How long does rhinoplasty take?

Mrinal Supriya discusses the duration of the rhinoplasty process

Laura Livesey: From the beginning of contemplating a rhinoplasty to ending up with a nose that you really want to be living with, what is that process? How long does it take?

Mrinal Supriya: Well, again, it varies. There are quite a few of my patients who have been to other surgeons or have looked at my website and have already made up their mind to go through with a rhinoplasty. In this case, we can do it within a few weeks.

On the other extreme, some people are still contemplating it and do not have much information, in which case, I try to bring them back for a second or, if required, third consultation so that they have as much information as possible. It is important that they are comfortable and have asked me all the questions they might have in their mind before they go ahead with the surgery.

The surgery is pretty comfortable. It is under anaesthesia and does not take too long. It is an hour-and-a-half to two-hour-long procedure, and you will be back at your home, having dinner and walking around the same day. So it should not have a huge impact on your day-to-day activity.

Do not hesitate to book a consultation so that you can come and explore the various options. I can go through the expected appearance after your rhinoplasty using my software, and then you can make a better-informed decision…

Laura Livesey: Is that a big part of the process? Getting an idea in your head of what I’m going to look like after?

Mrinal Supriya: You would have thought so, but nowadays, many of my patients have already done that. There are applications which are available free of cost. Many of my patients have already played with their pictures and have an idea of how it’s going to look. If you haven’t done so, I can also show you the changes that will be apparent after surgery.

I would advise my patients to take it with a pinch of salt. What you can do on a computer with a software algorithm is not exactly what happens in the body. So it gives you a general idea of how the appearance will be, but you should not make that exact blueprint your expectation.

Laura Livesey: It sounds like then the process is pretty straightforward. It sounds like some patients can come in and do the whole thing within one month if they’ve already made up their mind, and for others, if they want to, you’ll speak with them several times, and maybe it happens over three to four months. Is that about right?

Mrinal Supriya: Yes. The key thing here is not how long it takes. It is how comfortable you are in your mind about what you want, and your surgeon can deliver. As soon as you and your surgeon are clear about the expectation and what your surgeon can provide, you are good to go.