Frequently asked questions

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Yes. Facial plastic surgery – including nose, eyelid, brow, facelift and ear surgery – is part of the training in otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery. Because an ENT surgeon also knows the function of these areas, such as breathing, hearing and the facial nerves, aesthetic plans are made with function in mind.

Rhinoplasty changes the outer shape of the nose. Septoplasty straightens the cartilage and bone wall inside the nose (the septum) to open the airway. The two are often combined in one operation, called septorhinoplasty.

There is no single right age: nose surgery waits until facial growth is complete, prominent ear correction is often done before school age, and a facelift is considered once signs of ageing are clear. The best time is when you are in good general health, can set aside a few weeks to recover and have clear expectations.

The change in shape achieved by nose and ear surgery is permanent. A facelift, brow lift or eyelid surgery turns the clock back, but ageing continues, so new changes can appear over the years. A stable weight, sun protection and not smoking help the result last longer.

Tell us about all medicines you take, especially blood thinners and herbal supplements; some need to be paused before surgery under medical supervision. Smoking slows healing, so you will be asked to stop before and after the operation. You will receive written preparation instructions for the day of surgery.

After facial and nose surgery most patients describe tightness, swelling and a blocked feeling rather than strong pain. Discomfort is usually most noticeable in the first few days and is controlled with prescribed painkillers.

Incisions are placed in natural creases, along the hairline, behind the ear or inside the nose wherever possible. Every incision leaves a scar, but it fades and becomes less noticeable over time. Scars take 6–12 months to mature and vary with skin type.

Swelling and bruising settle considerably in the first weeks, and most people return to social life then. Tissues take longer to settle fully: a few months after eyelid and ear surgery, 6–12 months after a facelift, and a year or longer after rhinoplasty.

You can send photos in advance for a preliminary opinion; the final plan is made after the examination in Izmir. Depending on the operation, we usually recommend staying in Izmir for one to two weeks until the first check-up. Later follow-ups can be done by video call, in English if you prefer.

If a blocked nose is caused by internal structures such as a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates or collapsing nostril walls, these can be corrected in the same operation as the cosmetic changes – this is called septorhinoplasty. A purely cosmetic rhinoplasty, on the other hand, is not designed to improve breathing on its own. That is why we also assess your airway with a nasal endoscopy before surgery.

A filler-based non-surgical nose job can help camouflage small irregularities or a mild hump. However, it cannot make the nose smaller, narrow a wide tip or fix breathing problems, and its effect is temporary. Fillers in the nose also carry rare but serious risks, such as blocking a blood vessel.

In most patients, a crooked or asymmetric nose after an injury can be noticeably improved with rhinoplasty. Because an external bend is often accompanied by a deviated septum, the inside and outside of the nose are planned together. After a recent injury, swelling can make assessment difficult, so the nose is best examined once the swelling has gone down.

Yes, but thick skin shows changes to the underlying cartilage less clearly, so very fine, sharp definition of the tip may be limited. Swelling also takes longer to settle in patients with thick skin. We assess your skin thickness at the consultation and agree on realistic goals together.

For the first days, sleeping on your back with your head raised, for example on two pillows, helps reduce swelling. For the first few weeks it is best to avoid sleeping face down or turning onto your side in a way that presses your nose into the pillow. Keeping water by the bed can help, as a dry mouth from mouth breathing is common early on.

Short walks are fine from the first days, and light exercise is usually allowed after 4–6 weeks. Contact sports where the nose could be hit, such as football, basketball or martial arts, are generally cleared at around three months. The right time for swimming and heavy weight training is agreed at your check-up.

Heat can increase swelling, so saunas, steam rooms and long hot baths are best avoided for the first few weeks. During the first months, a hat and high-factor sunscreen help reduce the risk of skin discolouration on the nose. When you can swim in the sea or a pool depends on how your wounds are healing and is decided at your check-up.

Reduced sensation at the tip of the nose is common and usually temporary, gradually returning over several months in most patients. In the first weeks your sense of smell may also be reduced because of swelling and crusting inside the nose, and this usually improves as the swelling settles. Symptoms that persist are assessed at your follow-up visits.

