away from a "nose-job", remember that this surgery is almost invariably performed by some of the most talented doctors in the profession. However, you should do your research and look for the best of the best before deciding to whom to entrust your nose.