The stages
of a rhinoplasty

Once you have made your decision, you can book an operating date with the secretariat.

The intervention takes place in the Clémentville and Saint-Roch clinics in Montpellier.

It is essential to notify us as soon as possible if you wish to move the date of your intervention, as the intervention mobilizes a lot of operating room staff. The anaesthetist must be seen between 30 and 10 days before the intervention.

The splints are removed between 6 and 10 days after the procedure. The face is usually swollen and bruised for 10 days.

There are no more swelling or bruising after 3 weeks post-operative.

Ideally, organize yourself to be on vacation in the operating suites.

Avoid placing eyelash extensions before the procedure as eye protections can make them fall.

If you have regular periods, it is better to have surgery outside your cycle. If this is not the case, it does not matter however it is possible for there to be more post-operative edema.

Because of this, we advise you to take this information into account when making an appointment.

There is no preferable season for the operation. Note that swimming is prohibited for 3 weeks and that some sports should be avoided in the operating suites.

It is possible to take a flight in the days following the operation provided that it is a short trip (<3h).

Avoid taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs. You will be called by the clinic the day before the operation to give you the exact time of entry.

Avoid consuming for 10 days: Anti-inflammatory drugs, Aspirin, Vitamins and other food supplements. You can consume Arnica.

Care: start the next morning of the operation local care: wash with saline water: instil gently while inhaling. Leave in for 2-3 seconds, then blow your nose gently. Never blow your nose hard.

The splints that are often placed in your nose give the impression of a cold and can give a sneezing reflex. In case of sneezing, don't worry: keep your mouth open.

Shower: avoid baths and take showers that must be fresh. The splint can be slightly passed under fresh water but under no circumstances should it be exposed to steam and hot water, except on the day of the first appointment.

In the case of a costal cartilage graft

You will have a scar located under the chest on the right. On the first night you will have a thin catheter diffusing an anaesthetic product ( Naropein), which will be removed by the nurse when you are discharged the next morning. This is not painful.

Pain related to costal sampling is felt from the moment the catheter is removed and lasts about 15 days.

It is imperative to avoid contracting the abdominals, especially when getting out of bed, for 15 days.

The scar is normally very fine-line in the long term on Caucasian skin. If you have pigmented skin, it is necessary to protect it from the sun and monitor it.

In the case of conchal cartilage graft (ear)

The scar is hidden behind the ear. A small greasy gauze dressing is put in front of the ear.

You can remove it from the day after the operation. The absorbable stitches are placed in front of and behind the ear.

The ear will remain sensitive for about a week.

These are the most unpleasant days. It is common to experience a feeling of a perpetual sinusitis with significant pressure on the face and a little fever. Edema, which was not present on the evening of the intervention, can appear suddenly.

If you are suffering from a lot of discomfort, you can sleep with 2 to 3 cushions and apply ice. Don't stay in a room that is too hot. Try to stay in an upright position outside bedtime. Do not lean forward.

It is normal to have the impression that the nose is running continuously.

Avoid activity that can increase blood pressure.

You can go outside from the 2nd day and walk 2 to 3 km a day, in the shade.

Do not exercise for a month.

Do not put your head under the water of a pool or the sea for a month.

Glasses can be placed on the splint. On the other hand, avoid wearing heavy glasses after removing the splint, for 15 days.

Ideally, use contact lenses.

If you have bruises, avoid the sun. Otherwise, you can expose yourself in moderation, without sweating.

You may experience a strange tingling sensation and sometimes pain in the palate and incisors. This sensation can persist for about ten days.

This is the period during which a risk of infection persists, which increases if it is a revision rhinoplasty, with smoking and if there have been injections of hyaluronic acid. The risk is 3%. The infection is manifested by the sudden appearance of redness and edema of the nose, whilst the swelling of the nose was deflating. In this situation, it is necessary to contact your surgeon.

Nasal edema will gradually decrease. Each patient is different, it can be fast as well as very long, up to 18 months.

In general, the area in which swelling can take the longest to subside is the "supra tip" area The more edematous the nose, the more common it is to feel respiratory discomfort. The fact that edema varies during the day is a very good indication for a significant deflation.