Rhinoplasty And The Long-Term Benefits
If you have been thinking about undergoing rhinoplasty, commonly known as a nose job, you're in good company. According to an article featured in Harvard Health Publishing, the media & publishing division of the Harvard Medical School of Harvard University, more than 220,000 rhinoplasty procedures are performed every year. In short, rhinoplasty is one of the most sought-after facial cosmetic surgeries in America. However, the interest in these procedures extends well beyond improved aesthetics, according to some studies. Along with improving your overall facial symmetry, rhinoplasty can boost low self-esteem and can also correct nasal issues that can contribute to breathing problems.
HOW DOES RHINOPLASTY IMPROVE FACIAL SYMMETRY?
Before detailing the many other benefits of rhinoplasty, let's take a moment to identify how the procedure can lead to improved facial symmetry. First off, facial symmetry is a term used to describe one of many traits associated with health, physical attractiveness, and beauty. When an individual undergoes a rhinoplasty procedure, the cosmetic surgeon will be performing procedures that will change the external or internal structure of the nose, some of these procedures include
- Minimizing the appearance of humps or bumps that may exist on the bridge of the nose
- Altering the angle of the nose to improve symmetry
- Narrowing the bridge of the nose
- Making changes to the tip of the nose
- Altering the overall shape or size of the nose
Similar to other cosmetic procedures, rhinoplasty goes a long way toward boosting an individual's self-esteem. To further put this into context, a study published in Reuters, an international news organization, showed that most people rated their self-esteem higher after undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure. Furthermore, these same individuals also believed they were more physically attractive to the opposite sex as a result of undergoing the procedure.
FUNCTIONAL RHINOPLASTY
Having established the fact that rhinoplasty can boost an individual's self-esteem, let's take a look at some of the functional benefits that come with undergoing the procedure. Although most people would not equate a nose job (rhinoplasty) with improved health, there is scientific and medical data that shows functional rhinoplasty can resolve certain breathing problems. Similar to rhinoplasty for improved facial symmetry, there is no such thing as a one size fits all approach when it comes to functional rhinoplasty in that there are a variety of procedures that can be used to address an individual's specific breathing problem.
COMMON TYPES OF RHINOPLASTY PROCEDURES
Before going over the different types of functional rhinoplasty procedures available, let's take a moment to familiarize ourselves with how they differ from rhinoplasty for improved facial symmetry. In short, functional rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure predicated on repairing both the internal nostrils and nasal valves responsible for breathing. And, unlike rhinoplasty for improved facial symmetry, the incisions needed to perform a functional rhinoplasty procedure can be made either inside of the patient's nostrils or at the base of their nose, depending on the specific breathing problem. These small incisions enable surgeons to gain access to cartilage as well as bone, and the benefits are twofold in that it allows them to improve the symmetry of the nose and correct problems correlated with the patient's inability to breathe properly. That said, some of the most commonly performed functional rhinoplasty procedures include
Nasal valve surgery - This procedure, which involves the use of cartilage grafts, is often recommended for individuals with an internal or external collapsed valve that is making it difficult for them to breathe.
Turbinate reduction – This type of functional rhinoplasty is used to reduce the size of turbinates, projections of soft tissue on the side walls inside the nasal cavity. Although turbinates are needed to clean the air that we inhale through our nostrils, they can sometimes block nasal passages, which can be caused by any number of things, and lead to breathing problems. Turbinate reduction is a great way to reduce the size of abnormally large turbinates are restore a patient's ability to breathe properly.
Septoplasty- This type of functional rhinoplasty is often done in conjunction with turbinate reduction and is an effective way to resolve a patient's deviated septum, the small piece of cartilage that lies between the nasal passages. A deviated septum is the leading cause of most breathing problems involving structural inadequacies of the nose. In addition to breathing problems, a deviated septum may also contribute to sleep apnea, sinusitis, excessive snoring, and much more. To fix a deviated septum, the surgeon will have to straighten the misaligned nasal septum before repositioning it in the center of the patient's nose.
All in all, there is a myriad of benefits that come with undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure, especially for those with breathing problems. To learn more about functional rhinoplasty or rhinoplasty form improved facial symmetry, you're encouraged to schedule a consultation with the Plastic Surgery Institute of Miami, one of South Florida’s premier cosmetic surgery centers that take great pride in providing the best care possible to their patients. They treat patients looking from quality rhinoplasty surgery in Miami with optimal results.
