Rhinoplasty

What is Rhinoplasty?

A Rhinoplasty, or Nose Reshaping, is a cosmetic surgery procedure that refines the nose by surgically reshaping the bone, tissue, and cartilage or by inserting grafts or implants into the nose.  Nose surgery can reshape the bridge of the nose, straighten the septum, change the length of the nose, reshape the tip, and change the dimensions of the nostrils, to enhance the overall appearance of the nose.

There are two common rhinoplasty types: open rhinoplasty and closed rhinoplasty. The technique is determined by the patient’s physical requirements and the surgeon’s preference.

• Open rhinoplasty - A small incision on either side of the nostrils is made before elevating the skin to access inside the nose.

• Closed rhinoplasty - Performed from inside the nostrils, without any external incisions.

• Alar base reduction - Performed as part of a rhinoplasty procedure to adjust the width of the nostrils.

• Septo rhinoplasty - Performed as part of a rhinoplasty procedure to correct a deviated nasal septum.  

Who is a candidate for Rhinoplasty?

There are many reasons why people choose to get nose surgery. Rhinoplasty candidates tend to feel self-conscious about the size and length of their nose, as well as inherited bumps such as the dorsal hump or nasal asymmetry. Nose surgery suitability also includes individuals who have suffered an injury or those with a deviated septum who can opt for a Septoplasty – a surgical procedure to straighten the deviated nasal septum. On some occasions, nose reshaping can benefit those with breathing difficulties.

Areas of the nose that can be operated on:

• Bridge - If the bridge of the nose is being operated on, the surgeon removes the bone and cartilage that is causing ‘the hump’. The nose may then be broken to allow the remaining pieces of bone to be moved closer together, resulting in the narrowing of the nose.

• Tip - When the tip of the nose is operated on, the cartilage that makes up the tip support needs to be partly removed or reshaped. This is done through the nostril, or by making a small cut in the bit of skin between the nostrils.

• Length - A surgeon can adjust and reduce the central structure of the nose, known as the septum, to help shrink the tip and reduce the overall length of the nose. Adjustment to the tip cartilages also helps adjust nasal length.

• Width - By breaking and repositioning the side nasal bone, a surgeon can also reduce the width of the nose and achieve a narrower appearance.

The Rhinoplasty Procedure: What to expect

Every patients nose surgery process leading up to the surgery is the same.

Following your face-to-face surgeon consultation, you will be invited to attend a ‘vitals' appointment with a MYA nurse. During this appointment, the nurse will take physiological measurements and perform screening procedures such as taking blood samples and swabs, as required as well as assessing your medical history. You are also required to attend an online pre-operative assessment with a nurse who will discuss pre and post-operative advice and requirements.

You will receive your hospital admission time up to 24-48 hours before your surgery date. Patients should shower either the evening before or the morning of surgery and must not apply deodorant, makeup, or skincare products.

Patients must not eat anything (including chewing gum) 6 hours prior to the hospital admission time. If you do eat prior to the 6 hours, surgery will be cancelled. You can drink small sips - 30mls per hour - of still clear water, up to 2 hours before your hospital admission time.

Patients must not drink alcohol for a minimum of 48 hours before nose surgery. If you drink more than 2-3 alcoholic drinks each day, you will need to abstain (stop) for 2 weeks prior to the date of surgery. MYA advises patients not to smoke, vape, or use nicotine patches for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to surgery (each surgeon will provide you with specific guidance on stopping smoking). 

Patients are also advised not to smoke, vape, or use nicotine products until they are fully healed, as this can lead to delayed healing and increased infection risk, having a negative effect on rhinoplasty recovery.

Rhinoplasty Surgery

When it comes to the Rhinoplasty procedure, each individual is different, a rhinoplasty is not a ‘one size fits all’ procedure. Our specialist rhinoplasty surgeons will consider factors such as the patient’s facial features, the size of the nose, the skin quality, the patient’s age, past medical history, and their desired outcome. After a thorough assessment, the surgeon will recommend the best treatment plan for them and discuss the risks, limitations and benefits of rhinoplasty surgery.

A rhinoplasty procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic and can take between 1-2 hours depending on the patient's requirements. The surgery can be performed as a day case, or the patient may be required to stay overnight to recover in one of our MYA hospitals.

As with all surgical procedures, patients are advised to take 7-10 days off work following a rhinoplasty procedure and attend post-operative nurse appointments at one of our MYA clinical hubs. The nose cast will be removed by a MYA nurse around 10 days post-op, depending on the surgeon's advice.

After surgery, patients may experience some pain and discomfort. It is common for there to be some nasal congestion causing difficulty with breathing through the nose during the first week or so. However, this should improve once the nasal passage clears, the cast is removed, and the swelling reduces. Pain relief will also be provided to ease discomfort.

Bruising and swelling will not be restricted to the nose and can affect the whole face, which is normal following rhinoplasty surgeries. Swelling should gradually start to subside after 7-14 days, and patients should expect the changes to the nose to be apparent once the swelling has reduced. The healing will evolve over the following days, weeks, and months but it can take up to 1 year post-op to see the final result.

