Question: Does rhinoplasty hurt?
Dr. Rohrich: Rhinoplasty in general does not hurt significantly, if at all. Even when doing the fractures of nasal bones, this is really not an issue. The procedure is usually done as an out-patient under general anesthetic so that it is a very comfortable almost pain free experience.
Question: How long should you wait after rhinoplasty to get a secondary rhinoplasty?
Dr. Rohrich: In general, it is important to wait at least 1-year in most patients and in secondary patients I wait 1 to 1 and a half years. This is especially important if the patient is male, a patient with thick skin, or a patient who has had multiple previous rhinoplasty procedures. Rhinoplasty is the most difficult operation in cosmetic surgery and a secondary rhinoplasty is a order of magnitude more difficult. It is very important to not do these operations too early, as all you will get is more scar tissue and swelling and therefore another unsatisfactory result.
For secondary rhinoplasty, it’s extremely important to seek out someone who has experience and expertise in rhinoplasty. The gold standard is to find someone who performs this procedure as a significant part of their practice, has written about it and teaches it, and has advanced the art in this area. That is the golden triad for a true expert in rhinoplasty.
Secondary rhinoplasty is a very, very difficult operation and it is especially crucial that you to go the distance to find someone who can do this operation for you, as you can only have so many operations on your nose.
Question: Is nasal packing after a rhinoplasty necessary?
Dr. Rohrich: Absolutely not. There is no rationale for nasal packing in a routine rhinoplasty. Most of the time if you are not doing a functional septal work, no packing and splinting is necessary. If splinting is required a small splint is placed temporary, which is then removed in 5-7 days.