A Rhinoplasty can be done to improve the appearance of your nose and/or to improve any breathing difficulties. You need to make an initial appointment and have a consultation with your surgeon. A lot of care and thought is then taken to suggest which procedure is most suitable for addressing them and how your new nose may fit into the rest of your face.

A full Rhinoplasty is done under general anesthesia. The nose consists of a skeleton framework made up of bone and cartilage. A Rhinoplasty involves making changes to this skeleton framework allowing the skin to drape over it to give a new shape.

This is a usual and understandable concern, especially as sometimes reshaping of the nose can involve removal of a bony hump or fracturing of a nasal bone to make it narrow. Despite this it is not a painful procedure. You will be given the appropriate painkillers after this procedure and usually paracetamol on its own is enough after the first 24 hours.

As explained above, due to the need for bone restructuring, bruising is inevitable. However, very fine osteotomes (surgical instrument) are used to break the nasal bone so that the damage is very precise and localized. This technique causes little bruising which usually settles in a week to ten days. You will be encouraged to sleep in an elevated sitting position or with a few pillows under your head for the first few days to further minimize any bruising.

In order to allow the broken nasal bone to reset in a new position, a splint is put on which is removed in seven to ten days. Like any bone fracture, nasal bones take three months to heal. Therefore, during this time you have to be very careful to not injure the nasal bone. For example, avoid contact sports during this time but you can do other exercises after two to three weeks.