What Should I Do Before Nose Surgery? A Preparation Guide

Preparing for rhinoplasty is mostly conversations, paperwork and logistics. This page does not replace the written instructions your surgeon and anesthesia team give you. Where this page and those instructions differ, theirs apply, because they know your health history. You can take the printable clinic checklist to your consultation.

Key takeaways

• The consultation is where most preparation happens; a clinical guideline says it should cover your expectations, conditions that could change surgery, your airway and possible complications.
• Your surgeon and anesthesiologist need to know every medicine and supplement; there is no universal stop-date, and changes to prescription medicines belong to your doctors.
• Evidence on smoking and rhinoplasty is mixed, so what your surgeon requires, and whether it covers vaping and nicotine products, is worth asking.
• It helps to have someone drive you and stay the first night; the NHS reports about 7 days for the splint and up to 2 weeks off work.

What should the consultation cover?

A good consultation is where most preparation happens. The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s clinical practice guideline on rhinoplasty says clinicians should:

• ask about your motivations and expectations, say whether those expectations are realistic and record that discussion
• check for conditions that could change or rule out surgery, including obstructive sleep apnea, body dysmorphic disorder, bleeding disorders and chronic use of topical vasoconstrictor nasal drugs
• assess whether your nasal airway is blocked
• explain what to expect after surgery, how it may affect breathing, the possible complications and the chance of needing further surgery
• explain how discomfort is managed after the operation

That is a guideline for clinicians, but it works as a checklist for you. If a consultation covers none of it, treat that as information.

Bring a written list of everything you take, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements, plus your allergies, past operations and any breathing or sinus problems. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says patients may be asked to get a lab test or adjust their medications before surgery, and that your surgeon will discuss where the procedure takes place: an accredited office-based facility, a licensed surgical center or a hospital.

Questions to ask your surgeon

• Who exactly will operate, and what is their specialty and experience with noses like mine?
• How many operations like this have you done, and what complications have you treated? (The NHS lists these among the questions to ask.)
• Where will the surgery take place, and who is the anesthesiologist?
• What written instructions will I get before surgery, and in which language?
• When does the splint or dressing come off, when do stitches come out and when do I return for follow-up care? (ASPS suggests asking these recovery questions.)
• When can I return to normal activity and exercise?
• What happens if I have a problem after I go home?

Our guide to finding a rhinoplasty surgeon goes deeper on credentials.

What should you know about medicines and supplements?

ASPS’s preparation page says aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements can increase bleeding. That is why surgeons ask about them. It is also why a single, universal “stop this many days before” rule does not exist.

A 2023 review of medication management in elective plastic surgery (Chaya and colleagues, Journal of Craniofacial Surgery) found that decisions affect bleeding risk, wound healing and interactions with anesthetics. It concluded that each patient should be managed case by case, with a specialist consulted when necessary, and that careful medication reconciliation is essential. A 2026 narrative review of supplements and herbal products before plastic surgery (Sousa Oliveira and colleagues, Cureus) proposes graded, individualized suspension intervals rather than one flat recommendation, and notes that patients often leave supplements out of the pre-operative interview because they do not think of them as medicines.

So the practical point is disclosure, not a stop-date you set yourself. Tell your surgeon and anesthesiologist about every product on your list, including vitamins, protein powders, herbal products and “natural” weight-loss products. Prescription medicines are a separate matter: some are essential, and changing them without medical guidance can cause harm. Decisions about them belong to your doctors. For more, see our guide to supplements before surgery.

Smoking and nicotine

Evidence for rhinoplasty is mixed, and it is worth knowing both sides.

• The World Health Organization, looking at surgery in general, reports that smokers who quit approximately 4 weeks or more before surgery have a lower risk of complication and better results 6 months afterwards, and are less likely to have anesthesia complications than regular smokers.
• A 2024 systematic review of 82 aesthetic surgery studies found that smoking raised the risk of overall complications for most procedures, but not significantly for rhinoplasty or mastopexy. The authors warned that those two analyses may be biased (Bouhadana and colleagues, Plastic Surgery).
• A 2026 retrospective review of 1,884 rhinoplasties found no significant difference in revision, infection or wound complication rates between smokers and nonsmokers. The authors said cessation should still be recommended but may not be mandatory for satisfactory outcomes (Tugertimur and colleagues, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery).
• Surgeons’ policies differ. One published commentary notes that many surgeons advise or require patients to stop smoking before elective surgery.

