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Dr. Gustavo Suárez · Patient information

After rhinoplastyRecovery, risks and follow-up care.

Swelling, bruising and a feeling of congestion can be part of recovery. The pace depends on the procedure, each person's progress and the type of activity.

Request a consultation What to expect

Before surgery

A recovery
explained beforehand.

When considering rhinoplasty, questions arise about recovery and returning to usual activities. Understanding the care required and possible complications helps you understand what having surgery involves. This is why the doctor explains postoperative care and how follow-up will be organised before the procedure.

There is no timetable that applies to everyone: returning to work or exercise depends on the procedure, progress during recovery and the type of activity. The appearance during the first few weeks may still change over the following months.

Learn about rhinoplasty

When to seek help

Warning
signs.

Swelling and congestion may be part of recovery. Severe or uncontrolled pain, significant bleeding or unexpected symptoms require contacting the team that performed the procedure as soon as possible or seeking medical attention. If you have significant breathing difficulties or another emergency, go to the emergency department.

Before surgery, ask for written instructions and confirm which contact channel to use if a problem arises. Do not wait for the next scheduled follow-up appointment if there is a warning sign. This website does not provide an emergency contact channel.

Follow-up appointments

Review
progress.

Follow-up appointments allow healing, breathing and changes in shape to be assessed. The schedule and instructions are agreed with the surgical team; there is no single protocol that can be set out here.

According to the NHS, some people need up to two weeks off work and between four and six weeks before resuming strenuous exercise. These are general guidelines, not permission to resume activities: the procedure, your work and your progress may alter these times. Swelling and the result continue to evolve over months.

After surgery

How
recovery progresses.

The length of each stage depends on the procedure and each patient's recovery.

  1. At the end of the operation

    The nose is usually protected with a dressing and splint. Specific instructions for those days are explained before the procedure.

  2. The first few days

    Swelling, bruising around the eyes, a feeling of congestion, stiffness or reduced sensation in the nose and some mild bleeding may occur. The Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology notes that the nose does not usually hurt after rhinoplasty, and discomfort can be controlled with usual painkillers.

  3. The following weeks

    Swelling gradually subsides. The return to work depends on the procedure, progress and type of activity, and it is advisable to avoid strenuous physical activity and heavy lifting until the doctor says these can be resumed.

  4. The following months

    The appearance in the first few weeks may still change. Swelling takes time to disappear completely, and it may take a while before the full effect of the operation is visible.

  5. Follow-up care

    Progress is reviewed during consultations. How this follow-up is organised is explained before surgery.

General guidance

Care
for the first few days.

The British health service sets out these general care recommendations. Each patient must follow the instructions given by the doctor before the procedure.

With time

The appearance in the first few weeks is not yet the result.

Swelling takes time to disappear completely and the nose may continue changing over the following months. This is why progress is assessed at follow-up appointments.

Risks and limitations of rhinoplasty

Common questions

Questions about
recovery.

Rest, discomfort and returning to activity after the operation.

How many days of rest are needed after rhinoplasty?

There is no single figure that applies to everyone. Rest and returning to activity depend on the procedure, your progress and the type of activity, and are discussed before surgery.

When can I return to work?

It depends on the procedure, progress during recovery and the type of work, so it is established for each case before the operation.

Is rhinoplasty painful?

The Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology states that the nose is not usually painful after rhinoplasty. Discomfort, swelling and a feeling of congestion may occur, and discomfort can be managed with common painkillers.

What should you avoid after rhinoplasty?

General instructions include not blowing your nose, not getting the splint wet and avoiding strenuous activity. The doctor provides the instructions that apply to each case before the procedure.

When can the final result be seen?

It may take some time. The appearance during the first few weeks may still change over the following months, and swelling takes time to disappear completely.

An informed decision

Known risks
before surgery.

The decision to have surgery is personal: it involves considering whether what surgery can offer meets your own objectives and whether its risks are acceptable. Before the procedure, the doctor explains the proposed changes, postoperative care and follow-up, and this information also includes possible complications.

Risks do not carry the same weight in every case. The medical assessment allows the risks relevant to each patient and how they would be addressed to be reviewed. Before surgery, an informed consent document describing the procedure and its risks is also signed.

What the initial consultation involves

Two different things

Risks
and limitations of surgery.

Risks are possible complications of the procedure. Limitations are changes that surgery cannot achieve, even if there are no complications. Both are reviewed during the consultation.

Risks

  • What may occur during or after surgery.
  • These include bleeding, infection, healing problems and breathing difficulties.
  • They are reviewed before surgery, case by case.

Limitations

  • Anatomy sets limitations that must be considered when planning the result.
  • A photograph of someone else does not allow the same result to be promised.
  • The desired result must be considered in relation to what surgery can achieve.
  • There is no perfect nose.

What the sources report

The risks
that are reviewed.

These are the risks listed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and the British health service. This is not an exhaustive list and does not indicate how often each risk occurs.

Possible complications are exceptional. During the consultation, following medical assessment, the risks are explained individually according to each patient's characteristics.

Bleeding

Haemorrhage or haematoma. The British health service specifically mentions heavy nosebleeds.

Infection and scarring

Infection, poor wound healing or unfavourable scarring.

Breathing

Changes in airflow after the operation. The British health service notes the possibility that breathing difficulty may be permanent.

Sensation and sense of smell

Changes in skin sensation or numbness, persistent pain and changes in the sense of smell.

Shape and skin

Nasal asymmetry, irregularities in the skin contour, rupture of small superficial blood vessels, discolouration and swelling. The aesthetic result may not meet expectations.

Septum and nearby structures

Injury to nearby structures, including the cartilage separating the nostrils. Septal perforation is listed by the ASPS as uncommon.

Implanted materials

Reactions to implanted materials, when these are used.

Risks of any surgery

The general risks of any procedure, such as blood clots or allergic reactions.

Another procedure

In some cases, further surgery may be required: if the aesthetic result is unsatisfactory, if functional problems persist or if late complications arise.

What no one can promise

Results are not always predictable or permanent.

This is stated in the information document from the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology. The aesthetic result may not match expectations and, in some cases, further surgery may be required.

Revision rhinoplasty

During the consultation

What to ask
about the risks.

These questions help you understand the risks, treatment options and limitations of the procedure.

Common questions

Questions about
risks and results.

Questions about surgical complications and results.

Is rhinoplasty dangerous?

Like all surgery, it has general risks and risks specific to the nose. Those reviewed include bleeding, infection, changes in scarring and breathing difficulties. Possible complications are exceptional. During the consultation, following the medical assessment, the risks are explained individually according to each patient's characteristics.

What happens if the result is not as expected?

The aesthetic result may not meet expectations and, in some cases, further surgery may be required. After a previous rhinoplasty, the assessment takes into account the earlier operation, the condition of the tissues and the progress of healing, and it may be necessary to wait for the nose to finish recovering. Revision rhinoplasty.

Can breathing worsen after rhinoplasty?

Breathing difficulties are among the described risks, and the British health service notes the possibility that they may be permanent. The preoperative examination assesses the septum and the structures involved in airflow, including the nasal valves and turbinates.

Can the sense of smell change?

Changes in the sense of smell are among the risks listed by the British health service. This is one of the points worth reviewing during the consultation.

Can anyone guarantee the result?

No. Results are not always predictable or permanent, and no surgeon can guarantee the result in a nose that has already undergone surgery.

Patient information

More information
for your consultation.

Sources of information