IT’S the type of accident three-yearolds have every day – falling off a swing. For Halima Khaliq, of Bradford, it had lasting effects right into her teens and adulthood. The fall impacted the shape and function of her nose, which made breathing strained and an uncomfortable whistling noise affected her self-esteem.
But with the help of Dr Fas Arshad, who gave the 23-year-old a rhinoplasty procedure at Leeds Private Hospital, she says: “I’ve got my life back.”
Halima adds: “For as long as I can remember, my nose has caused me immense pain and anguish. It wasn’t just the breathing difficulties that were distressing; I felt selfconscious and uneasy in social situations, unable to relax.”
After a previous procedure elsewhere, Halima says her breathing was more strained than before and anxiety about her nose no better.
In search of a solution, she turned to the internet for private surgeons specialising in nose operations in Yorkshire, which led to her enquiring with Leeds Private Hospital in Shadwell, which is run by facial plastic surgeon Dr Arshad alongside his wife Sommiya.
Dr Arshad graduated from his medicine studies at the University of Leeds in 2007 before going on to surgical training in the region.
He says: “Towards the end of my surgical tenure, I did a what’s called a fellowship in head and neck cancer surgery, and that was down in Oxford. During that time, I was exposed to many sorts of plastic reconstructive surgeries, looking at reconstruction of deformities after cancer surgery, and working very closely with plastic surgeons, and that’s really what got my interest in reconstructive, plastic and aesthetic surgery. I found it fascinating.
“With Halima’s case it’s very interesting because although it’s considered an aesthetic or cosmetic surgery, actually it’s reconstructive because there’s a very much a functional component to the surgery. “So when Halima came to see me, I had my hat on as a facial plastic surgeon, but also the reconstructive element, because it was really important that she’s able to breathe through her nose.”
However, Dr Arshad does believe that facial plastic surgery can provide a solution for people who are going through mental or psychological difficulties because of how they perceive their appearance. “We have a saying that, effectively, we’re psychiatrists with a blade, because a lot of the time we’re not dealing with tissue, we’re dealing with what the psychology of what the patient is feeling.
That’s very important from an assessment point of view, when I first see patients and try and understand what it is they want to achieve. We all know and read about patients with body dysmorphic disorder and things like that, so it’s really important for me as a surgeon to be able to assess patients correctly and really ensure that what I’m doing is enhancing physically and mentally and psychologically.”
Dr Arshad performed the intricate procedure by using cartilage from Halima’s rib to strengthen and straighten her septum— the partition between the nostrils.
Cartilage from her nose had been excised as part of the previous procedure – which Dr Arshad stresses is normal – but because that had already been used, for revision surgery they needed to go to elsewhere on the body.
“To be honest, I was quite anxious,” says Halima. “I wasn’t really comfortable but after talking to Dr Arshad a few times, it made me feel confident because they knew what they were doing, they knew what they were talking about. When a surgeon’s not comfortable in what they say, it does put you down, but with Dr Arshad he was quite confident so I knew I had hope.”
Dr Arshad says: “It’s a two to three centimetre incision that heals beautifully and you can hardly see it, but that incision allows access to her seventh rib, and I was able to go to the rib and then take the cartilage to give me an abundance of tissue to reconstruct her nose.”
Halima and her family presented Dr Arshad and his team with a cake to show their appreciation for the care.
She says: “I am no longer consumed by how my nose looks, and I feel much more at ease around family and friends, even in formal situations. Plus, my ability to breathe has improved very significantly.”
Dr Arshad added: “It is incredibly rewarding to help patients regain their confidence and self-esteem. Our work is about restoring both physical and mental wellbeing.”
