NOSE RESHAPING

In nose reshaping (a rhinoplasty) the height and shape of the nose are changed by operating through cuts made inside the nostrils. You would come into hospital on the day of surgery and either go home the same day or some patients prefer to stay overnight in hospital. When you wake up, you will have a plaster on your nose, which is held onto your cheeks and forehead with sticking plaster. Although we try to avoid them, you may have packs inside your nose to help control swelling and bleeding. You will be seen to check that all is satisfactory before you depart for home. Should you need any pain relief following your operation, paracetamol should be sufficient. After the surgery, we ask you to sleep propped up on pillows for five nights to allow the swelling and bruising to subside as quickly as possible. Your nose will be quite blocked after the operation and you should not blow your nose for two weeks. You may sniff and keep the nostrils clean using a cotton bud dipped in clean hydrogen peroxide, but please do not poke around inside the nose. You will be seen one or two weeks after the operation depending on what you have had done. The plaster will be removed together with any external stitches, which are occasionally used. Do not pinch or squeeze the nose and any risk of injury to your nose should be avoided if at all possible for two months.

There are some complications relating to the operation. In the first days after surgery these include infection, which is rare, and the potential for bleeding. If bleeding is severe and not controlled by simple packing, you may require a return trip to the operating theatre.

To reduce this risk, before undergoing this type of surgery, it is very important that you do not take Aspirin or rheumatic type of drugs like Brufen or Nurofen or Gingko Biloba for at least a week before the operation. These medicines alter the clothing of the blood and make bleeding after an operation more likely. Even one tablet can affect the clotting of the blood for up to seven days before, and after, an operation.

We will have a very good impression of the final shape of your nose when the plaster comes off, but the residual swelling and bruising will take a further week to ten days to settle. The final shape of your nose will not be evident until about three months after the operation. In that time, you may find your nose feels rather numb and stiff, but this sensation does return to normal over subsequent months. In the interim, it is wise to wear a sun block or make-up containing sunscreens on your nose to prevent sun burning.

With reduction of the cartilages in the tip of the nose, there is a risk of the nose narrowing when you take deep breaths through the nostrils. This is called 'valving' and is caused by loss of the cartilage support to the tip of the nose. If this is a problem once the swelling has gone down inside the nose, then cartilage grafts may be required, but these would alter the overall shape of the nose.

Whilst we do our utmost to achieve the desired result, we cannot guarantee to make your nose the shape which we may desire. If subsequent revision procedures are required, there may be additional fees.

<< Back to procedures page