Rhinoplasty in Turkey

Rhinoplasty (a "nose job") is an operation to change the shape or size of the nose. It can reduce or increase the size, take down a hump on the bridge, reshape the tip or the nostrils, narrow the nose or change the angle between the nose and the upper lip. There are limits to how much a nose can be changed: the result depends on your nose, your skin and your age. Rhinoplasty can be done for appearance, for breathing, or both.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty); BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery.

Rhinoplasty is usually done once the face has finished growing. Good candidates are physically healthy, do not smoke and have realistic goals - the operation is best done for yourself, not to please someone else. Many people want a change to the bridge or the tip. Tell the surgeon about any breathing problems, previous nose surgery or injuries, and every medicine and supplement you take.

Sources: ASPS - Is rhinoplasty right for me?; BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery.

• Closed rhinoplasty - all cuts are inside the nostrils, so there is no visible scar.
• Open rhinoplasty - a small cut across the skin between the nostrils (the columella) gives the surgeon a direct view; the scar is usually hard to see once healed. It is often used for tip work and more complex noses.

You may also hear terms like "preservation", "piezo" (ultrasonic bone instruments) or "ethnic" rhinoplasty. These describe a surgeon's approach or tools, not a different operation. If the nose needs more support or volume, the surgeon uses cartilage - usually from the septum inside the nose, sometimes from the ear or a rib, or donor (cadaver) cartilage. Ask which approach the surgeon plans for you and why.

Sources: ASPS - Rhinoplasty procedure; BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery.

Rhinoplasty can also improve breathing when the cause is in the structure of the nose. A deviated (crooked) septum - the wall between the nostrils - is one of the most common causes; straightening it is called a septoplasty. When the septum is corrected in the same operation as reshaping the outside of the nose, it is called a septorhinoplasty. Not every blocked nose is caused by the septum (allergies or the turbinates can also play a part), so a breathing assessment comes first. Both plastic surgeons and ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeons perform these operations.

Sources: ASPS - Rhinoplasty; BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery; NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty).

The surgeon examines your nose and asks what you dislike and what you would like. Many surgeons show a computer simulation or edited photos. These help you agree on a direction, but they are not a promise of the result - your skin, cartilage and healing decide the final shape. Send clear photos (front, both sides, and from below) so the surgeon can give an initial opinion and a written quote.

Sources: BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery.

• Anaesthesia: usually general anaesthesia.
• Length: often 1.5 to 3 hours, longer for complex or revision noses.
• Hospital stay: often 1 or 2 nights - each package on &NewMe shows the nights in hospital.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty); ASPS - Rhinoplasty procedure.

At the end of the operation a splint or cast is taped on the outside of the nose to protect the new shape. Soft splints or packing may also be placed inside the nose for a few days to support it and reduce bleeding. The external splint usually stays on for about a week and is removed at the check-up, together with any stitches. Your nose will feel blocked while the inside is healing - breathe through your mouth, do not blow your nose and follow your surgeon's instructions on cleaning it.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty); ASPS - Rhinoplasty recovery.

• First days: a sore, stiff and numb nose, a blocked feeling, light nosebleeds, and swelling and bruising around the eyes.
• About 1 week: the splint and stitches come out.
• Work: often up to 2 weeks off.
• About 3 weeks: bruising and redness usually fade.
• 4 to 6 weeks: back to strenuous exercise; ask your surgeon about contact sports and wearing glasses on the bridge.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty).

Most visible swelling settles within a few weeks, so friends usually see a "normal" nose after 2 to 3 weeks. But the nose keeps refining for much longer: the NHS says swelling can take about 6 months to go down, and ASPS says it may take up to a year for the new shape to fully refine. Swelling can come and go, is often worse in the morning, and the tip is usually the last part to settle - especially with thick skin or after revision surgery. Judge the result at around 12 months, not in the first weeks.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty); ASPS - Rhinoplasty recovery.

Plan to stay in Istanbul for about a week, so the surgeon can remove the splint and check your nose before you travel - ask your surgeon how many days they want you to stay before you book flights. On the flight your nose may feel blocked or uncomfortable with the change in cabin pressure; take the medicines and nasal care your surgeon recommends in your hand luggage, drink water and walk around. Avoid long trips straight after surgery if you can. Arrange follow-up at home before you leave.

Sources: NHS - Cosmetic surgery abroad.

A revision (secondary) rhinoplasty corrects or changes the result of an earlier nose operation. ASPS lists the possibility of revisional surgery among the risks of any rhinoplasty. A revision is usually more complex: scar tissue, less cartilage left to work with, and often the need for grafts from the ear, rib or donor cartilage. Because swelling hides the final shape for months, surgeons usually wait until the nose has settled - often around a year after the last operation - before planning a revision. Results are less predictable than a first operation, so choose a surgeon with revision experience, send your previous operation notes if you have them, and ask what a second revision would cost.

Revision packages currently listed on &NewMe: İstanbul Cerrahi Hospital surgical team from €1,750, Dr. Ali Cem Oktay from €2,900, Dr. Orhan Tuğrul from €3,500. How revision prices compare.

Sources: ASPS - Rhinoplasty risks; ASPS - Rhinoplasty procedure; ASPS - Rhinoplasty recovery.

If only the tip bothers you - for example a wide, bulbous or drooping tip - some surgeons offer a tip plasty, which reshapes the tip cartilage without breaking the nasal bones. Recovery is often a little easier, but the tip is the slowest part to settle. Your surgeon will tell you whether tip work alone can give the change you want, or whether the bridge also needs work.

Tip plasty packages currently listed: Dr. Ayberk Akçay from €1,500, Dr. Ali Cem Oktay from €2,000, Dr. Orhan Tuğrul from €2,250.

Sources: BAAPS - Information about rhinoplasty surgery.

Common after-effects are a blocked nose, a stiff and numb nose, swelling and bruising around the eyes and light nosebleeds for the first days. Less common risks include breathing difficulty, a hole in the septum (septal perforation, rare), a change in your sense of smell, heavy nosebleeds, infection, blood clots and a reaction to the anaesthetic. A result you are not happy with - for example asymmetry - is also possible and can mean another operation.

Sources: NHS - Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty); ASPS - Rhinoplasty risks.

• Your coordinator stays with you through recovery - message them first with photos if something worries you.
• Remote follow-up with your surgeon is part of the process after you return home - send photos at the times they ask.

For heavy bleeding that does not stop, a high temperature, spreading redness or severe pain, get medical help at home straight away, then tell your coordinator.

• A plastic surgeon or an ENT / facial plastic surgeon who does rhinoplasty regularly - ENT surgeons are often chosen when breathing is part of the problem.
• A hospital licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health; for international patients, check it on HealthTürkiye (the Ministry's portal).
• Before-and-after photos of noses like yours, ideally at a year.
• A written quote naming the surgeon and the hospital, the nights in hospital, whether grafts are included and how revisions are handled.

On &NewMe the Verified by &NewMe badge only appears when we have checked the hospital's licence and the surgeon's registration and specialty. How we verify

Sources: BAAPS - Consumer safety guidelines.