The shape that appears once the swelling has settled is largely permanent, although, like the rest of the face, the nose can change slowly with age. Preserving or reinforcing the nose's support structures during surgery is key to a stable long-term result. Protecting your nose from knocks while it heals and attending your check-ups also help maintain the result.

For most patients one operation is enough, but some may need a small touch-up procedure later on. If revision is being considered, we usually wait at least a year after the first operation so that the tissues have fully healed. If cartilage support was reduced in the previous surgery, grafts taken from the ear or rib may be needed.

It depends less on the complaint itself than on which area and which layer of the face it comes from. A tired look can be caused by a descended brow, hollowing under the eyes, sagging cheeks or loss of volume, and each needs a different approach. That is why the face is assessed at rest as well as when talking and smiling, and the plan is discussed together using standardised photographs.

Yes, this is common: as the brow descends, the upper eyelid skin appears more excessive than it really is. In that case removing eyelid skin alone can pull the brow down further and make the expression look harsher. The examination separates eyelid excess from brow descent, and both areas are planned together if needed.

Fullness under the chin usually comes from fat, loose skin or visible bands of the neck muscle, or a combination of these. In people whose skin is still elastic, often younger patients, neck liposuction through a small incision under the chin may be enough. If skin laxity and muscle bands are pronounced, removing fat alone will not help and a neck lift is usually considered.

If the problem is limited to the neck, a neck lift can be planned as a standalone procedure. Because the jawline and neck form one continuous contour, however, leaving jowls untreated can make the result look unbalanced in many patients. For this reason a neck lift is often combined with a lower facelift, and the decision is made at the consultation.

In fat grafting, a small amount of your own fat, usually from the abdomen or thigh, is processed and placed into the face with fine cannulas. Part of the transferred fat may be reabsorbed by the body, while the fat that takes is generally long-lasting. Because the amount that survives varies from person to person, a further session is sometimes needed.

If you plan to lose weight, it is generally advisable to reach your target weight and stay stable for a while before surgery. Significant weight loss afterwards can cause new sagging and volume loss, while weight gain can change facial proportions. A stable weight makes planning more predictable and supports healing.

Previous fillers are not a reason on their own to rule out surgery, but they can influence the plan. At the consultation you will be asked where, when and what type of filler was used, and its effect on the face and tissues is assessed. Sharing this information, along with any previous operations, helps to plan accurately.

Yes, these treatments can complement the surgical result, for example for expression lines or fine wrinkles. It is usual to wait until the tissues have healed and the swelling has settled. It is best to discuss the timing and the areas to be treated with the surgeon who performed your operation.

This depends on the extent of the procedure. After more limited procedures such as eyelid surgery, most patients return to social life within 7–10 days, while after extensive operations such as a face and neck lift it usually takes 2–3 weeks. Subtle swelling can take a few months to resolve completely, so important events should be planned with that in mind.

Weakness of branches of the facial nerve is a rare but recognised risk of facial surgery. When it occurs it is usually temporary, although in rare cases it can be permanent. Detailed knowledge of facial and neck anatomy and careful surgical technique aim to reduce this risk, and your individual risks are discussed in detail before surgery.

A completely split earlobe does not close by itself, because the edges of the tear quickly heal over with skin separately. The lasting solution is surgical repair, in which the healed edges are freshened and the lobe is stitched in layers. A piercing that has stretched significantly without tearing usually needs a similar small repair.

Small gauge holes may shrink somewhat once the plug is removed, but holes larger than a few millimetres are generally not expected to close completely. In that case the excess tissue is removed and the earlobe is reshaped. In most patients this is done under local anaesthetic and you go home the same day.

Stahl's ear is an ear shape with an extra cartilage fold in the upper part of the ear, giving the rim a pointed look. In the first weeks after birth, while the cartilage is still very soft, ear moulding can correct the shape in some babies. Later in life the extra fold usually has to be weakened or removed surgically.

Congenital shapes in which the upper rim folds forward or the ear is constricted can usually be corrected surgically. The cartilage is released and reshaped and, if needed, supported with a small piece of cartilage taken from another part of the ear. More pronounced folding may require more extensive techniques, so the method is decided at the examination.

