Duncan Atherton, MD

A year ago, I made the decision to undergo a septorhinoplasty and carefully researched consultants who specialise in performing this procedure for cleft patients. Choosing Duncan was the best decision I could have made! From our very first consultations, I felt at ease—he answered all my questions with honesty and promptness, which reassured me greatly.

After waiting months for an NHS appointment, I ultimately decided to proceed privately, confident in Duncan’s expertise. Even when the NHS offered a date leading up to my procedure, I remained certain in my choice. On the day of the surgery, Duncan’s warm and approachable manner helped calm any nerves I had. The procedure took around five hours, and Duncan was extremely pleased with the outcome.

During my recovery, I diligently followed all the guidance provided, and Duncan was always available to address any questions or concerns I had. Now, a year later, I couldn’t be happier with the results! I’m deeply grateful to Duncan for his ongoing support, his attentiveness, and, most of all, for the incredible work he performed.

I first met Duncan towards the end of last year to discuss my suitability for a septorhinoplasty. I did not like how my nose looked (dorsal hump and droopy tip), but I also really struggled to breathe through both nostrils, which became especially difficult during exercise; a problem I have had ever since I can remember. As I got older, all problems seem to worsen, so I decided to take the plunge and meet Duncan, whose reviews and results I was impressed with when researching online.

In our first consultation at the clinic, I was a little bit nervous (excited, too!), but I immediately felt at ease due to Duncan's calm and welcoming nature. When you're meeting a surgeon who might be operating on you, you want to feel safe and secure in their presence, and also reassured that they know what they're doing, which I was. When discussing my issues and explaining what I was hoping to achieve from a potential surgery, I felt very confident that Duncan understood my perspective. He was transparent and detailed about the procedure and explained all the possible and potential outcomes of the surgery. Aesthetically, the morph he created for me was exactly what I was hoping for as well. I wanted my dorsal hump and droopy tip to be fixed without it being an obviously noticeable, drastic change; I wanted a subtle and conservative correction. He said it was realistic and even went into detail about how he would achieve it, so I knew we were on the same page and we were both aiming for the same outcome. Regarding the breathing, he said there was a chance that my breathing might not improve, but he would certainly do what he could without it drastically changing my appearance. My expectations were absolutely set and I decided he was the right surgeon for me.

Following the consultation, he sent a letter confirming everything we discussed, and we had a further virtual consultation nearer the surgery date just to make sure. Leading up to the surgery, I felt confident about our communication. On the day of the surgery, before the operation, we met again to recap what we were aiming to fix: dorsal hump, droopy tip and breathing issues. He even had the morph with him, which reassured me that we were aiming for the same goal. Immediately after the surgery, as I was recovering from the anaesthesia, he came in to see me to let me know that the surgery went well and that he thought I would be really pleased...

Fast-forward to six weeks post-op: I cannot tell you how impressed and happy I am with my results. My nose looks very similar to the morph we created and my 'new' nose suits my face so much more now. A real skill that Duncan has is that he has been able to address both the dorsal hump and droopy tip without it changing my face - some people haven't even noticed I've had surgery. I definitely look better, but I don't look like a different person!

The recovery period has been really positive, also. Of course, the first week is a little uncomfortable since you are swollen, blocked up and have a cast on your face, but the bleeding, bruising and pain was minimal. By week two, I noticed a huge improvement already and, by week three or four, I think I looked pretty normal. There have been a few gradual changes over the weeks as your nose and bones heal, which is to be expected, but I was anticipating the recovery period to be far, far worse than it has been. I put it all down to the fact Duncan is just an incredible surgeon.

The biggest success, though, is the breathing. I have never been able to breathe as clearly as I can now in all my life. Duncan prepared me that my breathing might not improve (because you never know what's going on behind your nose until you operate), but he did it - and the improvement has been lifechanging.

My experience with Duncan - from the first consultation up until now - really couldn't be better. I am super happy with the entire process and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

I cannot recommend highly enough, a fantastic experience from start to finish. I’m so pleased with my results; it’s a complete transformation, yet looks so natural. Genuinely life changing!

From the first consultation, I knew Mr Atherton was the right surgeon. He understood exactly what I wanted and guided me through the subtle tweaks needed to achieve the perfect outcome. His before-and-after photos demonstrated his commitment to natural results, giving me complete confidence that I was in the best hands.

The results have exceeded my expectations, I couldn’t be happier! It truly looks like the nose I was meant to have. My recovery was smooth, with no bruising and swelling that subsided within a week. I also had a fantastic experience at the Cadogan Clinic, the anaesthetist and nurses were amazing, making me feel at ease.

I am beyond grateful for Duncan’s skill, expertise and care. Thanks so much!

