The specialty of otorhinolaryngology has undergone great advances in the last decade, including in the cosmetic aspect. Like in any part of the world, Kashmir too has its share of such patients. Rising Kashmir’s senior health correspondent Mansoor Peer in a chat with Dr Shafqat Islam, senior consultant and head department of ENT JLNM hospital Rainawari, AIRS Gold Medallist 2013, National Operating Faculty for SeptoRhinoplasty, Core committee member for Rhinoplasty Governing Body of the Editorial Board of FRCSIT, talks about Rhinoplasty, its scenario in Kashmir and way forward for such patients.
What is Rhinoplasty?
Rhinoplasty is the surgery of nose to make it look better if it has a deformity or bad shape. It is an extremely challenging surgery and requires a lot of skill to master it. A beautiful nose exemplifies a beautiful face.
What is its scenario in Kashmir?
As in any part of the world, Kashmir to has its share of these patients. Lately awareness regarding Rhinoplasty has increased in our patients as more and more patients are getting operated for better looks and breathing simultaneously.
How many such cases are seen in the valley?
A good number of patients who visit our ENT clinics for nasal obstruction and external nasal deformities like twisted noses, humped broad and over projected noses, depressed or saddled deformities require this surgery.
Being a complex surgery, only a few surgeons advise this surgery, but as more and more surgeons are venturing into Rhinoplasty, the awareness regarding this surgery has increased greatly.
What are the causes of nasal trauma or nasal obstructions?
A significant number of patients have trauma in childhood that is either neglected or untreated and becomes apparent in adulthood, but congenital and ethnic reasons are also important.
What are the remedial measures apart from surgery?
For correcting the breathing issues and improving their facial appearance surgery is the only option for these patients.
When was Rhinoplasty started at JLNM and how many such surgeries have been performed so far?
At JLNM Hospital we have a unique and perhaps the only Rhinoplasty clinic in a government hospital and we were performing these surgeries regularly till the hospital was designated as a Covid-19 hospital. Now the surgeries have resumed in our Rhinoplasty Clinic but due to huge rush of patients. The waiting list has also increased a lot.
We have performed around 200 Septo Rhinoplasties in the last four years despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Pertinently, an average Rhinoplasty requires 3 to 4 hours and we have to do routine Ent surgeries also in limited theatre days.
What are the precautionary measures that need to be taken after the surgery?
The precautions are more or less the same as in any other surgery like preventing infection, etc. but additionally one has to take extra care for preserving the nasal structure shaped after surgery especially the bones which have been realigned due to osteotomies.
What are the most common nose defects you see?
The commonest defects which we have seen are twisted or crooked noses, humped, over projected and broad noses, depressed or saddled external nasal deformities, tip deformities, straight dorsum to right or left etc. but all of them can be corrected.
What role does the nose play in facial harmony?
A beautiful nose is the essence of a beautiful face and the goal of a Rhinoplastic surgeon is to strive to achieve those critical angles and parameters to make the deformed nose as close to normal as possible. Indeed Rhinoplasty is considered the mother of facial plastic surgery.
Do we have facilities available for Rhinoplasty in other hospitals?
A lot of surgeons and hospitals both in the government and private sector are doing this surgery but not with the magnitude and scale that we have done.
I have done more than 2000 of these surgeries in the last more than 12 years with full pre and postoperative documentation and include correction of all possible nasal deformities like depression, twisted humped, complicated etc. nasal deformities. We can safely assume that with the grace of the Almighty there is no nose that can’t be corrected.
Patients with distorted facial appearance are often disconnected from social functions. It means they would be having some sort of mental health issues as well. Is it true?
Yes, a lot of such patients requiring this surgery have lack of confidence and social issues like not going to social functions or even to school for being taunted by mates or even go into depression.
But once their deformities are corrected properly, their life changes altogether and they become confident and achieve their goals in life. It is a life and personality-changing surgery. I can say with a lot of confidence that SeptoRhinoplasty has changed the life of almost all our operated patients.
What is your message for patients suffering from nasal obstructions?
All those patients who have breathing problems due to nasal obstruction with a deformed external nasal structure can be safely operated by SeptoRhinoplasty for correction of both the problems and by latest techniques of modern Rhinoplasty.
What is your contribution in Rhinoplasty in Kashmir?
I started doing SeptoRhinoplasty some 15 years back. Although not formally trained but my work was acknowledged and appreciated at various National and International forums where I presented my work.
I am now National Operating Faculty for SeptoRhinoplasty being frequently invited for National Workshops where we teach this complex surgery to young aspiring surgeons all over the country.
Also for spreading awareness septohinoplasty, I frequently upload photos and pictures (with due permission and consent on my Facebook page and YouTube by for prospective patients these videos are extremely informative.