Yes. In established cauliflower ear, the thickened cartilage can be thinned and the contours of the ear reshaped. To prevent it, any swelling after a blow to the ear should be drained early. For athletes who continue contact sports, the risk of new injuries changing the shape again is taken into account when planning.

In most cases, yes. An earlobe that looks stretched towards the cheek or attached to it can be released and repositioned more naturally using otoplasty techniques. This is done once healing from the facelift is complete, and usually under local anaesthetic.

Ears that sit too close to the head, or whose rim cannot be seen from the front, are a recognised result of overcorrection. In revision surgery the tissues behind the ear are released to give the ear a more natural angle. Because previous surgery changes the tissues, what can be achieved depends on the condition of the cartilage and is assessed at the examination.

No, microtia is a different condition from the problems otoplasty addresses. When all or most of the outer ear has not developed, extensive reconstruction is required, usually planned in several stages. Otoplasty corrects the shape, size or position of an existing outer ear.

The ear, and the earlobe in particular, is one of the areas where keloids (raised scars that keep growing) can develop. If you have had a keloid before, this directly affects the decision and the plan; some patients need additional measures and closer follow-up after surgery. It is therefore important to mention any keloid history at your consultation.

After cartilage surgery it is advisable to avoid lying directly on the operated ear for the first few weeks and to sleep on your back with your head slightly raised. Once the dressing is removed, a night-time headband is usually worn for 4–6 weeks to stop the ear catching on the pillow and folding. After earlobe repair alone, restrictions usually last only a few days.

With a long upper lip, the distance between the nose and the red part of the lip looks large compared with the rest of the face, and the upper front teeth show little or not at all at rest. The red part of the lip may also look thin and turned inwards. This can be a natural feature from birth or develop with age, and the final assessment is based on measurements taken at the consultation.

A lip lift is generally not suitable for people who already have a short upper lip, show a lot of teeth at rest or show a lot of gum when smiling. A significant bite problem will not be corrected by the operation and may even become more noticeable. Active smoking, uncontrolled chronic conditions and a history of problem scarring such as keloids are also taken into account.

Filler adds volume to the lip, whereas a lip lift shortens the distance between the lip and the nose, so they address different problems. Using filler alone on a long upper lip can make it project forward and look heavy without correcting the drooping appearance. In some patients the two approaches complement each other.

A lip lift is usually performed under local anaesthesia, with light sedation if needed, and typically takes 45–90 minutes. If it is combined with another operation, general anaesthesia may be preferred. Most patients go home a few hours afterwards; after general anaesthesia an overnight stay may be needed.

Yes, an upper lip that has become thinner and longer with age is one of the common reasons for a lip lift. In these patients, however, general sagging of the lower face should be assessed at the same time. In some cases a lip lift is planned together with a facelift or fat grafting.

A corner lip lift raises down-turned corners of the mouth by removing a small piece of skin just above each corner. Down-turned corners can give the face a tired or unhappy expression. Because it can leave a visible scar at the corner of the mouth, it is not recommended for everyone and suitability is assessed carefully.

During the first week it is advisable to avoid opening the mouth wide and to avoid hard foods, choosing softer foods instead. Stitches are usually removed on day 5–7, after which eating gradually returns to normal. The feeling of tightness in the lip eases within a few weeks in most patients.

In the first days, swelling and tightness make the upper lip look higher and more turned out than it will eventually be. The swelling usually settles considerably within 2–4 weeks and the lip moves into a more natural position. In most patients the shape of the lip has largely settled by around three months.

An over-shortened upper lip can create an unnatural, permanently surprised expression and show too much tooth at rest. This is why the amount of skin removed is planned to the millimetre according to your facial proportions. The aim is not to make the lip as short as possible but to achieve a distance that suits your face.

Some patients may later need a small corrective procedure, for example for asymmetry, a lip that has lifted less or more than expected, or a noticeable scar. Because the tissues take time to settle and the scar takes time to mature, a decision on revision is usually not made in a hurry. For the appearance of the scar, treatments such as laser or dermabrasion may also be considered if needed.

Yes. When excess upper lid skin hangs over the lashes, it can narrow the upper and outer part of your field of vision. Many people then raise their eyebrows all day without noticing and end up with a tired forehead or headaches by the evening. Surgery for this kind of excess is called functional blepharoplasty, and a visual field test can be used to document the problem if needed.

