Rhinoplasty is one of the plastic surgery procedures that started in Egypt two decades ago and now represents on average some eight to ten per cent of total plastic surgery. Rhinoplasty as a plastic surgery can be performed for cosmetic reasons to improve the appearance of the nose and also to enhance a person's facial harmony and self-confidence. Additionally, this kind of surgery can correct breathing problems that may result from injuries to the patient's nose or congenital defects. Plastic surgeons note that rhinoplasty can change the length of the nose and its width and modify the structure of the nose using cartilage grafted from other areas of the body. Dr Amgad Hendi, plastic surgery professor stressed that all noses can be perceived as having defects, but the issue is based on the person's acceptance of his or her appearance. The doctor does wish patients to be over-attentive to seeming aesthetic defects in their noses because this is related to psychological factors and lowering of self-esteem and self- confidence. Dr Hendi pointed out that patients can decide to make nose surgery for aesthetic reasons, such as the curvature of the nasal septum or may suffer from breathing problems. He added, however, that the majority of operations involve women who are concerned with their looks and also men, especially in Egypt, who are interested in having such kind of operations. He explained that the timing of surgery depends on conditions that can be corrected by nose surgery including a broken nose, nasal birth defects or obstruction. For example, surgery to rectify an obstructed airway requires careful evaluation of nasal structure as it is related to airflow and breathing. According to Dr Hendi, the new developments in such surgery are based on using local instead of general anaesthesia, stressing that these operations should have no side effects, but if carried out by unqualified surgeon may resulting in deformation. So the patient should always ask the surgeon about their training and experience in this respect. Dr Hendi mentioned that following surgery the patient may be affected with swelling that could continue for three months with cartilage surgery or six months with bone surgery. However, this swelling gradually becomes unnoticeable. “Smokers can have nose surgery but should quit smoking a week before the surgery and resume smoking if they want only after complete recovery", says Dr Hendi. Pregnant women are forbidden to undergo such an operation because anaesthesia represents a risk to the baby. Surgeons recommends that patients who have received rhinoplasty should get out of bed and move around in the first few hours following surgery, but may have to wait four or five hours before eating or drinking Dr Hendi held the Egyptian media culpable for focusing only on the negative sides of such surgery though Egyptian plastic surgeons are distinguished with high qualifications similar to their counterparts, for example in the USA.
