Nose Surgery Frankfurt: Procedure and Recovery

In brief: Nose surgery, medically called rhinoplasty, changes the shape of the nose and can improve breathing if a hump bothers you or you cannot breathe freely. It takes about two hours under general anaesthesia, after which you stay one night in the clinic. Most people can work again after two to three weeks, and depending on skin thickness the final result shows after one to three years.

The nose sits in the centre of the face, and even small changes to the hump, tip or length shift the overall impression. At the same time it is a breathing organ. That is why every plan also asks whether you can breathe freely. Here you can read what nose surgery can achieve, how surgery and healing work and where the limits are. How consultation and treatment are organised at our practice is explained on our page on rhinoplasty in Frankfurt.

What is nose surgery?

Nose surgery is the everyday term for rhinoplasty, the surgical correction of the nose. A nose job usually means the same procedure. Medically, two goals are distinguished, and they can often be combined in one operation.

Aesthetic rhinoplasty is about shape: a hump on the bridge, a wide or bulbous tip, a nose that is too long or crooked. Functional nose surgery focuses on breathing. Common causes of obstructed nasal breathing are a deviated septum and enlarged turbinates that slow the airflow. Straightening the septum is called septoplasty. Combined with a correction of shape, it is called septorhinoplasty.

Whether breathing is restricted is clarified in the examination before surgery, which includes looking inside the nose to assess septum and turbinates. Asking about breathing is worthwhile even if only the shape bothers you.

What can be changed in a nose correction

A nose correction targets the areas that shape the profile. A concern often involves several areas, because hump, tip and length are visually linked. If only the hump is removed, the tip can look larger afterwards. That is why the nose is planned as a whole.

Removing a nasal hump

A hump on the bridge of the nose consists of bone and cartilage. During surgery it is removed and the bridge is smoothed. This leaves a gap between the nasal bones at the top of the bridge, called an open roof. To keep the bridge narrow, the open roof is closed if necessary by targeted osteotomies, controlled cuts through the nasal bones. Whether you need this depends on the size of the hump and the width of the nose and is clarified in your consultation. We explain this in detail in our article on nasal hump removal.

Refining the nasal tip

The shape of the tip is formed by the alar cartilages and the skin over them. With a wide or bulbous tip, the cartilages are reduced, reshaped or realigned with fine sutures. With thick skin, tissue under the skin can also be thinned. How much the tip can change depends mainly on skin thickness: thin skin shows every cartilage contour, thick skin hides fine changes. If only the tip bothers you, this area alone can be corrected; read more in our article on nose tip correction.

Shortening a long nose

A nose that looks too long usually has a drooping tip. Length is therefore corrected via the tip, whose shape and position are adjusted. The goal is an angle between nose and upper lip that suits your face. If the nose is shortened too much, the nostrils become clearly visible from the front, so this step is planned with particular care.

Narrowing a wide nose

Depending on the starting point, a nose reduction involves the bony bridge, the tip or the nostrils. A wide bridge becomes narrower when the nasal bones are repositioned. Wide nostrils can be reduced if needed. How large a nose looks depends strongly on its relation to forehead, cheeks and chin. If your nose is crooked, you will find causes and options in our article on the crooked nose.

Rebuilding the nose with your own cartilage

Some noses need more support rather than less volume, especially after previous operations. Supporting tissue is then often missing, and the bridge may have collapsed, known as a saddle nose. In a reconstruction this framework is rebuilt with the patient's own cartilage. We only harvest cartilage from the ear or rib if the nose has been operated on before. We usually use ear cartilage. Rib cartilage is firmer and available in larger amounts, but harvesting it has its own risks, including in rare cases an injury to the pleura. It is therefore only used after careful consideration.

The perfect nose: proportions and facial harmony

Many people want the perfect nose and have a particular example in mind. In planning, what counts is how nose, forehead, lips and chin work together in profile and from the front. A straight bridge, a clearly contoured tip and an angle to the upper lip that suits the face are generally considered harmonious. The exact measurements differ from face to face.

You are welcome to bring pictures of noses you like. They help put your wish into words. During the consultation three-dimensional images of your face are taken, and we go through the 3D simulation together. This shows which change suits your proportions. Sometimes it turns out that a weak chin makes the nose look larger than it is. A nose that looks beautiful on another face does not automatically suit yours.

