You’ve done all the research. You’ve researched and interviewed plastic surgeons. You’ve even had a couple of consultations. All that’s left before you’re ready to make the leap is finding out how long a nose job takes to complete. Keep in mind that faster isn’t always better. Certainly, when it comes to surgeries, you want your surgeon to move efficiently. This means being swift enough not to expose your precious interior any longer than necessary, while moving slow and gentle enough to minimize bruising and scarring.
The Preparation
Before the surgery gets underway, there are some very necessary preparations that have to happen first. A trusted rhinoplasty surgeon will always work with a skilled anesthesiologist. And you definitely want your anesthesiologist to do their job right. In addition to the anesthetic, your face has to be cleaned and sterilized, you need to be hooked up to the monitoring system, instrumentation needs to be connected, and more. There’s a lot of preliminary procedures that need to happen before your procedure so that it can be a success. Regardless of how long the surgery takes, pre-op has to happen and should be added to the total procedure time.
The Surgery
The short answer to how long the actual procedure takes is: it varies. The average rhinoplasty comes in under two hours. However, a less experienced plastics surgeon that does not specialize in nose jobs can take up to six hours. Another factor that can affect the time you spend in the operating room is whether or not this is your first (primary) rhinoplasty or revisionary surgery. Getting corrections tends to take longer than the initial nose job. When rhinoplasty is being done to correct or restore natural functions, it will also take more time than purely cosmetic surgery. The level of training, years of experience, and specialization are also major factors in how long the surgery itself will take. If you’ve already chosen a surgeon be sure to put this question on your must-ask list as the length of the surgery will depend on your unique situation and your surgeon’s expertise.
The Recovery
Recovery times are a pretty individualized thing. For those who are in good health and not deficient in vitamins and minerals, healing tends to move at more optimal speeds. Recovery can also be faster for those who have a highly skilled surgeon and for those who had closed rhinoplasty. Recovery typically takes about eight weeks, but it can take longer. In six months to a year, you will likely be fully recovered with the nose of your dreams.
If you’re only interested in the time the surgery takes, it can range from less than two hours to six hours. But if you’re wondering how long a nose job is in its entirety, old nose to new nose, it’s about six months to a year. And if you’re wondering if it’s worth it, only you know that answer. Ask yourself, “What will an improved nose do for my quality of life?”
