Rhinoplasty in Pune: Nose Reshaping and Breathing Surgery

What is rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty is surgery on the bone and cartilage that give the nose its shape. People choose it for two broad reasons, and many have both:

• Appearance: a hump on the bridge, a wide or crooked nose, a drooping or bulbous tip, wide nostrils, or a nose that is out of balance with the rest of the face.
• Function: difficulty breathing through the nose because of a deviated septum (the wall dividing the two sides), narrow nasal valves, or a nose damaged by an old injury.

When the septum is straightened at the same time, the operation is called septorhinoplasty. Our article on rhinoplasty vs septoplasty explains the difference.

Who may benefit, and how is suitability assessed?

You may be suitable if you are bothered by the shape of your nose or have structural breathing problems, your facial growth is complete (usually 16 years and above), you are in good general health, and your expectations are realistic.

At consultation your surgeon will:

1. Listen to your goals: what you would like to change, and why. Photos of noses you like can help the discussion, but your own anatomy decides what is achievable.
2. Examine the nose inside and out: skin thickness, the bridge, tip support, nostrils and septum. A thick-skinned nose shows tip refinement less sharply than a thin-skinned one.
3. Check your breathing: which side is blocked and whether it is structural or due to allergies.
4. Take standard photographs from several angles to plan the surgery.
5. Screen for conditions that change the plan, such as bleeding disorders, sleep apnoea, regular use of decongestant nasal sprays, or body dysmorphic disorder (excessive distress about a minor or imagined flaw). Professional guidelines recommend this screening before rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty may be postponed if you are under 16, have an active sinus infection, smoke heavily, or are going through a stressful life event that makes decision-making hard.

What are the treatment options?

Option	What it can do	Limitations
Closed rhinoplasty	Hump reduction, bridge narrowing, moderate tip work through cuts inside the nostrils	Less direct view of the tip for complex changes
Open rhinoplasty	Precise tip reshaping, grafts, revision and crooked noses through a small cut across the columella	Small external scar; tip swelling lasts longer
Septoplasty or septorhinoplasty	Straightens the septum to improve breathing, with or without reshaping	Allergy-related blockage needs medical treatment as well
Alar base reduction	Narrows wide nostrils with small cuts at the nostril base	Small scars in the natural crease
Non-surgical “liquid rhinoplasty” (fillers)	Smooths a small hump or lifts the tip temporarily	Cannot make the nose smaller, cannot improve breathing, needs repeating, rare vascular risks
No surgery	Accept the current shape; treat breathing medically	Structural problems remain

The open vs closed rhinoplasty article compares the two surgical approaches in detail.

How is rhinoplasty performed?

1. Anaesthesia: most rhinoplasties are done under general anaesthesia.
2. Incisions: inside the nostrils for a closed approach, or with an added small cut across the columella for an open approach.
3. Reshaping: a hump is reduced by shaving bone and cartilage; the nasal bones may be narrowed or straightened; the tip cartilages are trimmed, repositioned or stitched to refine shape and support.
4. Grafts if needed: small pieces of cartilage, usually from the septum, are used to support or build up areas. In revision surgery, ear or rib cartilage is sometimes needed.
5. Septum and breathing: a deviated septum is straightened, and the nasal valves may be supported.
6. Closing and splinting: the skin is redraped and stitched, an external splint is applied, and soft internal splints or packs are sometimes placed.

Most people go home the same day once they are awake and comfortable.

How should you prepare, and what should you ask?

• Stop smoking well before surgery; it affects healing of the delicate tip skin.
• Tell your surgeon about all medicines and supplements, especially blood thinners, aspirin, painkillers such as ibuprofen, and herbal products. Do not stop prescribed medicines without medical advice.
• Avoid decongestant nasal sprays in the weeks before surgery unless your doctor says otherwise.
• Plan two weeks away from important social events and photographs.
• Arrange someone to take you home and stay with you the first night.

Questions to ask at consultation:

• Will you use an open or closed approach, and why?
• Will my septum need to be straightened?
• What can and cannot change with my skin type?
• Will grafts be needed, and from where?
• How will I breathe in the first week, and when is the splint removed?
• What happens if I am not happy with a detail after the swelling settles?

What is recovery like?

Time after surgery	What to expect for most patients
Days 1-3	Blocked nose, swelling and bruising around the eyes. Sleep with your head raised, use cold compresses around (not on) the nose, avoid blowing your nose.
Week 1	The splint and any internal splints are removed. Bruising is fading. Many people return to desk work after 7-10 days.
Weeks 2-4	Most visible bruising and swelling have settled. Avoid contact sports, heavy exercise and pressure on the nose, including resting heavy spectacles on the bridge.
Months 3-6	The nose looks natural to others, but the tip is still slightly swollen, especially with thick skin or open surgery.
6-12 months	The final shape becomes clear as tip swelling resolves.

What are the risks of rhinoplasty?

Swelling, bruising and a blocked nose are expected after surgery. Less common risks include:

• Nosebleeds, usually minor in the first days; heavy bleeding needs urgent review.
• Infection, uncommon and treated with antibiotics.
• Breathing difficulty if the internal airway narrows, which sometimes needs further treatment.
• Asymmetry or irregularities, such as a small bump or dip that becomes visible as swelling settles.
• Numbness of the tip or upper teeth, usually temporary.
• Septal perforation (a hole in the septum), rare.
• Scar across the columella after open rhinoplasty, usually faint.
• Dissatisfaction or need for revision: a proportion of people have a second, smaller operation later. Our article on rhinoplasty risks and revision covers this in detail.
• Anaesthetic risks, which are rare in healthy adults.

Call your surgeon promptly for heavy bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure, fever, increasing pain or swelling after the first few days, or clear fluid running from the nose.

What affects your results?

Skin thickness has a large effect: thin skin shows fine detail, while thick skin softens tip definition and swells for longer. Your bone and cartilage structure, previous injuries or surgery, healing, and how carefully you protect the nose in the first weeks also matter. Rhinoplasty improves balance and breathing; it does not make two noses identical, and small asymmetries are normal.

What affects the cost of rhinoplasty in Pune?

The cost depends on what your nose needs. The main factors are:

• Complexity: a hump reduction is simpler than combined tip, bridge and septum work.
• Primary or revision: revision surgery is usually longer and may need ear or rib cartilage.
• Functional work: septoplasty or valve surgery adds time.
• Anaesthesia and facility: general anaesthesia, operating theatre time and length of stay.
• Tests, medicines and splints, and follow-up visits.

Cosmetic rhinoplasty is usually not covered by health insurance; surgery for a breathing problem or injury may be considered by some insurers. If your nose was injured recently, see our page on facial fracture treatment, because a broken nose should be assessed early.