Dr. Torgerson, Rhinoplasty & Septoplasty Surgery Review - Toronto, ON

My review is unedited and I wasn’t endorsed or paid to write this! I wanted to wait the full 12 months post surgery to write a thorough review so I could share my entire experience from start to finish.
I was 26 years old when I received my first cosmetic surgery 12 months ago with Dr. Torgerson in Yorkville for a Rhinoplasty and Septoplasty. I’ve never done anything cosmetic to enhance or change my features before so I was quite nervous! Dr. Torgerson was the second consult I received for my Rhinoplasty inquiry. I loved that he offers complimentary consults(!), which meant no pressure! I was SO close to choosing the first surgeon I consulted with because I paid $150 to get his opinion! Thankfully my cousin was with me and she told me to, ‘get a second opinion, PLEASE!’ I’m so so happy I did! I researched many surgeons in the GTA. I compared prices, the websites, the information they offered, the before/after galleries. When I called to book appointments with different surgeons, I asked questions like, does price include tax, what are the other fees, medications, the costs of extra visits etc. I even omitted seeing some surgeons all together because their staff was only booking 15 min slot consults. I thought that was ridiculous, considering I sat with the first surgeon for 45 mins for him to answer all of my questions! Dr. Torgerson’s lovely staff booked me at half hour, and I’m pretty sure we ran over when I first met the Dr., and he didn't at all rush me out or try to hurry me.
My first impressions:
The clinic is located right in the heart of Yorkville, downtown Toronto, a 20 second walk from the Bay subway station. Convenient! On the third floor of the building, you walk into a bright, clean and crisp clinic. I almost thought I was in a spa. The nurses and receptionists are extremely pleasant. Breanne and Vanessa work the front desk and they’ll immediately offer tea/coffee/water after greeting you. If you’ve already had coffee, have another! Trust me! I think they make their coffee in one of those fancy espresso machines, because it's like enjoying a coffee from an Italian patisserie. =)
My first meeting with Dr. Torgerson was a hit. He was instantly fabulous. He’s upbeat, friendly, funny and has years of experience. Most importantly, he really listened to what I wanted. I never have to wait long when I see him. If you schedule a 9am appointment, believe me, you’ll be seeing him at 9am! He brings you to a nice room with large windows and you sit in what looks like a dentist chair. He asked what brought me in and what exactly about my nose I didn’t like or wanted to change. He made a sketch of my nose and took notes. He looked at it with different angles and took a peek inside too. He noticed I had a slight deviated septum, so that he would also repair that at the same time of the Rhinoplasty. (Don’t worry; there wasn’t an extra charge for that bit. I believe OHIP covered it since it wasn’t cosmetic). He offered his opinion on what he could do to meet my expectations or enhance the look I was going for. After answering all of my questions and concerns, he asked if I wanted to see my nose in a 3D visual screen to show me the changes he was talking about. It was $250 charged after the appointment, BUT if you decide to go through with the surgery, that amount is deducted from the total surgery amount – so really it’s included. It will only cost you that amount if you decide to go with another surgeon or don’t have it at all. I figured if I’m spending money to change the look of my face forever - I didn’t want to take any chances and just trust that we were on the same page! I agreed immediately, and at that point I was 98% sure I was going to choose Dr. Torgerson anyway, so that $250 would be deducted from the surgery fees. We walked across the hall to another bright room with mirrors and the fanciest camera room you’ll ever be in (unless you’re a model of course). With 1 shot, the camera has lenses from all different angles placed around you to capture that “3D” image. After loading it to the computer, you sit next to the Dr., while he photoshops the changes in your nose that you just discussed.
For me particularly, I’m of oriental decent and one of my biggest complaint was having no bridge. I also had a very wide base with large nostrils and a ‘bulbousy’ tip. I never felt pretty with my nose and I’ve wanted this surgery for as long as I could remember. He brought in my nostrils and explained where the end of the nostrils should be in line with the tear ducts of your eyes. He also created the bridge in the photo. I couldn't believe it, he could build me a bridge! After 2 seconds of photoshop, I was 100% convinced! I did want it more defined in the front to give me a ‘Caucasian’ look. He said it’s important for both the patient and the surgeon to come to an agreement on what they both wanted. I suppose most people looking for cosmetic surgery usually have unrealistic expectations, but he’ll come as close as possible to achieve the shape and frame of my nose without compromising my breathing and to give my face a balanced look. He also didn’t want to give me a ‘fake nose’ where it was clearly too obvious I had any procedures done. All in all, after the 3D image and speaking with the Dr. very thoroughly about the risks, the procedure, prices, healing time, etc – I was hooked! I booked the next available slot! (Roughly 2 months after my consult).
Small Preparation for the Surgery:
When I booked my surgery date, they offered an optional “pre” & “post” nutrient care called GLISODIN (http://glisodinskin.com/products/ ) that I could take to help speed up healing and cut the time in half. I figured since I'm going to spend thousands of dollars for this procedure, I might as well dish out a few hundred extra for these skin nutrients to cut my healing time in half! I was really worried about my bruising and swelling after the surgery, so anything to help – I wanted it! The package came with oral pills & some flavoured drink mix to be taken with water, 15 days pre and post surgery, for 30 days total. No word of a lie, I had NO bruising post surgery. People couldn’t believe I had anything done at all after the cast came off. This is completely optional, but 100% worth it!!!
