Rhinoplasty Risks & Complications

Glasgold Group Plastic Surgery in New Jersey is committed to patient satisfaction, prioritizing skill and quality in helping patients reach their aesthetic goals with rhinoplasty surgery. Over 200,000 people choose to undergo rhinoplasty in the average year. This popular plastic surgery procedure alters the shape and appearance of the nose and is often referred to as a nose job.

Understanding Risks and Complications Before Your Consultation

Rhinoplasty is the most popular type of plastic surgery among men and ranks fourth for women. Before you schedule your rhinoplasty consultation, however, you will want to review the possible risks so that you can ask your surgeon about them before your procedure. Nose reshaping surgery is one of the most difficult plastic surgeries to perform, but the good news is that fewer than 1% of patients will experience severe complications. Keep reading to learn more about the risks and complications of rhinoplasty surgery.

rhinoplasty patient

What Are Some Risks of Rhinoplasty?

A few risks are standard to all plastic surgeries, such as poor reaction to anesthesia, infection, and excessive bleeding. Others are more specific to rhinoplasty, including facial bruising and “botched” nose jobs. Choosing the right surgeon and carefully reviewing and following pre-and post-operative instructions can help reduce surgical risks. Prospective patients who have any specific concerns regarding risks should bring them up during their consultation in Princeton, NJ, so our surgeons can discuss and address them.

Anesthesia Risks

Nose jobs at the Glasgold Group are performed under either general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. The type of anesthesia used will depend on the patient’s preference, the type and complexity of the procedure, and the patient’s age. Both types of anesthetic make you feel like you are falling asleep and block pain signals in the brain.

General anesthesia is the deepest form of sedation. Patients will be unaware of their surroundings and will need help breathing. IV sedation also referred to as twilight sedation, is a moderate sedative that causes the patient to remain conscious, but calm. The patient can breathe on their own.

While some of the side effects of anesthesia are more uncomfortable than dangerous, like drowsiness, dry mouth, and bruising at the injection site, others can be life-threatening. More critical reactions to anesthesia include an allergic reaction, trouble breathing, and vomiting.

A poor reaction to anesthesia is more likely to be caused by poor overall health or a complication during a challenging procedure than the anesthetic itself.

Facial Bruising: Why Do Eyes Bruise After Rhinoplasty?

Bruising after surgery is a common occurrence. Facial bruising around the eyes is caused by damaged blood vessels gathering in the orbital rim of the eye.

The color of the bruises can be yellow, pink, dark purple, and/or black. Facial bruising looks much worse than it is and is no need for concern. Often, bruises disappear within a week of the surgery. Others may take a week or two longer to resolve.

Cold compresses for the first few days after surgery can help reduce the appearance of facial bruising. The cold makes the microcapillaries and veins in the face shrink, effectively reducing swelling.

Botched Job

More than 90 percent of nose jobs are successful, which leaves about 10 percent of patients who are not fully satisfied. Most of the time, only slight tweaks are needed to fix the remaining issues. Occasionally, however, a nose job is “botched” by an inexperienced, unskilled, or unethical surgeon, leading to poor results that require a structural overhaul to correct.

On rare occasions, a botched job is dangerous to the patient. The bridge of the nose could collapse, the saddle above the tip of the nose might cave in (called supra tip hollowing), or too much tissue is removed, which makes the nose look pinched. Fortunately, severe medical complications or death are extremely rare occurrences, even in a botched nose job.

Why Are Risks Prominent in Nose Surgery?

Predicting the results of a rhinoplasty New Jersey procedure is difficult, even for experienced plastic surgeons. The human nose has complicated anatomical features, including paired nasal bones and two sets of paired cartilage. Manipulating the nose involves a subtle shift of one or more areas to create better facial symmetry and meet the client’s specific expectations.

One of the reasons rhinoplasty is so risky is that the surgeon will not be able to see the layout of the nose until the day of the surgery. They can create a plan, but that plan might change once the surgery begins if the nasal structure is different than expected. The traditional rhinoplasty method, called closed rhinoplasty, involves manipulating the nose from the inside.

This method means that the surgeon cannot view the shape of the nose clearly during the surgery. Open nose jobs are much more likely to succeed since the surgeon has better visual access to the overall structure of the nose and can make subtle manipulations more easily. The small scar that is created using this technique typically fades very well.

Possible Side Effects

Certain risks and complications are possible during or after any plastic surgery procedure. Since rhinoplasty is one of the most complicated procedures to perform, it’s not surprising that it can have many possible side effects. Complications associated with rhinoplasty include:

Excessive bleeding
Poor healing
Poor aesthetic outcome
Infection
Scarring
Nasal septal perforation (hole in the nasal septum)
Skin tissue necrosis
Numbness
Skin discoloration
Prolonged Swelling
Breathing issues
Anesthesia complications

Thankfully, most people do not experience any of the complications listed above. Instead, they experience only minor side effects, such as a little pain, swelling, and bruising, which should subside within a week or two of the procedure.

rhinoplasty patient

What Are Possible Complications in Younger Patients?

A young patient should have reached 90% of their total growth to qualify for a nose job. The average age when this occurs is 15 for girls and 16 for boys. If a younger patient has not developed enough, the rhinoplasty results are more difficult to predict. Possible complications include:

Nosebleeds
Scarring
Nerve damage
Numbness
Swelling

New Jersey rhinoplasty results are not conclusive until a year after the procedure, a long time in the life of a teenager. Young patients also need to have parental permission and be emotionally mature enough to play an active role in their recovery, including closely following any post-op recommendations from their surgeon.

Why Choosing A Qualified Surgeon Matters

Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon is critical if you are considering rhinoplasty. An experienced surgeon can prevent many associated risks and instill patients with confidence before their procedure.

An experienced plastic surgeon will prioritize structural integrity and the patient’s ability to breathe over appearance. Also, the more experience a surgeon has, the more likely it is that the patient will be pleased with their results. When it comes to plastic surgery, don’t look for the cheapest option—look for the best option.

Contact Us Today

Glasgold Group Plastic Surgery in New Jersey is committed to making your facial plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures safe and effective. Rhinoplasty permanently transforms the overall appearance of the face and profile for the better. Most patients feel much more confident after they see their results emerge.

Our devotion to producing natural and enduring results speaks for itself. If you are considering a this procedure, contact our office at 732-655-6429 to schedule a consultation today with a rhinoplasty surgeon New Jersey!