December 2021

What is rhinoplasty surgery?

A nose job - or rhinoplasty given its technical name - is a common plastic surgery procedure carried out to change the shape and improve the function of the nose.

Rhinoplasty can be used to correct disfigurements related to accidents, traumas or birth defects, and to improve breathing problems in people whose nose is affecting their airways.

Nose jobs are also undertaken for cosmetic reasons, with hundreds of thousands of people each year receiving rhinoplasty treatment to reshape their nose and change their physical appearance.

Cosmetic nose shaping isn’t available via services such as the NHS or under general medical insurance, and as such is regarded as a private medical procedure with a price tag of up to £5,000. [1]

 

How does rhinoplasty work?

A reduction rhinoplasty operation is designed to make a nose smaller, whereas an augmentation rhinoplasty is used to make it larger. A surgeon can change a nose’s shape and size from the tip to the bridge as well as narrowing or widening nostrils.

Nose jobs typically take up to three hours to complete and as such are generally undertaken as an outpatient procedure, meaning you won’t be required to stay overnight in hospital. You’ll be administered local anesthetic during the operation, allowing you to feel sedated and relaxed and unable to feel any pain. [2]

During a routine rhinoplasty operation, a surgeon will make cuts within the nostrils, and in more complicated cases, they may also make cuts across the base of the nose. They will then reshape the inner bone and cartilage to achieve the required appearance.

 

 

nose surgery

 

What are the side effects of rhinoplasty?

It’s common to feel some short-term side effects after a nose reshaping operation, including:

 

 

While they may be uncomfortable, these side effects will generally die down within a few weeks.

 

What is deviated septum surgery or septoplasty?

If you’re having difficulty breathing through your nose or feel you have any kind of nasal obstruction, this could be caused by enlarged tissues within the nose, or as a result of a crooked septum. [3]

 

A crooked or deviated septum can make it more difficult to breathe through your nose and can increase the risk of serious sinus infections due to poor nasal drainage.

 

If you suffer from any breathing difficulties through your nose, septoplasty could help. A surgical procedure used to help straighten the bone and cartilage dividing the space between your two nostrils, septoplasty’s primary aims are to:

 

How do I recover from rhinoplasty and septoplasty surgery?

In most cases, rhinoplasty and septoplasty recovery is relatively straightforward. During the initial healing process, a splint may be placed on the inside and/or outside of your nose to support and protect the new structure.

 

You can expect any swelling - which typically feels worse in the mornings - to subside within 2-4 weeks but it may take up to a year for the contours of your nose to fully form into its new shape. [4]

 

Patients who have undergone nose reshaping often feel bunged up for a few weeks after their operation and have to primarily breath through their mouth. [5] Thankfully, over-the-counter nose sprays can often help to ease any short-term congestion.

 

SOURCES:

[1] https://rhinoplasty.cliniccompare.co.uk/how-much-does-rhinoplasty-surgery-cost

[2] https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-nose-job-rhinoplasty

[3] https://www.medicinenet.com/nasal_airway_surgery/article.htm

[4] https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/rhinoplasty/recovery

[5] https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/cosmetic-surgery-and-procedures/rhinoplasty