Do I need a general anaesthetic; and how long will I stay in hospital?
Most surgeons prefer to do rhinoplasty operations using a general anaesthetic. You will usually need to stay in hospital at least overnight. For larger reconstructions, you might need to stay longer. If you only need a small implant, a local anaesthetic might be sufficient and you will not need to stay in hospital. What are the risks and what is the complication rate? Make sure you are made aware of all the risks and possible side-effects — for example, some patients experience heavy nose bleeding which may require treatment in hospital. For some patients the nose doesn’t look right, so a further operation (revision) might be required. The revision rate is about 5 per cent and all swelling will need to have settled before further surgery is carried out, which could be more than six months later. Some hospitals record complication rates, although this may be done anonymously. Ask your surgeon what their complication rate is and get them to explain how and why any problems have occurred.
