Open Rhinoplasty, Mr Lahoud @ Transform 7 June 2015 - London, GB

Test

I've hated my nose from a very young age but promised my family I would wait until I was 25 years old to get surgery.

I met with a few surgeons from various companies over a year and a half but wanted to make sure I went with someone who really understood what I wanted. Mr Lahoud at Transform clinic, London, made me feel at ease immediately. Having to wait two months for a consultation appointment in the first place was a great sign - all other surgeons were available to see me the same day which made me wary. He was the first surgeon I met that actually asked me what I wanted to change about my nose, rather than diving straight in and telling me what he would do, and gave me advice about how realistic my expectations were. It sounds silly but he was also the only surgeon I'd met that cracked a few jokes and made me feel at ease.

He told me that to achieve what I wanted I would have to have an open rhinoplasty (where an incision is made at the base of the nostrils) - he would remove the hump, fix my deviated septum and, if he thought necessary, shorten the nose. I decided to go ahead and book the same day as my consultation. Open rhinoplasty with an overnight stay cost me £4700.

On the day of the surgery I was extremely nervous and (stupidly) went to the clinic alone so I was a blubbering mess by the time the nurse took me to theatre. When I woke up i just felt extremely blocked up, disorientated and a bit weak but had no pain whatsoever. While I was in the recovery room a nurse told me the surgery was very successful and my nose was looking really good. Mr Lahoud came to see me when I was back in my room as I came round fully and told me that he was really pleased with the results and decided he did need to shorted the nose to fit with the proportions. I was extremely dehydrated and my lips and throat were very dry (I think due to the fact that you can only breathe through your mouth). I was discharged from hospital the next morning.

The swelling and black eyes didn't start until the end of day two for me - I honestly looked like I had been hit by a bus. It started in my forehead and sort of dropped down my face over the course of a week so that by the end i looked like Droopy and my skin was yellow from the bruising. It got me down a bit, I sort of forgot that I had even had the surgery because I couldn't see myself ever not being bruised and swollen. I took arnica for the week before surgery and week after (dubious as to whether this worked) and used ice compresses daily. I can't emphasise enough that I felt no pain whatsoever while recovering- i was supplied with antibiotics (which i took) and pain killers (which I didn't) - I would describe the feeling as being uncomfortable. I was embarrassed to leave the house due to the extent of my swelling and breathing out of my mouth and sleeping sitting up were both very difficult to get used to. Plus catching myself in the mirror was a horrible experience because I looked like I'd been a victim of a serious crime rather than only cosmetic surgery. When I did pop to the shop I had people staring and children pointing at me. Eating was difficult as I found it too uncomfortable to properly move my top lip (though perhaps this was due to me having had an incision).

My stitches and the splint were removed on day 10 and I was instantly happy with the results. They warn you that it can be quite difficult to adjust to your change in face but I didn't have that problem at all as I still 100% looked like me, just with an improved profile. I returned to work on day 11 and only one colleague noticed which I think is a good thing - it proves that it didn't change my overall appearance which is what I was worried about. I didn't want people to stare at me and know exactly what I had done, I still wanted to look like me. My swelling had nearly completely gone down by this point, just dark shadows left under my eyes which I could hide with make up. I lost all sense of touch in one nostril (but retained smell) - however this came back with time.

I saw the nurse 6 weeks after the surgery who told me everything was healing properly and I could go back to doing everything I did before (gym, submerging my head in water etc.) as long as I avoided contact sports. It has now been two months since surgery and my nose is still a little tender to touch and I still can't wrinkle it properly but I might just be being overly cautious. Breathing out my nose is a lot easier and more natural now - it felt a bit forced before due to the swelling.

I am so so happy with the overall results - now that I'm out the other side I can barely remember how difficult the swelling and the bruising seemed at the time. All I think about is that I cannot believe I didn't go through with the surgery sooner. I'm finally confident enough to have my photo taken and i can wear my hair in ways that I always felt I couldn't before. I have been told by everybody who knows how natural it looks - I was so worried about looking like that stereotype of a bad, pointy nose job. All the nurses who saw me, the receptionists, my patient care coordinator, the anaesthetist ALL said that Mr Lahoud was by far the best surgeon they had - several had told me they were using him or they had recommended him to family members. And they were absolutely right to- I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I would absolutely recommend him to anybody considering a rhinoplasty.

Happy to share pictures on request.