Did Qczaj have nose surgery? Yes, and he told his followers why

What did Qczaj say about his nose surgery?

Qczaj announced the operation on his Instagram profile, as reported by Plejada in August 2019. According to the portal, he said he had to have the surgery for health reasons: an accident at a gym many years earlier had broken his nose, the bones had not healed properly, and as an adult he had problems breathing normally. After the operation he posted a short video from hospital.

He described the accident in an Instagram live, quoted by Pomponik: “A dozen or so years ago I went to a gym in Warsaw. I hadn’t eaten. I was running fast on the treadmill. At some point I felt dizzy, I switched off the treadmill and that’s all I remember. (...) It turned out I had a broken nose. I did nothing about it, the nose healed the way it healed. I developed a way of breathing through my mouth, which isn’t great, because when you train, your throat dries out.”

That is everything we rely on here. Qczaj did not name the procedure, the surgeon or the technique in these statements, so this article does not guess at them. Where the text below explains how such surgery works, it describes nose surgery after an old fracture in general, not his treatment.

A breathing problem, not a vanity project

For a trainer, breathing is part of the job. Qczaj’s description is a textbook example of what happens when a broken nose is left untreated: the bones and the septum heal out of line, one or both nasal passages narrow, and the body switches to mouth breathing. During exercise that means a dry throat and faster fatigue; at night it often means snoring and poor sleep.

His story is also a reminder that an old injury does not have to be lived with. Many people who took a knock on the nose years ago have simply got used to breathing through the mouth. A surgeon can check what is going on inside the nose and whether it can be corrected.

How surgery after an old fracture is done today

When only the septum is bent, the operation is called septoplasty. When the septum and the outer framework of the nose both need correcting, for example because the bones also shifted, surgeons perform a septorhinoplasty (rhinoseptoplasty). It is carried out under general anaesthesia or TIVA, through incisions inside the nose (closed technique) or with a small incision on the columella (open technique).

After a fracture the cartilage may be weakened, and the surgeon sometimes needs grafts to rebuild support. The plan is made only after an in-person examination and imaging, never from a photo alone.

Who should consider it and how to prepare

Signs that are worth a visit to a surgeon:

• you breathe mainly through your mouth, especially during exercise;
• one side of the nose is permanently harder to breathe through;
• you snore or wake up with a dry mouth;
• your nose was broken and never treated.

Preparation starts about three weeks before surgery: a complete blood count, biochemistry, a coagulation panel, infection tests, an ECG, a chest X-ray and an X-ray or CT scan of the sinuses. Blood-thinning drugs are stopped with the doctor’s approval, alcohol and smoking a week before, and you do not eat or drink for 6 hours before the operation.

What recovery looks like

The first 24 hours are spent in the clinic’s inpatient unit. For the first few days you breathe through your mouth because of the splints in the nostrils, and swelling and bruising are normal. The internal splints come out around day 7, the external splint stays for up to 14 days, and stitches are removed on day 14. For a month you avoid exercise, sauna, swimming pools, hot baths and sun. Mild congestion can last 1–1.5 months; full healing takes about 4 months, and the final shape settles in 1–1.5 years. Anyone who trains regularly agrees the return to intensive exercise with the surgeon.

1. Day of surgeryGeneral anaesthesia or TIVA; you stay overnight in the inpatient unit.
2. Days 1–3Breathing through the mouth, splints in the nostrils, swelling and bruising are possible.
3. Day 7The internal nasal splints are removed.
4. Day 14The external splint comes off and stitches are removed.
5. Weeks 2–6Breathing improves step by step; mild congestion can last up to 1.5 months. No sport, sauna or pool for a month.
6. About 4 monthsTissues have largely healed.
7. 1–1.5 yearsThe final shape of the nose is settled.

Rhinoseptoplasty at City Medical Centre

City Medical Centre is a multi-specialty surgery clinic that also works with patients from other countries. The first consultation is free and can start online; a personal coordinator stays with you from the first message to recovery. Current prices: rhinoseptoplasty $5,000, reconstructive rhinoseptoplasty $4,700, reconstructive surgery with a rib cartilage graft from $5,400, primary rhinoplasty $4,200 and revision rhinoplasty $5,400. The exact cost is set after the in-person examination and fixed in the contract. More details are on the rhinoplasty page.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Daniel “Qczaj” Kuczaj or his treatment. His story is simply a well-known example of someone who talked openly about fixing his breathing.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Qczaj have nose surgery?

He said an accident at a gym years earlier had broken his nose, which healed badly and left him breathing through his mouth. Plejada reported that he had the operation for health reasons.

When did Qczaj have the operation?

He announced it on Instagram in August 2019 and posted a short video from hospital afterwards.

Which operation did Qczaj have?

He did not name the exact procedure in the statements we rely on, so we do not speculate. Breathing problems after an old fracture are usually treated with septoplasty or septorhinoplasty.

How much does septorhinoplasty cost at City Medical Centre?

Rhinoseptoplasty costs $5,000 and reconstructive rhinoseptoplasty $4,700. The exact price is confirmed after an in-person examination and fixed in the contract; the first consultation is free.

When can I train again after nose surgery?

Exercise, sauna, pools and hot baths are avoided for a month. Intensive training and contact sports come back only with the surgeon’s approval, because full healing takes about 4 months.