There are not enough words which can express my heartfelt thank you for Duncan's skill, professionalism and care as a surgeon. My rhinoplasty absolutely changed and improved the quality of my life and there is genuinely a special gratitude that I will always have for surgeons who change people's lives for the better. I'm incredibly happy I did it and my surgery remains to date one of the best decisions I have done in my life, because in my case it really did resolve a problem I had for over a decade! This 5* review is a long time coming and as someone 6 years post-op now hopefully my insights below can help someone considering rhinoplasty.

Why I chose Duncan:

One of the things that instantly stood out to me on my first consultation with Duncan is there was absolutely no attempt to convince me to get surgery and no attempt to convince me to have surgery with him. We were able to converse for the entire hour on the science of the procedure, the aesthetic changes proposed by me and the risks in great detail. Whilst Duncan was the expert of course, it did not feel like a one-way conversation but rather a genuine consultation where we both discuss and go back and forth with questions and answers for each other. He answered my questions diligently and carefully, but never set unrealistic expectations. He was also the only surgeon I met who was careful on his end to make his own assessment on my mental preparedness and that I was ready to undertake such a procedure and understood what I was signing up for.

Duncan's post op results shown to me were big changes but with a natural feel, no one wants to be walking around with a nose that was clearly operated on! Something which also stood out to me was Duncan's membership to both BAAPS and BAPRAS, this gave me even more confidence that he is someone who lives rhinoplasty beyond just the training. His specialism in rhinoplasty and cleft palate surgery was also something else I considered positive.

I subsequently had a second hour's consultation with him firing another barrage of questions. After this second hour of talking, I had finally exhausted every little question I had and knew I felt prepared to book my surgery. On surgery day, Duncan came in beforehand and discussed what would happen next with me and was available yet again to answer any questions. We had a similar opportunity to talk after surgery and at subsequent one week post-op results, in addition to being available on WhatsApp when I had a few bug bears I needed reassurance on.

The improvement results of my surgery is a straightened nose from my front profile, straightening of a slight dorsal hump, alarplasty (narrowing of nostrils) and reduction and refinement of a projected and bulbous tip, as well as just an overall smaller nose that fit my face better and wasn't the centre of attention. The scarring around my nostrils are hidden in natural creases so are not noticeable and most importantly, I have absolutely no functional reduction in my nose.

Healing and aesthetic expectations:

In general, unless very minor corrections are sought out, it is unlikely you will end up with your 100% perfect nose no matter the skill and experience of the surgeon, this is because in correcting one aspect of the nose you inadvertently change another aspect and so it is a balancing act. A good surgeon manages realistic expectations and looks to aim for a positive result with noticeable changes, all whilst maintaining functionality. I had nasal asymmetry PRIOR to my surgery which is just a natural part of my nose, and Duncan and I discussed that it was unlikely with all the other changes he needed to perform that the elevated nostril will be pulled down to match the lower one (which is something else on my list I wanted!). Because we discussed this at length, this was something I understood PRIOR to surgery which managed my expectations on achieving that perfect nose I had envisioned or compared myself to, and honestly this made me trust my surgeon more. Having had first consultations with other surgeons, one who overpromised and told me 'I would get what I wanted' and another top surgeon on this website who I shan't name who told me they could not give me the results I was expecting within the first 5 minutes of the surgery due to the complexity of what I was asking, I knew Duncan had struck the best and most achievable outcome to present to me.

Also to note, if you have thick skin or extensive tip work you will take ages to heal. This is the part of nose which retains the most swelling. Looking back on my nose 1 month, 6 months and now years after surgery Duncan was absolutely right in saying there would be extensive swelling that would take up to a year or longer to heal. That is not to say you shouldn't see results immediately, I wanted and did see changes straight away. But the definition, the sharpness and the detail that came through on my nose took over a year to fully come into effect, during swelling it was puffy and even a bit bulky looking in comparison to what I had 1 year post op. It is a surgery that does require the patient to be extremely patient, which is very difficult at times.

General Rhinoplasty Top Tips:

