The most frequent questions around cosmetic surgery

Question: What is the most popular procedure in cosmetic surgery ?

Dr.Aslani:In women breast augmentation and liposuction, in men gynecomastia(male breast reduction),rhinoplasty and liposuction. This only reflects my personal experience though. Different surgeons may have different views regarding that

Dr.Aslani:You can prepare your skin with antiseptic solutions like for instance Hibiclens. You can furthermore treat your skin with moisturising lotions. I am unsure what effect that really has, but this is recommended. I do regard beneficial effects from so-called “scar-ointments” as purely fictional.

Question:Is it true that cosmetic surgery in Spain is more popular than anywhere else in Europe?

Dr.Aslani:Yes, I should think so.

Question:Do you think that the current situation has got an adverse effect on quality in cosmetic surgery , especially in Spain ?

Dr.Aslani:I hope not, but I am very much afraid this may well be the case.

Especially in the cosmetic surgery sector in Spain, we see very aggressive marketing moves from UK companies into the sector. We are seeing more and more petients hooked on unrealistic promises paired with ridicolously low pricing. I am afraid that this will not have any good long term effect neither on the cosmetic surgery sector in Spain, nor in the UK:

Question:Is it true that I can only have my eyelids done twice in a lifetime ?

Dr.Aslani:No, not entirely. You are likely to refer to the lower eyelids. There may be some truth in that regarding them though.Lower eyelid blepharoplasty is considerbly more complicated than upper.

Question:Is a deep peeling a good subtitute for a facelift ?

Dr.Aslani:Absolutely not. The mechanism as well as the indication are completely different. A peeling tackles different problems than a facelift.

The two can be combined, but I suggest to do one after the other and not two at the same time.

Reconstructive rhinoplasty after trauma

If patients approach a nose correction after having had an accident, the procedure can be a lot more complicated. Depending on the nature of nasal trauma, in case of multifragmented fractures the osteotomies (which is the correction of the position of the bones) may be less stable than in a primary rhinoplasty. Also, posttraumatic rhinoplastiy esfrequently involve work on the nasal septum as well because septal deviation frequently follows nasal trauma.

This results in a slightly higher risk of secondary dislocation of bones and possibly patients undergoing such a reconstruction may look at waering the nasal splint, which normally needs to be worn for 7 days, for about three days longer. Some  irregularities irregularities may be camouflaged without a full rhinoplasty operation, but with fillers. I prefer to first apply a permanent filler and secondarily a permanent one.

Read more about rhinoplasty here.

Dr.Alexander Amir  Aslani, MD, EBOPRAS

Hospital:
Chief Surgeon and Head of Department
Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Hospital Quiron Malaga
Avda.Imperio Argentina, 1
E-29004 Malaga
Spain
www.quiron.es

Private practice:
Cirumed Clinic
Avda.Ramon y Cajal 7-4°
E-29601 Marbella/Malaga
Spain
Phone:+34 607 307 515
info@cirumed.es
www.cirumed.es

FAQ rhinoplasty

Question: What is better-open or closed rhinoplasty ?

Dr.Aslani: I naturally prefer to do a closed rhinoplasty (noselift, nosejob) wherever possible. But to decide whether an open or a closed rhinoplasty is the better option, depends on a multitude of factors. Generally I intend to avoid generalizing solutions . There are noses that are more suitable for closed and noses that are more suitable for open rhinoplasty. For me the only generally applicable rule is that I prefer to perform open rhinoplasties in cases os posttraumatic reconstruction and revisional rhinoplasties.

Question: Can rhinoplasty alleviate my breathing problems ?

Dr.Aslani:Yes, it can. In many cases rhinoplasty is combined with septoplasty which means correction of a deviated septum. it has to be said that on the other hand pure aesthetic rhinoplasty heralds  the possibilty of deteriorating nasal breathing. This is temporary and due to swelling in the large majority of cases, but it is an inherent possibility.Some patients also expereince increased discharge from the nose for some time following a rhinoplasty(a running nose)

Question: Is it true that following rhinoplasty I do not see any results for one year ?

Dr.Aslani: No. I believe the cause of this misunderstanding is the following: rhinoplasty means working on a threedimensional structure with all its complex implications. The result of this is that rhinoplasty generally has a fairly high percentage of “touch-up”surgery, which shall never, except for unusual circumstances, be performed before a whole year has passed.But that does not mean you do not see a result before this time has passed.

Question: Is rhinoplasty very painful ?

Dr.Aslani: Pain is always a very individual experience. It is not a very frequent complaint after rhinoplasties though. In most cases of rhinoplasty I apply a nasal pack at the end of the operation. This is something that most patients don´t specifically like.

Question: How high is the risk of infection in rhinoplasty?

Dr.Aslani: Generally not very high. I do use absorbable sutures inside the nose which dissolve which can lead to discharge, but this is not an infection although some patients perceive it as such. My main concern is normally protection of the sinuses, this is why I prefer to use a prophylactic antibiotics.Infection following a rhinoplasty is generally very rare.

Question: Do you perform rhinoplasty under local anaesthetic ?

Dr.Aslani: I prefer not to, except for the most minor tip revisions or small touch-ups. There is nothing wrong with local and sedation, however, for my experience patient feedback with this has not been very positive.Therefore I do most of rhinoplasty operations under general anestesia, except for minor revisional work to the tip. On  the other hand, to perform rhinoplasty under local anestetic is widely practised and acceptable, I just prefer not to.

Question: Is it true that rhinoplasty heralds a high percentage of revisional procedures ?

Dr.Aslani: That is absolutely correct, and completely in the nature of the procedure. Reasonable revision rates which are widely accepted in literature are between 5-15% possibly higher. Ideally that should just be small touch-ups. Higher revision rates are not necessarily signs of bad quality surgery, but may be a sign of service to the patient.What surgeons generally want to avoid is having to replace tissue in case during thr primary rhinoplasty to much has been removed. Limited further resections, like for instance more filing or resection of the back of the nose, is generally more straightforward and less traumatic.

Question:How long do I have to wait before corrective surgery after a rhinoplasty ?

Dr.Aslani: Generally one year. After rhinoplasty tissues need a certain time to rest before they can be operated on again safely.

Dr.Alexander Amir  Aslani, MD, EBOPRAS

Hospital:
Chief Surgeon and Head of Department
Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery
Hospital Quiron Malaga
Avda.Imperio Argentina, 1
E-29004 Malaga
Spain
www.quiron.es

Private practice:
Cirumed Clinic
Avda.Ramon y Cajal 7-4°
E-29601 Marbella/Malaga
Spain
Phone:+34 607 307 515
info@cirumed.es
www.cirumed.es