Rhinoplasty alters the bone and cartilage framework of the nose. It may be cosmetic, functional where breathing is the problem, or both, which is common: a deviated septum and a dorsal hump frequently occur in the same patient, and treating one while ignoring the other rarely satisfies anyone.
A long timeline
This is the operation where expectation and reality diverge most. The splint comes out within the first week and bruising has largely gone by a week. About half the swelling has settled by six weeks. Mild exercise resumes at two to three weeks, strenuous exercise not before six. But swelling of the nose can persist for up to a year, the nose may look asymmetric until around twelve months, and the final shape is only settled at one to two years. Revision surgery should not be considered before a year has passed.
Risk and revision
A review of 117 articles found a revision rate of 5.3%. The same review reported skin problems in 18.3%, numbness in 16.7%, a return visit to hospital in 6.5% and dissatisfaction in 5.0%. Nearly all patients leave hospital the same day.
A word about the marketing
No professional body publishes a reference operating time. Advertisements for a ninety-minute rhinoplasty are commercial messaging rather than a clinical standard: how long it takes depends on the nose, on whether it has been operated on before, and on what is planned for the septum. A better use of the consultation is to ask how often the surgeon operates on noses like yours, what happens if a refinement is needed, and who will review you at a year, when the shape finally stabilises.