Rhinoplasty

What nose reshaping involves

Nose reshaping is usually carried out under general anaesthetic.

Depending on the type of surgery you’re having, the surgeon may:

• make your nose smaller (nose reduction) – by removing some of the cartilage and bone
• make your nose larger (nose augmentation) – by taking cartilage from the ears and bone from the hips, elbow or skull, and using it to build up the nose (known as a “graft”)
• change the shape of your nose (including the nostrils) – by breaking the nose bone and rearranging the cartilage

The skin over the nose should shrink or expand to its new shape.

The operation involves either making a cut across the skin between the nostrils (open rhinoplasty), or tiny cuts inside the nostrils (closed rhinoplasty). 

A closed rhinoplasty leaves no visible scars, but is not always possible or available.

The procedure can take 1.5 to 3 hours. You’ll probably need to stay in hospital for 1 or 2 nights.

You’ll have a dressing on your nose after the operation, and a splint held over your nose with tape for 7 days. You may have difficulties breathing through your nose for about a week.

You’ll be given painkillers to help control any pain or discomfort.

Recovery

You may need to take up to 2 weeks off work to recover from nose surgery.

It might be several months before you see the full effect of the operation, and up to 6 months for the swelling to completely go.

After about a week: stitches can be removed (unless you had dissolvable stitches). The splint may also be able to come off.

At 3 weeks: bruises, swelling and redness may have faded. You may be able to swim.

At 4 to 6 weeks: you should be able to resume strenuous exercise.

You may be advised to:

• prop your head up with pillows for a couple of days when resting to reduce the swelling
• avoid hot baths and getting the splint wet
• avoid blowing your nose or removing any crusts until your appointment to have the splint removed
• sneeze through your mouth to avoid pressure on your nose
• avoid strenuous exercise or contact sports for 4 to 6 weeks

Side effects

It’s common after nose reshaping to have:

• breathing difficulties – you’ll need to breathe through your mouth for a week or so
• a stiff and numb nose
• soreness, swelling and bruising around the eyes, which can last 3 weeks
• light nosebleeds for the first few days

What could go wrong

Nose reshaping surgery can occasionally result in:

• permanent breathing difficulty
• damage to the cartilage wall between your nostrils
• an altered sense of smell
• heavy nosebleeds

Any type of operation also carries a small risk of:

• excessive bleeding
• a blood clot in a vein
• infection
• an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic

Your surgeon should explain how likely these risks and complications are, and how they would be treated if you have them.