Plastic surgery · Face
Rhinoplasty
Nasal surgery planned around proportion, breathing, anatomy and what matters to you.
Rhinoplasty reshapes the bone and cartilage of the nose. It may address appearance, selected breathing problems or both. Planning should consider the rest of your face as well as nasal function.
Common starting points
What brings patients to us
Reasons for assessment include a change in nasal shape, a concern about facial balance, breathing difficulty or a previous injury. Appearance and function are connected, so reshaping should be considered alongside the structures that support breathing.
Shape & proportion
Concerns about profile, width, projection, the tip or how the nose relates to the wider face.
Breathing
Persistent obstruction or structural concerns that may need functional evaluation alongside appearance.
Injury or trauma
Changes in shape or function following an injury, considered in the context of healing and anatomy.
Revision concerns
Further assessment after previous nasal surgery, where anatomy and expectations can be more complex.
Understanding rhinoplasty
One operation, different objectives
The aim is an individual change rather than reproducing another person’s nose. Small alterations can noticeably affect facial balance. Discuss your priorities in your own words and distinguish what you would like changed from features you want to retain.
Possible objectives
Aesthetic, functional or combined
Your consultation determines which objective is relevant and whether rhinoplasty is the right treatment at all.
Aesthetic rhinoplasty
May address features such as the bridge, tip, nostrils, projection or overall proportion.
Functional surgery
Focuses on structural causes that may affect nasal airflow. Further assessment may be required.
Combined planning
Considers appearance and function together when both are relevant to the individual case.
Consultation & suitability
The decision starts before the operating room
Your surgeon reviews breathing symptoms, previous injuries or operations, medicines and health history. Examination considers skin thickness, nasal support and facial proportions. Photographs may support planning, but they cannot guarantee the final appearance.
- 01Your priorities
What you would like to change, why it matters and what a satisfactory outcome means to you.
- 02Medical assessment
Health history, medicines, previous procedures, breathing symptoms and examination inside and outside the nose.
- 03Photography & planning
Standardised photographs may support discussion of proportion, possibilities and limitations.
- 04Informed consent
The proposed approach, alternatives, recovery, risks and follow-up should be clear before you decide.
Surgical approaches
The technique follows the anatomy
Open rhinoplasty adds a small incision between the nostrils to internal incisions. Closed rhinoplasty uses internal incisions. Septoplasty treats the nasal septum and can be combined with reshaping when appropriate. The incision approach alone does not determine the quality of a result.
Open rhinoplasty
Uses a small external incision between the nostrils in addition to internal incisions, allowing wider access to nasal structures.
Closed rhinoplasty
Uses incisions inside the nostrils. Suitability depends on the planned changes and the surgeon’s assessment.
Tip refinement
Focuses on shape, support or projection of the nasal tip while considering the nose as a whole.
Septorhinoplasty
May combine external reshaping with work on the septum when both form and function need consideration.
Revision rhinoplasty
Further surgery after a previous procedure. It can involve more complex anatomy and careful expectation-setting.
Your treatment journey
Clear steps, coordinated care
Bone or cartilage may be reduced, repositioned or supported with cartilage grafts. The anaesthetic plan depends on the operation. Afterward, splints or dressings may protect the nose while early healing begins; follow-up is part of the treatment.
- 01Consultation
Goals, health, breathing and anatomy are assessed.
- 02Plan & consent
Options, limitations, risks and aftercare are explained.
- 03Preparation
Pre-operative instructions and hospital arrangements are confirmed.
- 04Surgery
The agreed procedure is performed in the planned clinical setting.
- 05Review
Healing, symptoms and progress are monitored over time.
Recovery & aftercare
Healing is gradual
Many people return to work or school after one to two weeks. Heavy lifting and strenuous exercise commonly need four to six weeks of restriction. Protect the nose from pressure or impact and follow advice on glasses, sleeping position and nasal care.
Protection & rest
A splint or dressing may be used. Swelling, bruising and nasal congestion are common early experiences.
Visible recovery
Many people return to work in one to two weeks. Bruising and swelling may still be visible.
Ongoing refinement
Swelling continues to settle. The tip can take longer than other areas to refine.
Final assessment
Final refinement often takes around a year. Keep the agreed review appointments as the nose settles.
Work, exercise, travel and social timelines depend on the operation and your recovery. Confirm these during consultation rather than relying on a fixed online estimate.
Results & follow-up
Real outcomes need real context
Swelling improves gradually. The nose can continue changing for around a year, so early asymmetry or puffiness should not be treated as the final result. Further surgery is sometimes considered, but revision is a separate decision after assessment.
Priorities & assessment
Your concerns, nasal anatomy, breathing and agreed clinical objectives form the starting point.
Approach & rationale
The procedure and its clinical reasoning can be explained without overstating the outcome.
Progress over time
Results can be shown at consistent, clearly stated review points with relevant context.
Risks & considerations
An informed choice includes uncertainty
Risks include bleeding, infection, scarring, breathing difficulty, altered sensation or smell, asymmetry and a hole in the nasal septum. Persistent swelling or dissatisfaction may require further assessment. Seek prompt advice about severe pain, fever or bleeding that does not settle.
Your individual risk profile depends on your health, anatomy, the planned procedure and other factors. Your surgeon should explain material risks and alternatives before consent.
Images, simulations and previous cases can support discussion, but they cannot promise an identical outcome.
Alternatives & related care
Compare the right nasal pathway
A person concerned mainly about obstruction may need functional assessment rather than cosmetic reshaping. Another person may decide to keep their natural nose. Previous injury or surgery can change the available options and the complexity of treatment.
Septoplasty
Assessment focused on selected internal structural causes of nasal obstruction.
Explore septoplasty →Septorhinoplasty
Combined planning where external nasal form and internal function are both relevant.
Explore septorhinoplasty →Revision rhinoplasty
Further assessment after previous nasal surgery, where anatomy and expectations can be more complex.
Explore revision care →
Laforma specialist
Professor Dr. Farukh Aslam Khalid
Professor Dr. Farukh Aslam Khalid is the assigned specialist for rhinoplasty consultations at Laforma Hospital.
The team will confirm the clinician and consultation pathway appropriate to your needs when responding to your enquiry.
View specialist profile
Your care at Laforma
Specialist care in a licensed hospital
Rhinoplasty planning is coordinated around the appropriately qualified surgical team, anaesthetic assessment where required, and structured follow-up.
Laforma is a licensed hospital with state-of-the-art facilities designed to support consultation, treatment and recovery within one coordinated pathway.
Explore our facilityFrequently asked questions
Before your consultation
These answers are general. Your surgical team will tailor advice to your anatomy, health and agreed plan.
Does open rhinoplasty mean a better result?
No. Open and closed describe surgical access. The choice depends on the structures being treated and the changes required.
Can I choose an exact nose from a photograph?
A photograph can help explain your preferences. Your anatomy and the need to preserve function limit what can be achieved; an identical copy cannot be promised.
When should I assess my final shape?
Allow the nose to heal and swelling to settle over many months. Final refinement often takes around a year.
Your next step
Start with a conversation, not a commitment
Request a consultation to discuss your concerns, suitability and the questions that matter to you.
Request a consultation