Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer For Medicare For Providers For Brokers For Employers Español For Individuals & Families: For Individuals & Families
Shop for Plans

Shop for Plans
Shop for your own coverage
Medical Dental Other Supplemental
Plans through your employer

Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer.

Explore coverage through work
Learn
How to Buy Health Insurance Types of Dental Insurance Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment See all topics
Looking for Medicare coverage?
Shop for Medicare plans
Member Guide
Find a Doctor
Medical Dental Other Supplemental Explore coverage through work How to Buy Health Insurance Types of Dental Insurance Open Enrollment vs. Special Enrollment See all topics Shop for Medicare plans Member Guide Find a Doctor Log in to myCigna
Home Knowledge Center Wellness Library Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty

Surgery Overview

Rhinoplasty is surgery to reshape your nose. It can be done to improve your appearance, fix a birth defect, or help you breathe better.

The doctor will make a cut inside your nostrils. This cut is called an incision. You might also get one across the skin between the nostrils. Then the doctor will pull back the skin. Parts of the bones and cartilage under the skin will be removed or reshaped. Then the doctor will put the skin back in place and close the incisions with stitches. You will have thin scars that will fade with time. You won't even see the scars inside the nostrils.

Rhinoplasty may be done using general or local anesthesia. It's usually done as an outpatient procedure. But some people may need to stay overnight in the hospital or surgery center.

What To Expect

What To Expect

The splint and bandaging around your nose will be removed in about a week.

Your face will feel puffy and the area around your eyes and nose will be bruised and swollen for several days. Cold compresses can help minimize the swelling and reduce pain. Your doctor may also recommend pain medicine. It takes about 10 to 14 days before most of the swelling and bruising improves.

You may need to keep your head elevated and relatively still for the first few days after surgery. It may be several weeks before you can return to strenuous activities.

Why It Is Done

Why It Is Done

Rhinoplasty can change the size, shape, and angle of your nose and bring it into better proportion with the rest of your face. It may also correct structural problems with the nose that cause chronic congestion and breathing problems.

Cosmetic surgery should only be done on a fully developed nose. This has usually occurred by age 15 or 16 in females and by age 17 or 18 in males. If surgery is done sooner, continued growth of the nose can change the results of the surgery. And it could cause complications.

 How Well It Works

How Well It Works

If your expectations are realistic and your plastic surgeon shares them, the surgeon will probably be able to give you the results you want. That's why it's important that you and your plastic surgeon agree on the goals of the surgery.

The results of rhinoplasty may be minor or significant, depending on what kind of correction you want.

Risks

Risks

You can always expect temporary swelling and bruising around the eyes and nose after rhinoplasty. Other problems that may occur include:

  • Bleeding.
  • Injury or holes to your septum (the wall that separates your nostrils).
  • Skin problems, including breakdown of skin tissue (skin necrosis) and irritation from the tape and bandaging.
  • Infection. Preventive antibiotics may be given after surgery to reduce the risk of infection.
  • Serious nasal blockage caused by swelling inside the nose.
  • Complications of anesthesia.

It is also possible that the cosmetic results of the surgery will not be what you wanted.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.

© 1995-2024 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

<cipublic-spinner variant="large"><span>Loading…</span></cipublic-spinner>

Page Footer

I want to...

Get an ID card File a claim View my claims and EOBs Check coverage under my plan See prescription drug list Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility Find a form Find 1095-B tax form information View the Cigna Glossary Contact Cigna

Audiences

Individuals and Families Medicare Employers Brokers Providers

Secure Member Sites

myCigna member portal Health Care Provider portal Cigna for Employers Client Resource Portal Cigna for Brokers

The Cigna Group Information

About Cigna Healthcare Company Profile Careers Newsroom Investors Suppliers The Cigna Group Third Party Administrators International Evernorth

 Cigna. All rights reserved.

Privacy Legal Product Disclosures Cigna Company Names Customer Rights Accessibility Non-Discrimination Notice Language Assistance [PDF] Report Fraud Sitemap Cookie Settings

Disclaimer

Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of Cigna.

All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites. Details