The Day of Surgery:
The “hospital” is in the clinic in Yorkville, so it’s all done at the same location. It’s almost like you are in a hospital when you walk to the other side of the clinic! They are equipped with a full surgical room and a recovery room. You aren’t allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before, but that’s standard for any surgery if you’ve ever had one. I believe they want you to have an empty stomach so the anesthesia doesn’t react with anything in your body. You undress and change into a hospital gown with tight compression socks and remove any piercings you might have on. He introduces you to his surgical team, the two nurses and the anesthesiologist. After lying down and while they’re putting the IV in and setting you up to be put under, Dr. Torgerson comes and talks to you. He sends positive vibes and wishes the surgery well. I felt completely at ease even though I was nervous coming in. After he spoke with me, I knew I was 100% in good hands. I’m a huge fan of going ‘under.’ You don’t dream and it almost feels like no time had passed at all. You wake up and it’s done!
Post Surgery:
I spent about 1.5 hours or so in the recovery room before I was released to go home. The two nurses stayed with me until the end. I even got Nurse Michelle to call my dad to tell him the surgery went well! She is awesome!! You must have someone come and pick you up as you won’t be able to drive. I would say you’re still a little loopy about 2 – 2.5hours post surgery. By the time I got home and got dinner, all the drugs seemed to have worn off. I took my Tylenol 3s and I also had my Oxycodone ready for when I needed it. Dr. Torgerson gives you a prescription for pain medication before your surgery. He also advised me to pick up 4x4 medical gauze that you fold and tape to your face under your nose to keep the blood from dripping. I wore the medical dressings on my face for the first 5 days I believe before the dripping stopped. To be frank, just get through the first 3 days and the rest is downhill. Dr. Torgerson will even tell you the same thing. He is right! I couldn’t open my eyes for the first 48 hours. It was a little scary. I think my face was just so swollen, my eyelids couldn’t open. Thankfully, I had a roommate at the time who was there to guide me to the bathroom and take my dog for a walk! If you have pets, definitely have a backup plan to kennel them or have someone stay with you to care for them.
I wore the nose cast for a week and changed the gauze dressings maybe 3-4x a day. It fills with blood and it gets heavy and soaked. I probably would have changed them less, but I lived with someone and I didn’t want to look scarier than I did. You can't get the cast wet, so to cleanse, I showered my body without getting my face wet and I tilted my head back to wash my hair. You aren’t supposed to bend over or lay flat, so I wouldn’t suggest you bend over and wash your hair that way. To cleanse my face, I used facial cloths.
I would say the most consistent thing to expect is the stitches under the nostrils and the cast, but everything else may vary from patient to patient. You may not need the gauze dressings for as long as I did. You also aren’t allowed to lay down flat. I had to position a ton of pillows to support my body upright and I slept that way for 3-4 weeks. It was annoying at first, but honestly, with all the pain medication you’re on, sleeping was not an issue. I netflixed, slept and chilled with my dog for most of the recovery at home. It was actually pretty relaxing. Other than the first 3 days, you aren’t in a lot of discomfort because of the pain medication. I went to work the day after the cast came off. =) I saw Dr. Torgerson a week after surgery to remove the cast and to clear the passage of my nostrils. I’m not going to lie, that part is extremely painful; although, it happens very quickly. Think of very long tweezers and a magnifying glass. After the cast comes off, he inspects the inside to check for any blood clots or buggers. That’s when the tweezers come in. He also goes in with something that seemed like a small hose which acts like a vacuum (I could be mistaken, this happened a year ago). He goes in and removes any stubborn clots or buggers that would be impossible for me to blow out or remove myself. At the end of it, you are very thankful! The stitches stay in for 2 weeks I think, so I saw him again in another week to have them removed. There’s no pain there. I didn’t even feel it. He inspects the nose to make sure you’re on track for healing. I was just a tiny bit swollen after 2 weeks, but even 1 week post surgery there was no bruising. I had my 27th birthday party 3 weeks post surgery. I was expecting to cancel it, but after having the cast removed and I looked pretty normal, I decided to keep the party on. You just feel stuffy for weeks and weeks. Your nose is numb too. I say I got full breathing back through my nostrils and some sensation back maybe 3-4 months post surgery, but this is very normal.
You book many follow ups following surgery to see the doctor to make sure you’re healing right and any concerns you have. If you need any ‘tweaking’ done, it’ll have to wait until the full 12 months are up. This is the case with every surgeon. Even though you go about your life just a week post surgery, you’re still in healing mode – up to 12 months. I just recently had my right nostril ‘tweaked’ as there was extra scar tissue that formed. It looked pretty fine and not very noticeable if someone is looking or speaking to you. It’s not until you point it out, someone will say ‘yeah, I see it now.’ It was very nominal and the ‘tweak’ procedure was all of 10 minutes. I went home with 3 stitches, but I noticed the results right away. I have the perfect nose now!! I still think my tip is just a little bit bigger than I want it, but the Dr. has assured me it’ll continue to soften. I’m very very happy with my results. I went back to look at the 3D image I was given at my initial consult and WOW. The after results are even better than what he envisioned in photoshop. I’ve attached the 3D image before and after, and what I looked like after 6 months and today. I’m looking forward to the nose softening, but even if it doesn’t, I could not be happier with the final outcome. Despite the recovery time and the bit of pain afterwards, I would do this surgery again 100x over. I feel confident, sexy and beautiful. I hardly ever wear makeup now, only if I’m going to an event, but I feel pretty enough to leave the house without being done up. I never felt that way before. What a difference this procedure can make in your life!
If you’re thinking of Rhinoplasty surgery, please seek Dr. Torgerson and his team!! Everyone there is fantastic and friendly. I may want to pursue future procedures on different parts of my face, and when I’m ready, I’ll definitely be going back to Dr. Torgerson. =)
Words of advice, even if you don’t choose him – please do your research!!! Get more than one consult!! Look up surgeon reviews on Google and RealSelf. Call the College of Physicians and Surgeons to check if she or he has had any lawsuits, complaints or acts of misconduct. Do your due diligence and good luck!!

For add'l photos before/after, visit my public Instagram page @cochelfitness