Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) Compensation

Claiming for nose reshaping

The outcome of nose reshaping surgery, also known as rhinoplasty, may not have produced the results you anticipated. A patient’s aims and requirements for reshaping may not always be clearly understood in every case.

Your surgeon should have asked you about your expectations and carefully explained the risks and limitations of the selected procedure from the outset. The majority of procedures allow the structure of the nose to “settle down” over a period of up to a year from the slightly odd shape, which may be seen immediately after surgery.

The consequences of cosmetic injuries can leave both permanent physical and psychological scars. When nose reshaping appears to have gone wrong, you may require a second procedure to make adjustments. Further surgery can cause more unnecessary damage.

The long-term consequences of failed or poor cosmetic work can also have a considerable impact upon the quality of life and social interaction.

Your Legal Friend has many years of clinical negligence experience in helping clients who have suffered disfiguring injuries caused by nose-reshaping surgery. We can help you obtain justice and compensation to ensure the financial needs of further remedial treatment, support and any counselling will be fully met.

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Our medical negligence team has years of experience working on a wide variety of cosmetic surgery cases so we understand just how difficult a decision it can be to bring a nose reshaping case.

Rhinoplasty claim team

That’s why we are committed to guiding you through every step of the process. We ensure that your claim is handled carefully and professionally by our specialist solicitors, while working alongside medical experts, to guarantee the best results for you.

Our cosmetic surgery team is headed by Laura Morgan who has a wealth of experience in leading complicated, high-value cases.

Laura is recognised within the legal profession as a leader in the field of medical negligence and serious injury compensation. Laura has acted in a wide range of cases over her 17 years of practice and has particular expertise in acting for children who have suffered brain injury due to mismanaged birth or surgical errors, and in managing claims that have resulted in the death of a loved one. Laura has achieved a number of large settlements including £5.4 million for a 7-year-old and £4 million for an 11-year-old child.

Laura’s expertise and dedication to her clients is recognised in the Chambers guide to the Legal Profession in which she was praised for the efficiency of her approach to case handling and described as “tenacious and detail-oriented”.

Laura has been a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel since 2005 and accredited as a Senior Litigator in the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers(APIL) since 2006. Laura is also a member of the specialist lawyers panel for Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), the UK’s leading charity committed to patient safety and justice.

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The effects of medical negligence can be devastating for the individual and their families, so securing appropriate compensation for them as quickly as possible is our top priority.

Laura Morgan

Director of Medical Negligence

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Your questions... answered

What is rhinoplasty? What are the possible complications of nose surgery? What are the signs of negligent nose reshaping? What are the consequences of negligent nose surgery? What are the different types of rhinoplasty? What is normally expected after the operation? What are the statistics of nose re-shaping? How can Your Legal Friend help?

What is rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty is a surgical operation to reshape the nose. The procedure normally involves separating the soft tissue on top of the nose from the bone and cartilage underneath. In some types of rhinoplasty the nose bone will be broken and repositioned or the cartilage is reshaped.

The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes between one and three hours to complete. You may be required to stay in hospital for one or two nights. A protective splint may also be needed to be worn over your nose for at least one week.

Your surgeon will advise about removing stitches outside the nose. Any stitches inside the nose are likely to be of the dissolvable type.

What are the possible complications of nose surgery?

Heavy nose bleeding – sometimes occur either shortly afterwards or after a week to ten days, which may require hospital treatment.
Implants – where used, may protrude through the skin or become infected, which might require hospital surgery to remove.
Chest infection – particularly in patients who smoke. There is a small risk that infection could complicate the operation.
Still unhappy with appearance...

Once all swelling has disappeared, around one in ten patients may consider that their nose “still does not look right.” In these cases, it may be possible for a second operation to be carried out but a surgeon is likely to advise waiting for a year.

Symptoms of a more serious problem...

The nose is a delicate structure and it may take some time to properly heal and for breathing to be normal again. When a rhinoplasty procedure appears to have gone seriously wrong, the typical symptoms experienced may include:

Structural failure

nasal collapse where the bridge of the nose sinks inwards.

