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ENLEXICON/FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The operation
What do I need to bear in mind before the operation?
Medications containing acetylsalicylic acid (i.e., Aspirin, Thomapyrin, etc.) must be strictly avoided for at least two weeks before the operation because of their anticoagulant effect. Take Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, or Diclofenac instead. Obtain a copy of your current lab test results from your general practitioner and bring it with you when you check into the clinic. Make sure you have signed and returned an operation information form and an anesthesia information form. We will not be able to operate on you unless these are in our possession by the date scheduled for the operation.
Will I need general anesthesia?
Normally we perform this operation while the patient is under general anesthesia. Only in certain exceptional cases, when alterations are to be made only to circumscribed cartilaginous portions at the tip of the nose, do we operate with local anesthesia.
How long does the operation take?
Approximately 1 to 1½ hours.
Will there be visible scars after the operation?
No. The entire operation is performed through the nostrils with the use of a special incision technique.
Will my nose have to be broken?
If your nose is too wide or has a hump on its bony portion, a chisel is used to make the desired corrections.
Is an operation possible also during the hot months of summer?
An operation can be performed with no problem even during the summer months. The only requirements associated with the warm season are that direct sunbathing and solar radiation be avoided and that sunglasses be worn for two to three months after an operation.
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After the operation
Will I be in pain afterwards?
As a rule, patients experience no pain at all after they awake from the anesthesia. In the event that a feeling of pressure does occur, painkillers are administered to make the impairment bearable.
Will I need a tamponade, and, if I do, for how long?
If only the external shape of the nose is altered, we do not need to insert a tamponade. In other words, you will be able to breathe through your nose again right after the operation. Only if a nasal breathing obstruction is removed at the same time through surgery on interior portions of the nose must a tamponade be inserted for one night. Our tamponades are specially designed so that they can be removed painlessly.
How long will I need to wear the aluminium splint?
The splint must be worn for one week. Dr. Hundt will then examine your nose and reapply the splint for another week.
How long will I need to stay at the clinic?
Depending on their constitution, patients can go home the next day if only the external shape of the nose is altered. If interior portions of the nose are operated on (this is required only for functional disorders), the patient should remain at the clinic for two days postoperatively.
How long will I have swelling or discolouration in my face?
There will be virtually no visible swelling after the first week. As a rule, the discolouration around the eyes also will have disappeared after two weeks.
How will my nose look afterwards?
After only two weeks, it is usually no longer possible to tell by looking at the nose that it was operated on. Some slight swelling may still be present.
Will my new nose go with my face?
We do not produce any standard-issue noses. A feminine nose, for example, must be operated on entirely differently than a strong masculine nose. We attach great importance to the individual expectations of our patients. With the use of photographs and drawings, the expected results are discussed and surgically realised on an individual basis.
When can the final result be seen?
Noses may continue to change postoperatively for up to one year. In most cases, however, these changes are minimal. The expected final results will usually have been achieved after four to six weeks.
How often will follow-up surgery be necessary?
Surgical revision procedures are rarely necessary but cannot always be avoided. If they need to be performed at all, they are usually smaller operations, such as rasping away any minor bone spurs that subsequently appear or correcting excess cartilage.
Who will bear the costs of this?
Surgical revision procedures are required 5% of the time; the contribution to costs in such cases for anesthesia and clinic costs is to be borne by the patient.
When will I be socially presentable again?
After two to three weeks.
When will I be able to engage in sports again?
Running and physical fitness exercises after approximately three to four weeks. Ball games and team sports that pose a risk of facial trauma (for example, soccer or volleyball) only after six to eight weeks. Swimming and diving should be postponed four to six weeks because of the risk of infection.
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Risks
What are the risks associated with rhinoplasty?
Secondary bleeding may occur in rare cases, but this can be quickly staunched.
How old must a patient be before rhinoplasty procedures can be performed?
The patient must have completed his growth phase, i.e. he must be at least 18.
What experience does the surgeon have in the field of rhinoplasty procedures?
Our operating surgeon is an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist with the additional qualification in “plastic surgery”. Because of his specialisation in this area, he performs nose operations daily and therefore has extensive experience in this field. His specialised ENT training also enables him to correct functional disorders of the nose and to prevent them from occurring in the first place as a result of the cosmetic surgery – a not uncommon occurrence. Even the most beautiful nose that nasal surgery can achieve is of little use if its function is impaired as a result.
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