Breathing After Rhinoplasty – What Patients Can Expect (Portsmouth / Southampton / Winchester / Hampshire)

mrtimbiggs4
Nov 8
2 min read

One of the most common questions patients ask before rhinoplasty is:“Will I be able to breathe afterwards?”

Many people in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Winchester, Southampton and the wider south-coast area are surprised to learn that with modern rhinoplasty techniques, you can actually breathe through your nose straight away upon waking from surgery.

In my practice at Adnova Clinic in Fareham (and in my NHS rhinoplasty practice in Portsmouth) I do NOT use nasal packing.

You Can Breathe Straight Away After Rhinoplasty

There are no nasal packs, and nothing to remove internally later.

Patients breathe comfortably through their nose immediately after surgery. There is no sense of blockage, no claustrophobic “sealed nose” feeling, and no fear about not being able to breathe.

No Nasal Packing / No Claustrophobia

Older rhinoplasty techniques relied on heavy gauze packing inside the nose.Modern rhinoplasty, particularly Piezo ultrasonic rhinoplasty and dorsal preservation rhinoplasty, which I perform routinely, do not require packing at all.

Better technique = fewer bruises, less swelling, and much more comfort.

Simple Aftercare in Hampshire – Drops & Washes

Although breathing is possible right away, the nasal lining does swell slightly as it heals — so to keep the airway open and clean I prescribe:

steroid nasal drops
saline nasal washes

These are simple, easy, and most patients find them very reassuring.This helps keep breathing comfortable while healing continues.

What’s On The Outside?

Externally, patients in my Hampshire rhinoplasty practice will have:

A small dressing and splint on the bridge
I DO NOT use internal nasal splints

These stay on for one week and are removed at review in Fareham at Adnova by myself.

There is nothing that needs to be pulled out from inside the nose.

Modern Rhinoplasty in Portsmouth & Fareham – A Calmer Recovery

Post-op breathing should not be stressful.

With modern techniques, especially Piezo, patients recover faster, feel more comfortable, and do not have to worry about the feelings of suffocation, packing removal, or claustrophobia.