Cartilage or tissue damage

deformity at the tip of the nose
damage to the cartilage wall between the nostrils (septum)
mismatching nostrils or contour irregularities

Nerve injury

Long-term or permanent loss of taste and smell

Infection

Your surgeon should explain the limitations...

The desired change of appearance you expect to see from the reshaping of your nose may not be exactly understood by your surgeon. At your first consultation, your surgeon should ask you about your expectations and carefully explain the risks and limitations of the selected procedure.

Your surgeon should tell you:

What is surgically possible
If the desired change of appearance to the nose can be realistically achieved
The likelihood of leaving scars.

Your surgeon also has a ‘duty of care’ to inform you if there is a possibility of serious complications, which can affect the operation because:

You are a smoker
You are overweight
You have other medical conditions

Read less

What are the signs of negligent nose reshaping?

Following a nose-shaping operation, it could take weeks or even months for swelling and bruising to completely disappear. After a period of time you may begin to feel that “something is not right” if you continue to experience:

Persistent swelling
An uneven appearance
Breathing problems
Loss of sense of taste and smell

What are the consequences of negligent nose surgery?

The majority of procedures allow the structure of the nose to “settle down” over a period of up to a year from the slightly odd shape, which may be seen immediately after surgery.

The long-term consequences of failed or poor cosmetic work can also have a considerable impact upon the quality of life and social interaction.

Read less

What are the different types of rhinoplasty?

There are different types of rhinoplasty or nose reshaping operations available and the exact procedure will depend on your aim for undergoing the treatment.

There are two types of nose shaping:

Reduction rhinoplasty – to make your nose smaller.
Augmentation rhinoplasty - to make your nose larger.

The two main techniques used are:

Open – used in Reduction rhinoplasty – where some or all of the cuts are made outside the nose.

A cut is made inside the nostrils to reach the bone and cartilage, some of which will be removed or rearranged to achieve the desired shape. The skin over the nose remains untouched and will shrink down to its new shape. The nostrils may also be made smaller to keep the patient’s features in proportion.

Closed – used in Augmentation rhinoplasty – where all the cuts are made inside the nose.

A cut is made inside or between the nostrils to access the bone and cartilage for reshaping. Extra bone or cartilage to build up the nose may be taken from the patient’s ears or ribs, and bone from the back of the elbow, skull or hip bone. In some cases, artificial implants are used instead.

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What is normally expected after the operation?

It is normal and reasonable to some minor bleeding from your nose for the first day or two after the operation. An altered sense of smell or taste may also be experienced for a short time.

Other common conditions include:

Bruising and swelling - particularly around the eyes, which can take up to three weeks to completely disappear.
Difficulty with breathing - through the nose during the first week after the operation, which disappears as the swelling settles down.
Numbness and stiffness - particularly around the tip of the nose may be felt for several months.

Open Reduction rhinoplasty:

significant swelling and longer recovery time of around three months or more.

Closed Augmentation rhinoplasty:

no external scarring and usually takes about two weeks to settle down.

Where the nose bone was surgically broken:

noticeable bruising around the eyes for about seven-to-ten days.
yellowing around the eyes for 10-20 days.

Surgery to the tip of the nose :

60 per cent of the changes will still be visible after three weeks.
40 per cent of the changes will settle down over several months and up to a year.

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What are the statistics of nose re-shaping?

2^ndmost popular cosmetic surgery for men in 2014 (following eyelid surgery).
Nearly 1 in five (17 per cent) of all cosmetic surgeries for men in 2014.
1,037 procedures carried out on men in 2013, up 9 per cent on 2012.
5^thmost popular cosmetic surgery for men and women, 2013.
3,841 procedures carried out on women in 2013, up by 19 per cent on 2012.

(British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)

How can Your Legal Friend help?

When a cosmetic treatment goes wrong or complications arise, it is vital to immediately seek expert legal advice. Potential problems associated with Rhinoplasty nose-shaping procedures can be prevented if:

A through pre-surgery assessment had been carefully carried out by your surgeon.
You were given the full facts and clear advice about potential complications and the limited benefits of a treatment or surgery.