*There is no guarantee of specific outcomes so individual results and experiences can vary from person to person.

In the UK patients aren't able to undergo rhinoplasty procedures until they are 18+ years of age. If you have been considering cosmetic surgery for a while and are under the age of 18, MYA recommends talking to your friends and family and carrying out research into the procedure until you are of legal age to proceed with surgery.    

Rhinoplasty recovery time

Every patient’s rhinoplasty recovery timeline is different. MYA recommend a 6-week recovery process, any bruising and swelling should subside between 7-14 days with healing evolving over several weeks and months. It’s important to note that it can take up to 1 year post-op to see the final nose result.

Patients will need to attend post-op checkups with their MYA nurse to monitor their healing. At these appointments your nurse will take photos so you can see your Rhinoplasty before and after results.

After rhinoplasty surgery, patients can expect to return to work between 7-10 days post-op for office-based jobs. If your job is more physically demanding, you may be required to take 2 weeks off work for recovery, this can be discussed with your MYA Nurse.

It’s quite common for there to be some difficulty with breathing through the nose during the first week or so after the operation. This is reduced when the swelling disappears. However, it’s common for the way patients breathe to feel different due to the reduction in the size of the nose.  This shouldn’t cause permanent breathing problems.

In terms of scarring after a rhinoplasty, the location of your scars will depend on the incision site for the type of rhinoplasty you undergo. If you have a closed rhinoplasty, your scars will be completely hidden inside your nose. If you are having an open rhinoplasty, there will be a small scar on the base of your nose between your nostrils, but because it's under your nose, it's hidden from plain sight - it's usually not noticeable unless you get up close to look at it. 

Although you will be eager to see your final results, you must not remove your cast (nasal splint) at any point. Your MYA nurse will remove this under strict surgeon instruction around 7-14 days after your surgery. It can be a bit uncomfortable as you'll be wearing it 24 hours a day but it's a very important part of your care and your end result. The rhinoplasty filler packing will be removed from your nose prior to discharge.

Benefits of Rhinoplasty

The main benefit of rhinoplasty is the noticeable boost in self-esteem. Many of our past patients have returned to us, informing us how much more secure and confident they feel in their day-to-day lives after having a nose job.

Nose reshaping benefits:

• Enhanced Self- Confidence

• Improved Symmetry/ facial harmony

• Improve breathing difficulties 

• Aid sleep

• Mend injury

Costs and Financing Options

Rhinoplasty prices start from £8,495.

Rhinoplasty surgery costs are tailored to individual requirements and can vary from person to person. Click here for further information on Rhinoplasty costs.

We understand that cost is an important factor when considering cosmetic surgery so if you’re looking for an affordable rhinoplasty then MYA finance is the best option for you.

When considering Nose job financing, it is very common that in some circumstances people are able to financially afford the monthly payments but lenders might not be prepared to take the risk of approving a loan because they have no credit history or a low credit score. For this reason, we've set up a specialist Finance department to help people in this very position.  To read more about our finance options, click here.

Why choose MYA for Rhinoplasty

At MYA, we pride ourselves on offering a high level of service and quality in all that we do whilst supporting thousands of happy patients.

Our expert rhinoplasty surgeons are some of the most skilled professionals in the industry. All our surgeons are accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure when you have MYA nose reshaping you get the best professional advice and quality.

We are extremely proud to report that in a recent CQC inspection MYA were rated OUSTANDING! You can be safe in the knowledge that all MYA Cosmetic Surgery clinical hubs and hospitals are CQC registered. The CQC continue to monitor and regulate the services provided by healthcare providers to ensure standards are met at all times.

Testimonials from some of our trusted rhinoplasty patients:

 “I began researching cosmetic surgery properly at the age of 20. I knew that surgery was going to be the best option for me and so went for consultations with two different companies.

Meeting both my patient coordinator, Julie and my surgeon Dr Giannitrapani at MYA Cosmetic Surgery instantly put me at ease, their knowledge made me feel really comfortable and they ensured my mind and expectations of what surgery could achieve for me were realistic before I booked in for the actual surgery.” – read Laura’s story here

“This procedure has honestly changed my life, I finally feel comfortable in my own skin after so many years of feeling so unhappy. The shape of my nose is now in proportion with the rest of my face and I feel amazing. I would absolutely recommend MYA without a doubt. I’ve had the best experience with MYA.” – read Carolines story here

“This procedure has honestly changed my life! My mental health has boosted so much since my surgery and I feel more confident, I'm happier in myself and it's having an effect on my social life for the better! I would 1000% recommend MYA.” – read Jessica’s story here

Book Rhinoplasty consultation here

If you’re interested in rhinoplasty and want to understand more about the procedure, benefits and recovery, contact the team at MYA today. By booking a consultation, you can speak to a professional and ask as many questions as you need to make your decision easier and be on your way to schedule nose reshaping surgery.

Click here to book your FREE consultation!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and check out our patient forum for patient stories and tips from those who have experienced nose surgery first-hand.