Rhinoplasty - will my nasal allergies affect the surgery or outcome?
I have nasal rhinitis. Will my allergies affect how my rhinoplasty surgery is performed or the results of my rhinoplasty?
Asked by: Anonymous
Answers (4)
Allergies will not affect surgery outcome
Nasal allergies may flare up during the recovery period, making the nose more congested. There are a number of treatment options, the best being topical nasal steroids, which will help the congestion. If sneezing after a rhinoplasty make sure to keep your mouth open! Also don't blow your nose in the first 2 weeks after rhinoplasty!!
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Allergies must be well managed through anti-histamines or nasal sprays prior to surgery. This will reduce any prolonged internal nasal swelling from a combination of both surgery and allergies. If allergies are not under control it will prolong swelling and nasal obstruction in the post-operative phase of Rhinoplasty surgery.
Nasal Allergies and Nasal Surgery
Facial Plastic Surgeon
While nasal allergies will not affect the ultimate outcome of any nasal surgery (rhinoplasty and/or septoplasty), it may cause slightly more bleeding in the immediate post operative period.
Any condition, including nasal allergy, chronic or acute rhinosinusitis, or environmental nasal irritation (or nonallergic rhinitis) that creates inflammation in the nose increases bleeding during and after a procedure. This amount, however, is not enough to cause a significant increase in your risk or healing time.
On the other hand, untreated nasal allergies could affect the quality and amount of your functional breathing improvement after an otherwise successful nasal surgery. I often explain to my patients the difference between hard tissue and soft tissue problems.
- Hard tissue referes to bone and cartilage, which can be surgically modified.
- Soft tissue refers to the mucosa (skin of the nose) and swelling tissues on the inferior turbinates.
These tissues are the ones most affected by inflammatory conditions, such as nasal allergies. Inflammatory problems are best treated with medical therapies, such as nasal sprays or allergy pills.
In order to ensure your best functional outcome, treatment for your nasal allergy should be a part of your overall plan with your surgeon.
Nasal allergies are not usually a factor in rhinoplasty
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Nasal Allergies, whether seasonal or year-round, generally are not a big factor in rhinoplasty. If you experience nasal allergy symptoms, you should be thoroughly evaluated to see if there are any other factors that may exacerbate your breathing problems - such as a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates. If these problems are also present they should be addressed during your rhinoplasty.
If you also have sinus complaints such as pressure, pain, or infection, this should be investigated. It should be medically optimized since swelling after surgery can sometimes exacerbate sinus symptoms.
Rarely, a sinus procedure may be advised at the same time as your Rhinoplasty surgery, if necessary, though these are often staggered. Otherwise, we find that, in general, patients have a period of reprieve from their allergy symptoms following surgery. We do counsel our patients not to blow their nose for about 2 weeks after surgery and also to keep your mouth open if you have to sneeze.
Overall, there should be no reason why your allergies should affect your surgery.
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