Introduction
Facial features and appearance can be very crucial factors affecting one’s confidence and nature of behavior. Rhinoplasty is one of the most preferred facial corrections that occur commonly around the globe. Rhinoplasty is opted for both the reasons being cosmetic as well as medical purposes. In conditions like septal deviation or sinusitis, the shape of the nose or nasal septum can affect a person’s breathing. Also, in cases of cosmetic conditions like improving the nasal bridge or altering its shape, etc., are seen. Although rhinoplasty is a commonly performed surgery, it also shows almost sixteen to fifty percent of cases report complications in which one of the predominantly occurring symptoms is breathing difficulty due to nasal blockage, nasal bleeding, infections, and septal perforations. Hence careful considerations should be done before nasal surgery to prevent failures or complications.
What Is Nose Surgery?
Nose surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, is a surgical procedure that is used to alter the shape and size of the nose. This procedure is colloquially known as a nose job. The purpose of undergoing nasal surgery can be either due to cosmetic purposes or to improve the quality of breathing. A nose surgery involves altering the nasal septum, bone, skin, or all three structures.
What Are the Complications of Nasal Surgery?
Nasal surgery has a pronounced acknowledgment for its post-operative complications, and these complications lead to failure of nasal surgery. Some of the complications are:
-
Trauma or injury in the surgical site.
-
Injury to the eye.
-
Bleeding at the site of surgery leads to the formation of blood clots, swelling, or bruising of the skin in or around the nose.
-
Failure of anesthesia or post-anesthetic complications.
-
Severe prolonging pain.
-
Scar formation can also be a potential complication in some cases.
-
Post-operative structural deformities - This as a complication is predominantly seen in almost fifteen percent of the cases. One of the predominant complications is a structural deformity that shows a deep frontonasal angle (angle formed at the junction and bridge of the nose) or a hump-like-looking nasal cartilage altering the shape of the nose.
Other complications include:
-
A wider-looking nasal tip.
-
Retraction of the tip of the nose.
-
Any irregularities in the surface of the nose.
However, most of the time, the injuries are often caused by loss of support from the nasal septum.
When Are the Factors Affecting Failure of Nasal Surgery?
Even after the advancement in the instrumentation used and imaging process, the failure of a nasal surgery with technical factors playing an important role has become inevitable. This, on the other hand, causes a disturbance to the patient, the money spent as well as emotional and physical health. The factors that mainly lead to failure of nasal surgery also include patient selection, knowing their complete history, systemic complications, immunity levels, etc., but overall the results of long-term effects of rhinoplasty are not commonly known because the complications occurring as a result of these surgical procedures vary from patient to patient and are not identical. The reasons which cause the failure of nasal surgery depend on the following:
-
Selection of the Plastic Surgeon to Perform: As nasal surgery is risky, it is very important to select the surgeon to perform it. The level of experience and skill reduces post-operative complications resulting in well-attained results.
-
Improper Patient Selection: Patient selection before any surgery is a very crucial factor. Knowing their complete history, systemic complications, immunity levels, blood work report, etc., to predict the healing as well as the success rate of the surgical outcome.
-
Failure to Follow Post-operative Instructions: It is ideal to follow the post-operative instruction of the doctor as it prevents the risk regarding the surgical outcome. Nasal surgeries require strict post-operative care for a successful surgical outcome. Failure to follow these puts both the patient as well as the surgeon in a difficult spot, considering the potential rate of failures.
-
Trauma to the Surgical Site: Any injury or unexpected trauma to the operated site can lead to a secondary problem or a surgical failure as it results in a deformed or disturbed structure.
-
Anatomy of the Nose: Nasal anatomy also plays an important role in nasal surgeries. The structure of the nose and the thickness of the septum influence the success of correction. In most cases, a thick nasal septum shows deformed results compared to a thinner septum.
-
Technical Errors: While performing nasal surgeries, there is increased use of small or delicate instruments, like an endoscope (a machine attached to a camera, used to perform any diagnosis or surgery under a non-invasive method.) And the failure of the instruments to aid in achieving a successful surgical outcome is not always reliable. This is because, based on the anatomy of the nasal cartilage, both the efficacy and success rate varies.
When Is Nasal Surgery Considered a Failure?
Nasal surgery shows a very predominant failure rate, with a rate of about five to ten percent. Usually, after six months post-surgery, the nasal structure becomes stable in its new form, but sometimes this healing and hardening of the altered nasal structure can occur as a result of many factors. Some of the commonly occurring failures of nasal surgical procedures include incomplete nasal septoplasty or collapse of the nasal valve. Here an undiagnosed nasal obstruction or narrowing can progress gradually, leading to a very visible septal deviation or an inadequacy in the outcome. Nasal surgery is considered a failure when there are multiple symptoms that prove to show the following features.
-
There is any difficulty in normal nasal functioning.
-
Visible septal deviation.
-
Abnormal appearance of the nose.
-
When the nasal surgery fails to complement the patient's face, causing an inability to meet the patient's needs.
How Can It Be Corrected?
Considering the outcome of the nasal surgery, the chances of correcting it can be determined. Although the outcome of nasal surgery can be bothersome or controversial, affecting an individual’s confidence, it can still be corrected with a correction surgery. This reduces the complication providing relief to the factors causing it. This procedure is known as revision rhinoplasty.
Conclusion
Failure of nasal surgery or rhinoplasty can be a tedious process since the results affect the mental stability of a person hindering confidence levels. It is highly crucial to prevent such surgical complications as it alters the orientation of the facial structure. Rhinoplasty, although it can cause greater structural deformity, can create positive results when done properly. Hence, the complications of rhinoplasty are preventable and manageable even in cases of failure. Though the usage of temporary fillers can be a temporary relief, the corrective surgery proves a successful result in most cases restoring the structural and functional state of the nose.