No. With droopy eyelids the problem is excess skin folding over the lid margin; with ptosis the muscle that lifts the eyelid has weakened, so the lid margin itself sits lower over the pupil. Ptosis cannot be corrected by removing skin alone and needs a different procedure on the muscle. A lid that droops suddenly, or together with double vision, should first be investigated medically.

Under-eye bags usually form when the thin membrane holding back the fat around the eye loosens and the fat bulges forward. They become more noticeable with age, but people with a family tendency can develop them at a young age. Temporary morning puffiness from salt, poor sleep or allergies can look similar, so we distinguish it from true fat bags at the consultation.

Creams and skincare can improve the look of the skin under the eyes, but they cannot remove fat that has bulged forward. In some people with a marked hollow between the bag and the cheek, non-surgical options such as fillers can soften the transition, but their effect is limited when the fat bags are prominent. Which approach makes sense depends on the bags and the amount of excess skin, and is assessed at the consultation.

The aim is not to change the shape of your eyes but to make the lids look rested and in keeping with your own expression. Removing too much skin or fat, or pulling the lower lid down, can make the eye look rounder or give an “operated” look. That is why we plan conservatively, and if the lower lid is lax, supporting stitches at the outer corner may be added.

Swelling and bruising are usually at their worst in the first 2–3 days and have largely settled within 10–14 days for most patients. Mild puffiness, especially in the mornings, can linger for a few more weeks, and it may take 3–6 months to disappear completely. Cold compresses in the first days help to ease this.

For the first few days, sleep on your back with your head raised on a couple of pillows, which helps the swelling around the eyes go down faster. Sleeping face down or pressing your face into the pillow is usually avoided for the first 1–2 weeks. If a protective ointment has been prescribed for the night, apply it before going to bed.

Short periods of reading and screen time are usually fine from the first days, but your eyes may tire quickly and feel drier, so take frequent breaks and use the drops you were given. To drive, the swelling must allow you to open your eyes comfortably and your vision must be fully clear, which for most patients is after the first week. Do not drive while ointment is blurring your vision.

The operation is performed on the eyelids; the eyeball itself is not operated on. Watering, a gritty feeling and temporary blurred vision from swelling or ointment are common in the first days. Bleeding behind the eye is very rare but needs urgent treatment, so let us know immediately if you notice increasing pain, marked swelling or reduced vision.

Removed skin and treated fat bags generally do not come back, and the results of lower lid bag surgery in particular last for many years in most patients. Ageing continues, however, and the upper lid skin may loosen somewhat again over the years. If that happens, a new assessment is possible; in a second procedure the amount of skin removed is measured even more cautiously to protect eyelid closure.

Botulinum toxin can lift the tail of the brow by a few millimetres for a limited time, and fillers can temporarily support lost volume in the cheeks. Neither, however, repositions tissues that have descended or releases the ligaments holding them down, and their effect wears off over time. For mild descent, non-surgical options may be enough for a while; for clear brow and mid-face descent, surgery offers a longer-lasting solution.

In the first few weeks the brows may sit slightly higher than planned and the area around the eyes may look tight; this is due to swelling and usually softens over the following months. The aim is not to lift the brow as high as possible but to place it in a natural position that suits your face. In women, for example, the outer tail of the brow is often lifted slightly, while in men a flatter brow line is usually preserved.

Numbness of the forehead and scalp is very common, because the sensory nerves are stretched while the tissues are lifted. In most patients sensation returns over the course of several months; itching or tingling during this time is usually part of normal healing. Rarely, reduced sensation in some areas can last longer.

For the first one to two weeks we recommend sleeping on your back with your head raised on a few pillows, which helps swelling around the eyes and cheeks settle faster. Sleeping face down, or on your side with your face pressed into the pillow, is best avoided during this period because it can put pressure on the newly fixed tissues.

Short walks are fine from the first days. Light exercise can usually be resumed after three to four weeks, while running, weight training, positions with the head down for long periods and contact sports are best left for a little longer, typically around six weeks. Strenuous activity too early can increase swelling and the risk of bleeding.

