[The potential of physiotherapy after rhinoplasty]

This article presents the results of the evaluation of the effectiveness of physiotherapy during the postoperative period following rhinoplastic surgery based on the analysis of the dynamics of the clinical symptoms in 374 patients divided into two groups. The main group was comprised of 286 (86.5%) patients who had undergone the comprehensive postoperative rehabilitation with the use of the chosen physiotherapeutic procedures while the group of comparison consisted of 88 (23.5%) patients treated othrerwise. The method in question included the microcurrent lymphatic drainage, the magneto-laser treatment, and ultraphonophoresis. The data obtained give evidence of the significant differences between the two groups of the patients in terms of reduction of oedema of the nasal and facial soft tissues on days 10-12 and 30-35 after the treatment as well as of subcutaneous hemorrhage and pain in the external nose on days 10-12. These effects were more pronounced in the patients of the main group. The local subcutaneous compaction was documented in both groups (though it was more pronounced in the patients of the comparison group; p<0.05) after the disappearance of the bulk of the swelling approximately on days 10-12. It is concluded that the results of the study confirm the effectiveness of the staged performance of various physiotherapeutic procedures during the postoperative period after rhinoplasty.