- Make sure you genuinely want the surgery for yourself and understand there could be complications, both health-wise and cosmetic. No matter the skill of your surgeon revisions are a risk, although this does decrease in likelihood depending on who you pick.
- Never, ever continue with any medical professional who tells you will get the aesthetic result you are looking for or that it is 100% safe. I had consultations like that and left immediately. Professionals can give you good confidence in the likelihood of a positive result, and they can give you estimated percentages or guidance on the risks of health complications (e.g. 0.01%) but they can never say 100% safe no matter what.
- ?Go to several consultations with different surgeons to compare them and their suggestions (e.g. closed or open rhinoplasty, what aesthetic results they think could potentially be achieved etc) and do not feel shy in booking as many follow-up consultations to ask as many questions as it takes to feel confident and ready in your decision. If you feel pressured by anyone then take some time away to have a proper think and trust your gut on what feels right and wrong.
- Make sure you go prepared to consultations and ask a billion and one questions. Ask questions on the surgeon's skills and qualifications, their expertise in the field and what they do in rhinoplasty outside of just their cosmetic training (blogs, events, staying up to date with technological advancements, memberships to cosmetic associations and groups, research and academic input, training...). Ask questions on the risks you face, the realistic aesthetic results and complications, the healing process and ask to see examples of similar noses to yours the surgeon has worked on. If the surgeon gets offended at your questioning or brushes off your concerns, think very carefully about choosing them.
- Rhinoplasty is an art as much as a medical procedure, a good surgeon looks at fitting your nose to your face shape and making it harmonious with the rest of your features.
- Do not lose oversight of function of the nose in the pursuit of aesthetics. The most important function of the nose is to breathe through it.
- Healing time is frustrating in rhinoplasty, even when you are back to normal doing all your sports, socials and work activities your final result will not be visible and you may still have swelling which can take months to settle.

Thank you again Duncan!

Amazing experience with Dr Atherton ,
So helpful and transparent throughout the whole process .
I have Natural results and had a very smooth recovery with no bruising at all .
Recommend 100%
Many thanks !!

If you’re considering a rhinoplasty, choosing a surgeon can seriously feel like the biggest decision of your life. It’s not something you can hide if it goes wrong, and It’s not exaggerating to say that choosing poorly could ruin your life. If you’re in this boat right now I implore you to meet with Duncan. I promise it’ll be the best decision you make. I remember trawling though thousands of reviews researching countless surgeons. Months of research, completely unsure which reviews to believe and which surgeons would really be as good as they seemed online. Within 5 minutes of meeting Duncan I knew that he was the way to go. His knowledge is off the charts. He takes such time in the consultation to understand what you want. He understands your concerns and will show you what he thinks would look good and what he can deliver. My case was a very difficult revision. And after meeting with other surgeons who plainly said “grafts are needed it’s a big job and I’m not comfortable to touch it” - translation: that’s way out of my skill set. I knew I needed someone with exceptional skills. During my initial consultation before I even handed over the notes of my first surgery Duncan knew what the previous surgeon had done just by looking at it. He showed me a morph of what he could do. And it was everything I wanted and more. The end result is even better than that. The man’s a magician. He had nothing to work with, there was hardly any cartilage left in my nose and he’s built it from the ground up. God knows how. I literally have my dream nose and I never thought it would be possible. The hospital and staff where amazing from start to finish. The operation was as smooth as anything. My recovery was fantastic. I didn’t so much as have a black eye. Which I know isn’t the case for everyone. But I cannot give even the slightest critique for anything. He’s changed my life and I cannot thank him enough. But don’t take my word for it. If you’re looking for a surgeon just book the consultation with him. I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion I did within 10 minuets. And it will be the best decision you make. Truly.

Dr. Duncan Atherton carried out my rhinoplasty in August 2024. From the very first consultation, Dr. Atherton showed a level of care and professionalism that put me at ease. He took the time to understand exactly what I wanted and explained the process thoroughly, which made me feel confident in his expertise. His humble nature and empathetic approach was world's apart from the anecdotes online about other arrogant surgeons.

The results are everything I hoped for, natural, balanced, and fitting perfectly with my features. I was expecting more swelling due to thick skin, but the beauty of having such a great surgeon is that most of it went down pretty quickly in the first two months.

The surgery has made a noticeable difference in how I feel about my appearance, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The entire experience, from surgery to recovery, was smoother than I’d anticipated, all thanks to Dr. Atherton.

I highly recommend Dr. Atherton to anyone considering rhinoplasty. His skill and attention to detail truly set him apart. A shout out also to his PA Katie, for being so prompt and reliable with communication and booking, thank you both so much!

Dr atherton was highly recommended to me and I see why. He was friendly, understanding and very supportive. He listened to what I wanted and delivered beyond what I imagined. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to get a rhinoplasty done, he is a fantastic surgeon.

From the first meeting I felt immediately comfortable and confident with Duncan and my procedure. He understood what I was trying to achieve with my rhinoplasty and I couldn’t be happier with the results! I feel so much more confident and I would recommend Duncan to anyone considering a rhinoplasty.

I had an excellent rhinoplasty experience with Duncan and I am very happy with the outcome. I experienced minimal bruising and swelling, and at 7 weeks post-op, my breathing is completely normal. The procedure itself was painless, and I only had to take paracetamol for a few days post-op. The nurses and everyone at the Cadogan Clinic were very kind as well. My new nose has exceeded my expectations!