Because the incisions are inside the hairline, facial make-up does not touch them. Most patients can use light make-up to cover bruising around the eyes and cheeks from the end of the first week. Apply and remove products gently around the eyes, and do not put any products on the scalp incisions.

A heavy feeling in the upper eyelids can come from genuine excess eyelid skin or from a drooping brow pressing down on the lid. If the brow is clearly low, removing eyelid skin alone may not give the expected result. At the consultation we assess brow position and eyelid skin together, and in some patients both procedures are planned in the same operation.

To reach the mid-face, a small incision above the upper gum is added in some patients. In that case chewing and smiling may feel tight for the first few days; a soft diet for a few days and rinsing the mouth after meals as advised make this easier. The stitches inside the mouth usually dissolve on their own.

The branch of the facial nerve that moves the forehead is protected during surgery, but some patients notice weakness when raising the brows or wrinkling the forehead afterwards. This is mostly temporary and recovers over weeks to months. Permanent weakness is rare, and brow movement is checked at the follow-up visits.

Mild asymmetry of the brows or cheeks is common early on, because swelling is rarely equal on both sides, and it usually improves as the swelling settles. It is also worth remembering that the two halves of the face are never perfectly symmetrical before surgery. We generally wait three to six months before judging the result; if clear asymmetry persists after that, a small secondary correction can occasionally be planned.

Thread lifts and skin-tightening treatments such as ultrasound or radiofrequency can give a limited, temporary improvement in mild sagging. For marked jowls, a softened jawline or neck laxity, however, they do not release the ligaments that hold the tissues down, so it is not realistic to expect the same effect as a deep plane facelift. Which approach makes sense depends on the degree of sagging and is discussed at the consultation.

A deep plane facelift repositions sagging tissues, but its effect on fine surface wrinkles, pores and sun spots is limited. Fine lines around the lips and overall skin quality usually need separate skin-focused treatments. A facelift and good skin care are best thought of as complementary rather than as alternatives.

A tight, “wind-swept” look is mostly associated with placing all the tension on the skin. In the deep plane technique the tension is carried by the deeper layer and the tissues are moved back in the opposite direction to how they descended with age, with the aim of a natural look close to your younger self. A temporary feeling of tightness in the first weeks, caused by swelling, is normal.

Because the incision runs around the earlobe, closing the skin under tension can pull the earlobe downwards and change its shape. To reduce this risk, excess skin is removed without creating tension and the earlobe is set back in its natural position. If a noticeable change does occur, which is uncommon, it can usually be corrected with a small procedure.

The most common early problem after a facelift is a collection of blood under the skin (haematoma), and high blood pressure clearly increases this risk. That is why blood pressure should be well controlled before surgery, and straining, bending forward and sudden head movements should be avoided in the first days. If you notice rapidly increasing swelling or tightness on one side, let us know straight away.

Because the deep plane technique works close to the branches of the facial nerve, the dissection follows the course of these nerves carefully and the branches are protected. Some patients notice slight weakness at the corner of the mouth or when smiling after surgery; this is mostly temporary and recovers over weeks to months. Permanent nerve damage is rare.

Most patients with desk-based jobs return to work and social life after two to three weeks, when any remaining mild swelling can be covered with make-up. For physically demanding work and sport, four to six weeks is usually recommended. Your face and neck will feel tight and numb in the first weeks, so it is worth planning your return date with this in mind.

Ideally your weight should have been stable for some time before surgery. Losing a significant amount of weight after a facelift can create new laxity, while gaining weight can make the jawline fuller again, and both can affect the result. It is therefore usually better to plan the operation once you have reached your target weight and stayed there for a while.

Previous threads or fillers are usually not a reason to rule out surgery. They can, however, leave firmer tissue or product residue, so when, where and with which product they were done is taken into account in the planning. It helps to bring any information about previous treatments to your consultation.

Yes. Because ageing continues, some patients choose a second facelift years later. As previously operated tissues contain scar tissue, the planning is more detailed and takes the earlier technique and the position of the existing scars into account. In some patients a more limited correction is enough instead of a full operation.

The most common signs are brows sitting at or below the bony rim of the eye socket, and a drooping outer tail that creates a fold of skin over the outer part of the upper lid. Constantly raising your brows to keep your eyes open, with deep horizontal forehead lines as a result, can also point to a low brow. The ideal brow position differs from person to person and between women and men, so this is assessed at the consultation.

