Rhinoplasty in San Jose

During rhinoplasty, you will be given local or general anesthesia to make sure that you are comfortable and you don't feel any pain. Your surgeon might perform the procedure inside your nose or through an incision at the base of your nose.

Changing the shape of your nasal bones or cartilage can be done in several ways, depending on how much needs to be added or removed, available materials, and your nose’s structure.

If your nose needs to be augmented because you want to increase its size, prosthetic implants or cartilage from your nasal septum or ear is used. Once your surgeon is done altering the shape of your nose and correcting any defect, they will place the nose’s skin and tissue back, then close the incisions with stitches.

Depending on the complexity of the procedure and the type of anesthesia used, you may be able to leave the hospital on the same day or stay in the hospital for a day or two. The surgery itself takes around 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. Once you are discharged from the hospital, you should not leave San Jose right away. Instead, plan to stay about 10 to 14 days for initial recovery and follow-up checkups. A week following the surgery, your surgeon will remove your stitches.

You generally need to wait at least 2 to 3 weeks until you can resume most of your normal activities. However, you should not perform any strenuous activities, such as intense exercise, for about 3 to 6 weeks. During the first few days after the surgery, you will experience some swelling around your eyes, but these will subside within 3 to 14 days. You will also have to wear a nasal splint for about a week following the surgery.

Since you may experience some discomfort, your surgeon will give you painkillers to ease any pain and discomfort. Make sure to take the pain medication as prescribed. For a couple of weeks following the surgery, you should not blow your nose, as well as laughing or talking too much. You also need to avoid any clothes that need to be pulled over your head and glasses on your nose for a few weeks. Always make sure to cover your nose while going out in the sun during your recovery period.

It's important that you avoid bumping or hitting your nose, and keep your nose safe and protected from anything that could misalign the bones and undo the results. To help you recover smoothly and quickly, eat healthy and nutritious food.

Rhinoplasty is considered one of the most complicated facial cosmetic surgeries. However, thanks to the advances in technology and surgeons’ extensive experience, the procedure has a very high success rate of between 85% and 90%.

Although rhinoplasty is generally safe, it does carry some potential risks of complications and side effects, including bleeding, infection, allergic reaction to the anesthesia, permanent numbness in your nose, difficulty breathing through the nose, an uneven-looking nose, discoloration, persisting pain, scarring, septal perforation, and a need for additional surgery.

If you are unable to undergo rhinoplasty, you can opt for its minimally invasive or noninvasive alternatives, such as filler injections or Botox. Both filler injections and Botox are noninvasive and require only a very short visit with your doctor. It works by injecting the substance into your nose to change its shape. Many people choose these methods because it is not as painful as rhinoplasty, requires little to no downtime, and no incision or stitches are involved.

If you want to improve your breathing, you may be recommended to use nasal strips. The nasal strip is a type of bandage with adhesive-embedded splints or plastic ribs that is applied across the bridge of the nose and the sides of the nostrils. It can keep the airway open, making breathing easier.