# Rhinoplasty in Istanbul, Turkey > Canonical (HTML): https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/rhinoplasty By Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Medically reviewed September 2026 Rhinoplasty changes the shape of the nose, and it changes the whole face with it — the nose sits in the middle of everything and the eye reads it against the chin, the lips and the cheeks. I plan it that way: on your proportions rather than on a shape taken from someone else's face, and with your breathing treated as part of the operation rather than as a separate problem. - **Surgery:** 2–4 hours - **Hospital stay:** 1 night - **In Istanbul:** ~10 days - **Socially presentable:** ~2–3 weeks ## What Rhinoplasty Is Rhinoplasty is surgery on the framework of the nose — the bone above, the cartilage below, and the skin that drapes over both. Through it I can lower or remove a hump, narrow or straighten the bony vault, refine and reposition the tip, change the angle between the nose and the upper lip, narrow the nostrils, and open an airway that does not work. What the operation actually is in your case depends on which of those your nose needs. There is no standard rhinoplasty, and a surgeon who performs the same operation on every nose produces the same nose on every face — which is the single most recognisable failure in this field. ## Open or Closed? In a **closed** rhinoplasty every incision is inside the nostrils. There is no external scar, the tissue is disturbed less, and swelling settles sooner. It suits noses where the work is mostly on the bone and the upper cartilage. In an **open** rhinoplasty a small incision crosses the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils, so the framework can be lifted and seen directly. That visibility matters when the tip needs restructuring, when the nose is crooked, and in most revision surgery. The scar sits in a natural shadow and settles to a line that is very hard to find once mature. I choose between them on the nose in front of me and I tell you which I am proposing, and why, before you decide. Neither approach is better in general; they are better or worse suited to particular problems. ## Ultrasonic (Piezo) Bone Work Traditionally the bone of the nose is shaped with chisels and rasps, which work but transmit force through the whole bony vault. A piezoelectric instrument cuts bone with ultrasonic vibration and does not cut soft tissue, cartilage or blood vessels at all — so the bone can be shaped precisely, in small increments, without the surrounding tissue taking the same impact. In my hands that means the bony work is more controlled and more predictable, and patients see less bruising around the eyes than the classical technique produces. It is a tool rather than a different operation, and it does not replace judgement about what shape the nose should be. ## Breathing Is Part of the Operation A nose that looks better and works worse is a failed operation, and the structures that create the shape are the same ones that carry the air. A deviated septum, collapsed internal valves, and turbinates that have enlarged are assessed before surgery, and where they are part of the problem they are corrected in the same operation — with the framework supported by grafts, usually taken from the patient's own septal cartilage, so that the airway stays open once the swelling has gone. This is also why over-narrowing is something I plan against: a nose reduced beyond what its framework supports collapses inward over time, and both the appearance and the breathing suffer. Structure first, refinement second. ## Revision Rhinoplasty A significant part of what arrives in my clinic is a nose someone else has already operated on: over-resected, pinched at the tip, collapsed on one side, or simply unchanged. Revision is a different undertaking from a first operation — scar tissue replaces normal planes, cartilage that should be there has often been removed, and grafting material may have to come from a rib or an ear rather than from the septum. Revision is planned more slowly and more conservatively than a first rhinoplasty, it takes longer in theatre, and it needs a fully healed nose before it begins. I say plainly when a nose is not ready, and I say plainly when what a patient is asking for is not achievable in the tissue that is left. ## Who It Suits Rhinoplasty suits someone whose complaint about their nose is specific, who can describe what bothers them in their own face rather than by reference to a photograph of someone else's, whose facial growth is complete, who is in good general health, and who can stop nicotine for the period safe healing requires. It suits poorly anyone expecting the operation to change how their life goes, anyone who has had repeated operations in search of a shape the tissue cannot hold, and anyone who cannot accept that a nose is judged after a long period of settling rather than in the first weeks. I decline surgery on those grounds regularly. [What I look for in your photographs](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/am-i-a-candidate) is set out plainly. ## How the Operation Is Done Rhinoplasty is performed under general anaesthesia in a full-service hospital, with a dedicated anaesthesia team — not in an office setting. The framework is exposed by the chosen approach, the bone is shaped, the cartilage is restructured and supported with grafts where support is needed, the septum and the airway are addressed if they are part of the plan, and the skin is redraped over the new framework. An external splint is applied, and internal splints are