Who nose surgery is suitable for

Nose surgery is an option if the shape of your nose bothers you permanently or you breathe poorly through your nose. We perform purely aesthetic nose surgery from the age of 18. We do not operate during an acute illness.

Realistic expectations are important. Surgery can improve proportions and make breathing easier. It cannot transfer someone else's nose to your face, and with thick skin very fine contours remain limited. Anyone expecting a result that cannot be achieved with their own anatomy is not a suitable candidate. Not every change needs surgery: small irregularities can sometimes be evened out with hyaluronic acid. When that makes sense is explained in our article on non-surgical rhinoplasty.

The procedure

Consultation and examination

The process starts with an examination of nose and breathing and a detailed conversation about your wishes. Three-dimensional images of your face are taken and the 3D simulation is discussed with you. You learn which changes are possible, how the procedure is planned and what risks exist.

Preparing for nose surgery

About two weeks before surgery, after consulting us, avoid blood thinning painkillers such as aspirin and supplements that can affect blood clotting. Never stop prescribed medication on your own; discuss it with us instead. If you smoke, a break of a few weeks before and after the procedure noticeably helps wound healing. For the day of discharge, it is best to arrange for someone to take you home.

Surgery at the Berger Klinik

Nose surgery takes place at the Berger Klinik under general anaesthesia and is performed by Dr. Julia Berkei. It usually takes about two hours, complex procedures three to three and a half hours. A correction of the tip alone is shorter than a combined procedure on bone, cartilage and septum. After surgery you stay one night in the clinic.

Open rhinoplasty

Dr. Julia Berkei operates using the open technique. In addition to the incisions inside the nose, a small incision is made across the columella. This exposes cartilage and bone clearly, and the tip in particular can be shaped precisely. A fine scar remains on the columella.

Recovery after nose surgery week by week

The first weeks require some patience. The following describes a typical course. How quickly you heal depends on the extent of the operation and on your skin.

The first two weeks: splint and nasal tubes

After surgery a plastic splint supports the nose from outside; we do not use a plaster cast. Inside, small nasal tubes stabilise the mucous membrane. During this time the nose is blocked and you breathe mainly through your mouth. Swelling and bruising are most noticeable in the first days. The nasal tubes are removed after about seven days, and the splint stays on for around two weeks.

Taping after nose surgery

Once the splint is removed, the nose is taped from the third week. The tape keeps swelling down and helps the skin settle onto the new framework. Depending on healing, taping continues until about two months after surgery. Our team shows you how to tape correctly. Most people can work again after two to three weeks.

Pain three weeks after nose surgery

Three weeks after surgery, swelling, an intermittently blocked nose or a feeling of pressure may still be present. This is normal and fades over time. Contact the practice immediately, however, if heavy bleeding, fever, increasing pain or visual disturbances occur.

Blowing your nose, glasses and sport

Blowing your nose is allowed after two to three weeks at the earliest and only after consulting your surgeon. Glasses, sport including contact sport, swimming and flying are usually possible again after about two months. Until then, contact lenses are the better choice if you need vision correction.

Result and durability

Much of the change is visible as soon as the first swelling has gone down. When can you see the final result of nose surgery? Usually after one to three years. How long it takes depends mainly on skin thickness: thin skin settles onto the new framework faster, while with thick skin slight swelling remains longer, especially at the tip.

The changes to bone and cartilage are usually permanent. How the nose ages over the years depends, as with the rest of the face, on skin and connective tissue.

Risks and side effects of nose surgery

Every operation carries risks, and honest information is part of planning. With nose surgery, temporary side effects and rare complications are distinguished.

Common side effects

• swelling and bruising, also called haematomas
• numbness of the nasal tip and upper lip
• dry mucous membranes or increased nasal discharge
• a temporarily reduced sense of smell

Rare complications

• secondary bleeding, infection and thrombosis
• delayed wound healing
• scarring, for example on the columella
• asymmetries and irregularities on the bridge of the nose
• a hole in the septum that can affect breathing
• when rib cartilage is harvested, an injury to the pleura

If you notice anything after surgery, contact the practice rather than waiting.

