The nose surgery or rhinoplasty will be performed using general anaesthesia, or sometimes local anaesthesia and sedation where you will be awake but will not feel the procedure.

The procedure takes approximately 1-3 hours to perform depending on the complexity of the correction required.

After the procedure, you will have dressings inside each nostril which will remain for 24 hours.  Some people do experience mild side effects because of the anaesthesia so you will be monitored before you are discharged from our care.

Depending on the extent of your correction, the surgeon may place splints inside your nostrils and possibly over the bridge of your nose to help keep the bones and cartilage in their new place whilst healing occurs. The splints will remain for at least a week.

Pain, swelling and tightness in the nose, plus bruising around the eyes are common for a few days post-surgery, resolving most after a fortnight. Any pain and discomfort post-surgery can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication or medicines prescribed by our surgeon. You may also use ice packs to reduce facial swelling.

Initially, you will feel like you have a blocked nose, and will need to breathe through your mouth for the first fortnight post-surgery; this will improve as the swelling reduces. Avoid blowing your nose or picking it to remove crusts or scabs during this time and try to sneeze through your mouth to reduce the pressure on your nose. Small nose bleeds are possible in the first 24-48 hours. You may notice a change in your sense of smell and taste for some time.

You will need to keep your head upright as much as possible in the first few days, sleeping with extra pillows to keep you propped up. Glasses wearers may need to change to contact lenses or consider another way of fixing your glasses which avoids them resting on the bridge of your nose, such as using tape to affix them to your forehead. Full aftercare advice will be provided.

You must avoid strenuous exercise for 4-6 weeks, and any sports which risk contact for at least 2 months. You will be able to return to light normal activities after approximately 7 days. Most people take 1-2 weeks off work, depending on their job.

Your nose will be more sensitive to the effects of sun exposure, so ensure you wear a hat with a large brim that shades your nose and/or high strength sunscreen on your nose when out and about for 6 months after the surgery.

The splints and any sutures (which are not absorbable) can usually be removed after a week. The swelling and bruising can take 2-3 weeks, or longer, to fully resolve. It will take up to 6 months for the nose to completely heal into its new shape, up to a year for some, depending on the extent of correction. Your breathing will clear again after approximately 3 months.