used where the septum has been worked on. You stay in hospital overnight. What the day itself looks like, from admission to the recovery room, is on [your surgery timeline](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/your-surgery-timeline). ## Recovery The first phase is dominated by the splint, congestion and bruising, and it is shorter than most people fear: the splint comes off at a clinic visit, the bruising fades, and by the end of the second or third week most patients are comfortable in public. The second phase is much longer and is the part that is under-explained elsewhere. Swelling in the skin of the nose — especially at the tip, especially in thick skin — settles slowly, and the nose you see when the splint comes off is not the nose you will have. Judging the result early is judging swelling. I ask patients not to make any decision about the outcome until the nose has finished settling, and I review it with them at defined intervals until then. International patients stay in Istanbul until I have examined them at the final check and confirmed that they are fit to fly; how the trip is arranged is on [travelling to Istanbul](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/travelling-to-istanbul). ## Results A good rhinoplasty is a nose nobody looks at: balanced with the chin and the lips, straight from the front, unremarkable in profile, and breathing better than it did. My [results gallery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) currently shows facial rejuvenation cases, each listing the full combination of procedures performed; rhinoplasty pairs are published as patients consent to them, and I would rather show none than show retouched ones. [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) ## Rhinoplasty and Facial Rejuvenation Patients who come to me for a facelift sometimes ask whether the nose can be done at the same time. Rarely, and not as a routine: rhinoplasty has its own swelling, its own recovery and its own follow-up, and combining it with a long facial rejuvenation operation loads a single session in a way I am not comfortable with in most patients. Where both are wanted, I usually plan them as two operations and say which should come first. Whether they can share a session is a decision I make on the whole plan, not on request — the reasoning is the same one set out on [combining facial procedures](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/combination-facial-procedures). One exception worth knowing: the distance between the nose and the upper lip is changed both by rhinoplasty and by a [lip lift](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/lip-lift), so when both are planned the order and the amounts are decided together rather than separately. ## Risks, Plainly The risks of rhinoplasty are bleeding, infection, persistent swelling, asymmetry, an irregularity that becomes visible as the skin settles, a breathing problem that is new or unresolved, a scar at the columella in open surgery, numbness of the tip that is usually temporary, collapse of an over-narrowed framework over time, and the risks of anaesthesia. The most likely of them, by a wide margin, is not a complication but a revision: rhinoplasty has one of the highest revision rates in facial surgery, in every country and in every surgeon's hands, and any surgeon who tells you otherwise is not being straight with you. What I can tell you is how I plan to reduce that likelihood, and what my policy is if a revision is needed — in writing, before you commit. ## Having Rhinoplasty in Istanbul Istanbul performs a very large volume of rhinoplasty, and volume cuts both ways: it has produced genuinely experienced surgeons, and it has produced a market where noses are sold on price with no examination and no follow-up. The verification that protects you is the same wherever you go — board certification you can check, a named surgeon who performs the whole operation, a full-service hospital, and aftercare in writing. How to check all four, including on me, is on [is Turkey safe for plastic surgery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/is-turkey-safe-for-plastic-surgery). ## What Decides the Cost The cost follows what the nose actually needs: a primary rhinoplasty with straightforward bone and tip work, a functional correction of the septum and the airway in the same operation, or a revision requiring cartilage taken from a rib are three different operations in scope and in theatre time. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote for your own plan. How quotes are built and how to compare them safely is on the [cost page](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift-cost); deposits, dates and the revision policy are on the [international patient FAQs](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/international-patient-faqs). ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is the difference between open and closed rhinoplasty?** In closed rhinoplasty every incision is inside the nostrils, there is no external scar and swelling settles sooner. In open rhinoplasty a small incision crosses the columella so the framework can be lifted and seen directly, which matters for tip restructuring, crooked noses and most revisions. Neither is better in general; I choose on the nose in front of me and tell you why. **What is ultrasonic or piezo rhinoplasty?** A piezoelectric instrument shapes bone with ultrasonic vibration and does not cut cartilage, soft tissue or blood vessels. It allows the bony work to be done in precise increments without the surrounding tissue taking the same impact, and patients see less bruising than the classical chisel technique produces. It is a tool, not a different operation. **Will rhinoplasty affect my breathing?