At the consultation we lift your brow gently with a finger to its natural position; if most of the upper lid excess disappears, the main problem is a low brow. Removing only eyelid skin when the brow has dropped can pull the brow down further and make the look harsher. Many patients have both, and in that case a brow lift and upper blepharoplasty can be planned in the same session.

Through 3–5 small incisions in the scalp, the forehead tissues are released from the bone with the help of a thin camera. If needed, the muscles that pull the brow down are weakened, and the tissues are secured in their new position with stitches or fixation devices that dissolve over time. This technique is usually chosen for patients with a normal or short forehead who need the whole brow lifted.

Once the brows are in the right position, you no longer need to raise them constantly to keep your eyes open, so horizontal forehead lines soften in most patients. Because the muscles that pull the brow down can be weakened during surgery, frown lines between the brows may also become less marked. Lines etched into the skin may not disappear completely, though; the main goal of a brow lift is brow position, not wrinkle treatment.

A slight difference between the two brows is normal for most people, but a clearly one-sided drop can be age-related or follow facial nerve palsy. In that case the two sides are lifted by different amounts to restore balance, and after facial palsy a direct brow lift along the upper edge of the brow may be considered. Perfect symmetry is not always achievable, so we agree on realistic expectations at the consultation.

Yes. Brow descent is common in men too and can make them look tired or cross. A man's brow naturally sits flatter and at the level of the bony rim, so a more limited lift is planned and a feminine arch is avoided. A receding or thinning hairline can affect where the incisions are placed, and the technique is chosen accordingly.

Swelling of the forehead and around the eyes is usually at its peak in the first 2–3 days and can drift down into the eyelids with gravity, so bruising may show around the eyes even though the surgery is on the forehead. Resting with your head raised and using cold compresses help to reduce it. Most of the bruising fades within 7–14 days for most patients.

Gentle activity such as short walks is fine from the first days. Light sport is usually allowed from around week 3–4, while heavy exercise, weight training and sports with a risk of knocks to the head need a little longer. Heavy strain too early can increase swelling and disturb the tissues as they heal in their new position.

The aim is to move the brow to a natural position while preserving your expression, and in most patients brow and forehead movement continues after healing. In the first weeks, swelling and a feeling of tightness can make movement feel restricted for a while. Temporary involvement of the nerve branch that moves the forehead can weaken brow elevation; this usually recovers within months, and permanent weakness is rare.

The effect of a brow lift is noticeable for many years in most patients, but surgery does not stop ageing, so some gradual descent of the brow over time is normal. How long the result holds depends on the technique, skin thickness and elasticity, the strength of the forehead muscles, and factors such as sun exposure and smoking. If the tissues loosen again over the years, a more limited correction than the first operation is usually possible.

Prominent ears often run in families and are usually noticeable at birth or in the first months of life. The main cause is an underdeveloped fold in the ear cartilage or an unusually deep bowl around the ear canal. Factors such as how a baby is laid down to sleep are not thought to cause them.

After the newborn period the ear cartilage becomes firmer, so tape, hats or cosmetic ear glue do not change the shape permanently; they only hide it while they are worn. Lasting correction after infancy requires surgery. The headband worn after the operation does not reshape the ear either – it protects the new shape while it heals.

No. The incisionless method is generally chosen for patients with soft, flexible cartilage and mild to moderate prominence. With thick, stiff cartilage or a very deep ear bowl, the risk of the ears moving forward again is higher, so classic techniques through a small incision behind the ear may be needed. The right method depends on how your cartilage behaves at the examination.

Children are usually operated on under general anaesthetic and generally go home the same day or after one night in hospital. In adults the operation can often be performed under local anaesthetic, with sedation if needed. The type of anaesthesia is chosen together with you, based on age, general health and the planned technique.

The aim is not to pin the ears flat but to bring them to a natural angle. Seeing a little of the ear rim from the front is part of a natural look. Differences of a few millimetres between the two sides are normal and usually go unnoticed in everyday life.

