Risks of Rhinoplasty? How likely is it that that risk can occur and how can it be avoided?

There are always risks associated with general anesthesia that are distinct from the specific surgical procedure risks.  Heart attack, arrhythmia (irregular, insufficient heart beat), respirator y depression (too sleepy to breathe), DVT (blood clots), malignant hyperthermia (severe atypical reaction to anesthesia) and pulmonary embolism are scary but thankfully rare complications of any surgery involving anesthesia.  The risk in an individual patient is related to the health status and family history.  

 

This is why it is so important to see a board certified doctor in the specialty which covers the procedure and to use an accredited facility that has been inspected and certified as safe.  In my opinion, any surgery that requires general anesthesia or deep sedation, as rhinoplasty typically does, should have the anesthesia performed by a board certified anesthesiologist.  This is to manage those scary risks, ensure that the patient is a good anesthesia risk, and to be present with the necessary expertise should an emergency occur.  Although problems are very rare, this is just good medicine.

The risks of rhinoplasty in experienced hands are very minimal.  The chance of a heart attack or stroke during a rhinoplasty for a 20-year-old is extremely rare during brief anesthesia and as long as you are in good health, there should be no anesthetic complications.  Patients do not lose sense of smell from a rhinoplasty.  However, patients do experience a decreased sense of smell for 1-2 weeks after surgery, which is due to swelling inside the nose.  Most patients initially experience some numbness in the tip of the nose, which almost always goes away in the first couple of months after the surgery.  It is important to have this type of surgery performed in a licensed certified ambulatory surgery center, not in an office, with a board certified physician anesthesiologist.

There is no "risk-less" surgery just as there is no "risk-less" driving or eating,  for example. A number of factors lessen complications as a result of surgery:  the better your health, the less your risk. The more qualified the surgeon and anesthesiologist, the lower your risk. The better you follow your pre and post operative instructions, the less risk you have.  Even then, there are no guarantees.    But overall, the risks are not high. We  surgeons try hard to avoid potential problems such as excessive bleeding, unwanted drug reactions, over-operated looking noses, the need for a second surgery, and so forth. The best advice is to have a candid conversation with your surgeon (but not a fearful one!) about risks and potential problems. Then make a decision you  are comfortable with once you know all the real facts!