Revision rhinoplasty: when the result is not as hoped

Even with careful planning, not every nose heals exactly as planned. Cartilage and scar tissue can change over time, and some deviations only show once the swelling has completely gone. A revision rhinoplasty is then one possible route. This applies to noses operated on by us as well as after previous operations elsewhere.

Timing is crucial. We only operate once at least one year has passed since the previous operation, so that the tissue has fully healed. Not every deviation needs another operation: small dents can, depending on the case, be evened out with hyaluronic acid, and noticeable scars treated with a CO2 laser.

A surgical revision is usually more demanding than the first operation because scar tissue is present and cartilage is often missing. Revisions therefore frequently require additional cartilage from the patient's own body.

Nose surgery for men

Many men want to keep a masculine nose. Often only the hump is removed while length and tip largely stay as they are. The profile looks calmer without the face losing its strong features. Read more on our page on treatments for men.

What the cost of nose surgery depends on

A reliable figure can only be given after the examination, because the effort varies greatly. These factors determine it:

• the extent of the procedure, for example only the tip, or hump, tip and septum together
• whether breathing is improved as well
• for a revision, whether cartilage has to be taken from the ear or rib
• whether it is a first operation or a revision
• anaesthesia, clinic stay and aftercare

After the consultation you receive a written cost plan for your case.

Does health insurance pay for nose surgery?

Health insurance does not pay for purely aesthetic nose surgery. If nasal breathing is demonstrably obstructed, the functional part may be covered. Our practice is a private practice, so you initially pay the costs yourself. Whether your insurer reimburses a functional part is best clarified in writing before surgery. Good to know: in Germany, statutory health insurers can ask you to share the cost of treating complications after a purely aesthetic operation. Special insurance policies exist for this case.

Nose surgery with Dr. Julia Berkei

Our practice is located at Goethestraße 25 in the heart of Frankfurt, and consultations take place at our satellite location on Fressgasse. Dr. Julia Berkei, specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery, performs the nose surgery herself. Surgery takes place at the Berger Klinik under general anaesthesia, and you stay one night after the procedure. Planning includes going through the 3D simulation together, and after surgery we follow up with regular check-ups. Everything about consultation and procedure at our practice can be found on our page on rhinoplasty in Frankfurt.

Frequently asked questions about nose surgery

How much does nose surgery cost?

The cost depends on the extent: whether only the tip or also hump and septum are corrected, whether it is a first operation or a revision and whether cartilage from ear or rib is needed for it. You receive a binding cost plan after the consultation.

Does health insurance pay for nose surgery?

Purely aesthetic nose surgery is not covered. If breathing is demonstrably obstructed, the functional part may be reimbursable. Clarify this in writing with your insurer before surgery.

How long does nose surgery take?

Nose surgery usually takes about two hours, complex procedures three to three and a half hours. It takes place at the Berger Klinik under general anaesthesia, and you stay one night before going home.

When can you blow your nose after nose surgery?

Wait at least two to three weeks and consult your surgeon first. Until then the mucous membrane inside the nose is healing, so only dab away secretions gently.

How often should you rinse your nose after surgery?

When you start nasal rinsing and how often you rinse is decided by your doctor. Rinsing several times a day with saline solution is common after nose surgery. It keeps the mucous membrane moist and loosens crusts.

When can I exercise again after nose surgery?

Sport, including contact sport, is usually possible again after about two months. The same applies to swimming, flying and wearing glasses. Until then the nose needs rest so that bone and cartilage can heal undisturbed.

How long will I be off work after nose surgery?

Most people can work again after about two to three weeks. Physically demanding work can take longer, because exertion disturbs healing and swelling or bruising may still be visible.

Nose correction with or without surgery: what is the difference?

A non-surgical nose correction evens out small irregularities or a slight hump with hyaluronic acid. The result is visible immediately but lasts only for a limited time. Nose surgery changes bone and cartilage permanently and can also make the nose smaller, shorter or improve breathing.

Conclusion

Nose surgery can change the hump, tip, length and width of the nose and improve breathing if needed. How well the result suits you is decided in planning, and how quickly it shows depends mainly on your skin. If you are considering surgery, book a consultation. There we clarify what is possible for your nose and which approach suits you.

Sources

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery: S2k guideline "Form disorders of the inner and/or outer nose", AWMF register number 017-070. register.awmf.org

Last updated: October 2026.