** It should improve it, not harm it. The structures that create the shape are the same ones that carry the air, so a deviated septum, collapsed valves or enlarged turbinates are assessed beforehand and corrected in the same operation where they are part of the problem. A nose that looks better and works worse is a failed operation. **Is rhinoplasty in Turkey safe?** It is as safe as the surgeon, the hospital and the aftercare you choose — which is true everywhere. Istanbul has genuinely experienced surgeons and also a price-led market with no examination and no follow-up. Verify board certification, who performs the operation, which hospital, and what aftercare is in writing; how to check is set out on my safety page. **How long do I stay in Istanbul for rhinoplasty?** Until I have examined you at the final check and confirmed you are fit to fly — the decision is made at that examination rather than on a fixed day. The indicative range is in the summary at the top of this page, and the trip itself is explained on travelling to Istanbul. **When will I see the final result?** Not for a long time. The splint comes off early and the bruising fades, but the swelling in the skin of the nose — particularly at the tip and particularly in thick skin — settles slowly. The nose you see when the splint comes off is not the nose you will have, and judging the result early is judging swelling. **Can rhinoplasty be combined with a facelift?** Rarely, and not as a routine. Rhinoplasty has its own swelling, recovery and follow-up, and adding it to a long facial rejuvenation operation loads a single session in a way I am not comfortable with in most patients. Where both are wanted I usually plan two operations and say which should come first. **Do you perform revision rhinoplasty?** Yes, and a significant part of my rhinoplasty practice is revision. It is a different undertaking from a first operation: scar tissue replaces normal planes, cartilage is often missing, and grafts may have to come from a rib or an ear. It is planned more slowly, needs a fully healed nose, and I say plainly when what is being asked for is not achievable in the tissue that is left. **Am I old enough, or too old, for rhinoplasty?** The requirement is that facial growth is complete, not a particular number — and there is no upper limit where health and expectations are sound. I assess growth, health and expectations rather than a date of birth. **How much does rhinoplasty cost in Turkey?** There is no single price. A primary rhinoplasty, a rhinoplasty with functional correction of the septum and airway, and a revision requiring rib cartilage are three different operations in scope and theatre time. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote for your own plan. ## Start Your Assessment **Send photographs from the front, both sides and three-quarters, plus one looking up at the base of the nose.** Over WhatsApp or through the form — you will receive my initial assessment of what your nose actually needs, whether breathing has to be addressed too, a proposed plan, an expected length of stay and an itemised quote before anything is arranged. [Request a personal review](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/contact) [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) *Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Dr. Yilmaz; scheduling is handled by the patient coordination team.* ## About Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz Written and medically reviewed by Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS — Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. Last reviewed: September 2026. Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz is a **double board-certified plastic surgeon**, holding the FEBOPRAS diploma of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and the certification of the Turkish Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and practises in Istanbul, Türkiye. His practice is focused on facial and neck rejuvenation, centred on the deep plane facelift — around 150 facelift operations per year, performed at Acıbadem Kartal Hospital. He is a member of TSPRAS and ISAPS, and is registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health for international health tourism. Read his [full profile](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/about-us). ## References - Rohrich RJ, Muzaffar AR, Gunter JP. Nasal tip blood supply: confirming the safety of the transcolumellar incision in rhinoplasty. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 2000;106(7):1640–1641. [doi:10.1097/00006534-200012000-00035](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006534-200012000-00035) - Gerbault O, Daniel RK, Kosins AM. The role of piezoelectric instrumentation in rhinoplasty surgery. *Aesthet Surg J.* 2016;36(1):21–34. [doi:10.1093/asj/sjv167](https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjv167) - Toriumi DM. Structure approach in rhinoplasty. *Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am.* 2005;13(1):93–113. [PMID 15519931](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15519931/) - Spataro EA, Olds CE, Kandathil CK, Most SP. Revision rates and risk factors of 175,842 patients undergoing septorhinoplasty. *JAMA Facial Plast Surg.* 2016;18(3):212–219. [doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2015.2194](https://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2015.2194)