Put together, the timeframe depends on your surgeon’s policy and your anesthesia team’s view. Ask what they require, how far in advance, and whether the rule also covers vaping and nicotine replacement products. That is also how you reconcile the “2 weeks” you may see in one checklist and the “4 weeks” in another: they are different sources with different policies.

Fasting and anesthesia

If you are having general anesthesia, you will be told when to stop eating and drinking. The American Society of Anesthesiologists publishes fasting guidelines for healthy patients having elective procedures, updated in 2023 for carbohydrate-containing clear liquids, chewing gum and children. Facilities apply their own protocols, and your anesthesia team adapts them to you. A figure you read online, for example “8 hours,” is not a rule for your operation. Follow the written fasting instructions you receive, and ask what counts as a clear liquid, whether chewing gum is allowed and what to do about regular medicines on the morning of surgery.

Mention anything that affects anesthesia: past reactions, sleep apnea, reflux, recent infections and any substances you use. Read more in our guide to general anesthesia for a nose job. If your date may fall during your period, see surgery during your period.

How do you arrange help and plan the first weeks?

ASPS says to plan for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night. For recovery timing, the NHS reports typical ranges:

ASPS says initial swelling subsides within a few weeks and that it may take up to a year for the new contour to fully refine. These are general ranges and individual timelines vary, so check with your surgeon. See how to sleep after rhinoplasty for recovery planning.

If you are traveling for surgery

Surgery abroad adds logistics. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests seeing a travel medicine clinician 4 to 6 weeks before travel, asking whether follow-up care takes place at the same facility as the procedure, and requesting copies of your overseas medical records in English. It notes that air travel and surgery each raise blood clot risk and that ASPS advises waiting 7 to 10 days before flying after nose procedures. The NHS gives the same 7 to 10 day range and recommends confirming that you will have two consultations before surgery, with a cooling-off period (NHS).

Our cost guide lists what to check in a package.

Prepare for the long timeline

Rhinoplasty results change over months. The NHS advises being sure about why you want surgery and taking time to think. Ask your surgeon how they handle disappointment or revision, and decide in advance what you would do if the result takes longer to settle than you hoped.

Sources

All pages were opened and checked on 9 October 2026.

• Ishii LE, Tollefson TT, Basura GJ, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Improving Nasal Form and Function after Rhinoplasty. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 2017;156(2 suppl):S1-S30. PubMed 28145823.
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Rhinoplasty: preparation and recovery.
• NHS, Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty): last reviewed 22 September 2023.
• NHS, Cosmetic surgery abroad: last reviewed 14 December 2022.
• Chaya BF, Rodriguez Colon R, Boczar D, et al. Perioperative Medication Management in Elective Plastic Surgery Procedures. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 2023;34:1131-1136. PubMed 36735455.
• Sousa Oliveira LA, Cabette Filho NN, Sacksida Valladão VC. Self-Administered Dietary Supplements, Herbal Products, and Ergogenic Aids Before Plastic Surgery: A Narrative Review. Cureus, 2026;18:e114938. PubMed 42765078.
• World Health Organization, Smoking greatly increases risk of complications after surgery, 20 January 2020.
• Bouhadana G, ElHawary H, Alam P, et al. A Procedure and Complication-Specific Assessment of Smoking in Aesthetic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Plastic Surgery, 2024;32:115-126. PubMed 38433792.
• Tugertimur B, Datta S, Goote P, et al. Evaluating the Safety of Rhinoplasty in Smokers. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2026;157:43-52. PubMed 40489744.
• Lin SJ, Hassell NE. Invited Discussion on “The Effect of Smoking on Septoplasty and Septorhinoplasty Outcomes.” Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2022;46:1385-1387. PubMed 34981154.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists, 2023 Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Fasting (modular update). Anesthesiology, 2023;138:132-151. PubMed 36629465. Abstract only.
• CDC Yellow Book, Medical Tourism, page dated 23 April 2025.