Rhinoplasty can change the size, shape, or proportions of your nose. It may be done to repair deformities from an injury, correct a birth defect or improve some breathing difficulties.

You must first meet with your surgeon to discuss whether you’re a good candidate for rhinoplasty. You’ll talk about why you want the surgery and what you hope to accomplish by having it.

Your surgeon will examine your medical history and ask you about any current medications and medical conditions. If you have hemophilia, a disorder that causes excessive bleeding, your surgeon will likely recommend against any elective surgery

Your surgeon will perform a physical exam, looking closely at the skin on the inside and outside of your nose to determine what kind of changes can be made. Your surgeon might order blood tests or other lab tests.

Rhinoplasty can be done in a hospital, a doctor’s office, or an outpatient surgical facility. Your doctor will use local or general anesthesia. If it’s a simple procedure, you’ll receive local anesthesia to your nose, which will also numb your face. You may also get medication through an IV line that makes you groggy, but you’ll still be awake.

With general anesthesia, you’ll inhale a drug or get one through an IV that will make you unconscious. Children are usually given general anesthesia.

Once you’re numb or unconscious, your surgeon will make cuts between or inside your nostrils. They’ll separate your skin from your cartilage or bone and then start the reshaping. If your new nose needs a small amount of additional cartilage, your doctor may remove some from your ear or deep inside your nose. If more is needed, you might get an implant or a bone graft. A bone graft is an additional bone that’s added to the bone in your nose.

The procedure usually takes between one and two hours. If the surgery is complex, it can take longer.

After surgery, your doctor may place a plastic or metal splint on your nose. The splint will help your nose retain its new shape while it heals. They may also place nasal packs or splints inside your nostrils to stabilize your septum, which is the part of your nose between your nostrils.

You’ll be monitored in a recovery room for at least a few hours after surgery. If everything is okay, you’ll leave later that day. You’ll need someone to drive you home because the anesthesia will still affect you. If it’s a complicated procedure, you might have to stay in the hospital for a day or two.

For a few days after your surgery, you might experience drainage and bleeding. A drip pad, which is a piece of gauze taped below your nose, can absorb blood and mucus. Your doctor will tell you how often to change your drip pad.

You might get headaches, your face will feel puffy, and your doctor might prescribe pain medication.

Be especially careful about sun exposure. Too much could permanently discolor the skin around your nose.

You should be able to return to work or school in a week.