Most patients can wear their glasses again once the dressing has been removed. In the first weeks, light frames are preferable so the arms do not press on the wound behind the ear and the newly shaped cartilage; switching to contact lenses for a short time may also be suggested. Take care not to fold the ear forward when putting glasses on or taking them off.

Prominent ears are harmless to health, but teasing at school can lead to low self-confidence and withdrawal in some children. Not every child is affected in the same way. The child's own wish and their ability to follow the aftercare rules are important in the decision, so we recommend bringing your child to the consultation to share their view.

Yes. In some patients the earlobe also sticks out along with the upper and middle part of the ear. If only the upper ear were corrected the lobe could look more prominent, so when needed its position is corrected during the same operation.

The permanent stitches that hold the cartilage in its new shape sit under the skin behind the ear and in most patients cannot be felt. Occasionally a stitch may become palpable, work its way through the skin or cause mild inflammation. In that case it can be removed in a minor procedure; the timing and any effect on the result are assessed at the examination.

Mild pain, tightness and swelling are expected in the first days. However, one-sided pain that keeps increasing, marked swelling under the dressing, fever or an unpleasant smell need prompt assessment for a blood collection under the skin or infection. In that case contact us straight away rather than waiting for your scheduled check-up.

No. Treatment follows a step-by-step approach, and for many patients the first steps are non-surgical: losing weight, avoiding alcohol in the evening, positional therapy, medical treatment of a blocked nose, an oral appliance or CPAP. Surgery is considered when there is a clear anatomical narrowing, when CPAP cannot be used, or to make CPAP easier to tolerate.

Polysomnography is usually carried out overnight in a sleep laboratory. Painless sensors attached to the body record your sleep stages, airflow through the nose and mouth, chest and abdominal movements, blood oxygen levels and heart rhythm. From this, the number of breathing pauses and reductions per hour (AHI) is calculated to show whether you have sleep apnoea and how severe it is.

Surgery can reduce snoring and the severity of sleep apnoea, but it does not eliminate them in every patient. Weight gain, alcohol or the natural loosening of tissues with age can bring the symptoms back after surgery. For patients with sleep apnoea we usually plan a follow-up sleep study a few months after the operation to assess the result.

Correcting causes of nasal obstruction, such as a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates, eases nasal breathing and can reduce snoring in some patients. However, snoring often also comes from the soft palate, tonsils or tongue base, so nasal surgery alone often does not fully resolve sleep apnoea. An important benefit of nasal surgery is that it can make CPAP easier to use.

When you lie on your back, the tongue base and soft palate can fall backwards and narrow the airway, which is why sleeping on your side reduces snoring for many people. In patients who snore or have apnoea only when lying on their back, methods that encourage side sleeping can be used alone or alongside other treatments. Whether positional therapy is enough is judged from the sleep study results.

Yes. Alcohol, sedatives and some sleeping tablets relax the throat muscles, making the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and increasing snoring and breathing pauses. For this reason, avoiding alcohol in the evening is recommended. Please do not stop any regular medication on your own – discuss it first with the doctor who prescribed it.

Oral appliances (mandibular advancement devices) gently move the lower jaw forward during sleep to widen the airway and are an option for simple snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnoea. They are custom-made by a dentist, and your teeth and jaw joints need to be suitable. In patients with sleep apnoea, a follow-up sleep study may be recommended to check how well the appliance works.

Occasional light snoring, for example during a cold, is common in children. However, if a child snores regularly, sleeps with their mouth open, sleeps restlessly, has pauses in breathing or struggles with concentration during the day, an ENT examination is recommended. The most common cause in children is enlarged adenoids and tonsils, and treatment is planned according to age and examination findings.

Radiofrequency treatment applies controlled heat energy to tissues such as the soft palate or tongue base, aiming to stiffen them and reduce their volume over time. It is generally considered for simple snoring or milder cases where the narrowing is at these levels. Whether it is suitable for you is decided on the basis of the examination, the sleep study and, if needed, sleep endoscopy.

That depends on the result of the follow-up sleep study done a few months after surgery. In some patients the severity of apnoea falls to a level where CPAP is no longer needed, while others still need to use the device; for them, surgery can make CPAP more comfortable to use. Please do not stop using CPAP on your own before the follow-up test.