Tip Rhinoplasty (Nasal Tip Refinement)

1. Understanding Your Goals

• Your priorities: The consultation starts with what you would like to change, what matters most to you and what you hope surgery will achieve.

2. Clinical Assessment

• Clinical assessment: Dr Mercer assesses anatomy, tissue quality, asymmetry, scars and any factors that may affect the operation or healing.

3. Options, Limits & Planning

• Options and limits: Suitable surgical options, likely scars, trade-offs and realistic outcomes are discussed rather than assuming that surgery is the right answer.
• Planning: If you choose to proceed, clinical photography, measurements and a personalised operative plan are completed before a surgery date is confirmed.

Before surgery

• Assessment: The surgeon determines whether the concern truly is isolated to the tip or whether bridge or septal changes are also required.
• Photography: Multiple views are used to plan projection, rotation and symmetry.
• General preparation: Follow instructions regarding nicotine, medicines, fasting and transport.

Anaesthesia

• General anaesthetic: Tip rhinoplasty is usually performed under general anaesthesia, although the exact anaesthetic plan depends on the procedure.

Tip refinement

• Access: An open or closed approach may be used.
• Cartilage shaping: Existing cartilage is refined with sutures, conservative trimming or repositioning.
• Support: Small cartilage grafts may be used when additional projection or stability is needed.
• Closure: Fine sutures are placed; an external dressing or splint may be used.

Week 1

• Appearance: Swelling is most visible around the tip; a dressing or splint may be present.

Weeks 2–3

• Social recovery: Most patients feel comfortable returning to work as swelling becomes less conspicuous.

Weeks 4–6

• Exercise: Exercise is gradually resumed while contact risk is avoided.

6–12 months +

• Final tip: The tip progressively softens and becomes more defined.

First week

• Protection: Keep dressings dry, sleep elevated and avoid pressure on the nose.
• Swelling: Expect tip swelling and possible bruising even when no bone work is performed.

Weeks 2–6

• Activity: Return to normal activity gradually and protect the nose from impact.
• Glasses: Follow individual advice about glasses if they rest on operated structures.

Early review

• What happens: The team checks wounds, swelling, comfort and any dressings during the first postoperative period.

1–2 weeks

• What happens: Incisions and early healing are reviewed; sutures or dressings are removed when appropriate and activity guidance is updated.

6 weeks

• What happens: Dr Mercer reviews recovery, scars and return to exercise, and checks that healing is progressing as expected.

3–6 months

• What happens: Progress photographs may be taken as swelling settles and scars continue to mature.

Around 1 year

• What happens: A longer-term review can be used to assess the mature result once tissues and scars have fully settled.