As experienced clinical negligence specialists, we know you will be feeling devastated that your procedure has not gone to your desire or reasonable expectation.

Our task is to ensure your case is made in order to bring the surgeon to account for why things went wrong and the harm and suffering caused.

Your Legal Friend is committed to ensuring victims of clinical negligence:

Obtain answers
Receive justice
Awarded compensation
Provided with appropriate medical treatment, support and care needs

Read less

Your surgeon will advise about removing stitches outside the nose. Any stitches inside the nose are likely to be of the dissolvable type.

Heavy nose bleeding – sometimes occur either shortly afterwards or after a week to ten days, which may require hospital treatment.
Implants – where used, may protrude through the skin or become infected, which might require hospital surgery to remove.
Chest infection – particularly in patients who smoke. There is a small risk that infection could complicate the operation.
Still unhappy with appearance...

Symptoms of a more serious problem...

Structural failure

nasal collapse where the bridge of the nose sinks inwards.

Cartilage or tissue damage

deformity at the tip of the nose
damage to the cartilage wall between the nostrils (septum)
mismatching nostrils or contour irregularities

Nerve injury

Long-term or permanent loss of taste and smell

Infection

Your surgeon should explain the limitations...

Your surgeon should tell you:

What is surgically possible
If the desired change of appearance to the nose can be realistically achieved
The likelihood of leaving scars.

Your surgeon also has a ‘duty of care’ to inform you if there is a possibility of serious complications, which can affect the operation because:

You are a smoker
You are overweight
You have other medical conditions

Read less

Persistent swelling
An uneven appearance
Breathing problems
Loss of sense of taste and smell

The majority of procedures allow the structure of the nose to “settle down” over a period of up to a year from the slightly odd shape, which may be seen immediately after surgery.

The long-term consequences of failed or poor cosmetic work can also have a considerable impact upon the quality of life and social interaction.

Read less

There are different types of rhinoplasty or nose reshaping operations available and the exact procedure will depend on your aim for undergoing the treatment.

There are two types of nose shaping:

Reduction rhinoplasty – to make your nose smaller.
Augmentation rhinoplasty - to make your nose larger.

The two main techniques used are:

Open – used in Reduction rhinoplasty – where some or all of the cuts are made outside the nose.

Closed – used in Augmentation rhinoplasty – where all the cuts are made inside the nose.

Read less

It is normal and reasonable to some minor bleeding from your nose for the first day or two after the operation. An altered sense of smell or taste may also be experienced for a short time.

Other common conditions include:

Bruising and swelling - particularly around the eyes, which can take up to three weeks to completely disappear.
Difficulty with breathing - through the nose during the first week after the operation, which disappears as the swelling settles down.
Numbness and stiffness - particularly around the tip of the nose may be felt for several months.

Open Reduction rhinoplasty:

significant swelling and longer recovery time of around three months or more.

Closed Augmentation rhinoplasty:

no external scarring and usually takes about two weeks to settle down.

Where the nose bone was surgically broken:

noticeable bruising around the eyes for about seven-to-ten days.
yellowing around the eyes for 10-20 days.

Surgery to the tip of the nose :

60 per cent of the changes will still be visible after three weeks.
40 per cent of the changes will settle down over several months and up to a year.

Read less

2^ndmost popular cosmetic surgery for men in 2014 (following eyelid surgery).
Nearly 1 in five (17 per cent) of all cosmetic surgeries for men in 2014.
1,037 procedures carried out on men in 2013, up 9 per cent on 2012.
5^thmost popular cosmetic surgery for men and women, 2013.
3,841 procedures carried out on women in 2013, up by 19 per cent on 2012.

(British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)

A through pre-surgery assessment had been carefully carried out by your surgeon.
You were given the full facts and clear advice about potential complications and the limited benefits of a treatment or surgery.

As experienced clinical negligence specialists, we know you will be feeling devastated that your procedure has not gone to your desire or reasonable expectation.

Our task is to ensure your case is made in order to bring the surgeon to account for why things went wrong and the harm and suffering caused.

Your Legal Friend is committed to ensuring victims of clinical negligence: