Rhinoplasty & Nose Surgery glossary of terms & specifications
15 technical terms, material grades and Irish standards explained in plain English so you know exactly what is on a written quote.
Sorted A to Z for quick reference when comparing specifications (nosejobs.ie — glossary).
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Key rhinoplasty & nose surgery terms explained
Alar Base Reduction (Weir Excisions)
Removing a small wedge of tissue at the outer crease where wide or flaring nostrils meet the cheek, leaving a fine line hidden inside the natural alar groove.
Closed (Endonasal) Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty performed entirely through internal incisions hidden inside the nostrils with no external columellar scar — best suited to straightforward dorsal hump reductions and minor tip adjustments.
Columellar Strut & Septal Extension Graft
Small strips of your own septal cartilage sutured between the lower lateral cartilages to support nasal tip projection and prevent post-operative tip droop over time.
Doyle Internal Nasal Splints
Soft, hollow medical-grade silicone tubes with built-in breathing channels placed inside the nose for 7 days after septal surgery — replacing uncomfortable old-style ribbon gauze packing.
IMC Specialist Division Register
The Irish Medical Council's register of fully accredited consultant specialists in Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery or Otolaryngology (ENT / Head & Neck Surgery).
Non-Surgical Liquid Rhinoplasty
Injecting a high-elasticity (high G') hyaluronic acid dermal filler above and below a small dorsal bump to create a straighter optical profile line without surgery — reversible with hyaluronidase.
Open (External) Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty performed via a tiny 3 mm inverted-V incision across the columella (the narrow strip of skin between the nostrils), lifting the skin envelope to give the surgeon full binocular vision of the nasal tip and bridge framework.
Preservation Rhinoplasty (Dorsal Push-Down / Let-Down)
A modern structural technique that lowers a dorsal bridge hump from underneath by removing a strip of high septal cartilage and bone, keeping the natural smooth top surface of the nasal bridge intact.
Primary Rhinoplasty
A first-time surgical procedure to reshape the nasal bridge, tip or nostrils for aesthetic harmony, performed under general anaesthesia.
Septorhinoplasty
Combined functional and aesthetic nose surgery that straightens a deviated nasal septum (improving nasal breathing) while refining the external nasal pyramid.
Spreader Grafts
Paired rectangular strips of septal cartilage placed along the middle nasal vault to widen a pinched internal nasal valve, improve airflow and straighten a twisted middle bridge.
Supratip Edema ('Pollybeak' Swelling)
Fullness just above the nasal tip common during months 1 to 6 of healing as lymphatic drainage recovers; occasionally treated with a tiny micro-droplet of triamcinolone (Kenalog) if thick skin forms scar tissue.
Thermoplastic External Nasal Cast
A lightweight heat-moulded splint taped over the nasal bridge for the first 7 to 10 days after rhinoplasty to protect the reshaped nasal bones and control early swelling.
Tip Plasty
Surgical reshaping restricted to the lower lateral (alar) cartilages and nasal tip domes without breaking or narrowing the upper nasal bones.
Ultrasonic Piezo Rhinoplasty
A technique using high-frequency piezoelectric micro-vibrations to sculpt and narrow mineralized nasal bones with millimetre accuracy without breaking them with a hammer and chisel (osteotome), sparing surrounding soft tissue and blood vessels.
Real examples and installation detail
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Nose Jobs (Rhinoplasty) guides & price breakdowns
Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
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Questions patients ask
How much does a nose job (rhinoplasty) cost in Ireland in 2026?
In Ireland, a primary cosmetic rhinoplasty in an accredited private hospital costs €5,500 to €8,800. Ultrasonic Piezo rhinoplasty costs €6,200 to €9,200, functional septorhinoplasty for a deviated septum plus bridge refinement costs €5,800 to €9,000, isolated tip plasty costs €3,800 to €5,500, revision rhinoplasty costs €7,500 to €11,500, and a non-surgical liquid nose job with dermal filler costs €450 to €750.
Does VHI, Laya or Irish Life health insurance cover a nose job in Ireland?
Irish private health insurers exclude purely cosmetic rhinoplasty. However, if you have a medically documented nasal airway obstruction (such as a deviated nasal septum, nasal valve collapse or post-traumatic fracture) referred by your GP, insurers frequently cover the hospital theatre and functional septoplasty procedure codes while you pay the surgeon's cosmetic rhinoplasty balance.
Can I claim 20% Revenue Form Med 1 tax relief on rhinoplasty?
Under Revenue Commissioners rules, purely cosmetic surgery does not qualify for tax relief. Where a septorhinoplasty or reconstructive rhinoplasty is carried out on medical referral to correct a functional breathing disorder, trauma or congenital deformity, the qualifying medical outlay is eligible for 20% income tax relief on Form Med 1.
Nose Jobs (Rhinoplasty) across all 26 counties
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