Did Iwona Pavlović have nose surgery? Yes, and she explained why herself

What did Iwona Pavlović say about her nose surgery?

Pavlović described it in an interview with the regional newspaper Gazeta Olsztyńska, and her words were later quoted by Plejada and Pudelek: “At 14 I hit the ice with my nose on the school rink and broke it badly. Already then I wrote in my diary that as soon as I had the chance, when I grew up and could afford it, I would fix what I had broken. And that is what I did. (...) I am really glad I did it.”

In a longer version of the quote reported by Plejada she added that she is overjoyed, smiling and happy because of it. Pudelek notes that she has never tried to hide the operation and that it took place in 2008.

That is everything we rely on here. Pavlović did not describe the technique, the surgeon or any medical details in these statements, so this article does not guess at them. Where the text below explains surgery after a broken nose, it describes the operation in general, not her treatment.

A promise made at fourteen

The most striking part of her story is the diary entry. A teenage girl breaks her nose, cannot change anything at the time, and decides calmly that she will deal with it when she is an adult and can pay for it herself. Decades later she did exactly that, and she describes the result with obvious relief.

Her words also show something many people with an old injury feel: it is not vanity to want to repair what an accident changed. A nose that healed crooked after a fracture is a common reason for surgery, and there is no age limit on deciding that it is time to fix it.

How surgery after a broken nose is done today

When a nose heals after a fracture, the bones may stay shifted and the septum — the wall of cartilage and bone dividing the nose into two passages — may bend. Depending on what the surgeon finds, the operation is either a rhinoplasty, which reshapes the outer nose, or a septorhinoplasty (rhinoseptoplasty), which also straightens the septum. It is done under general anaesthesia or TIVA, with closed or open access.

After an old fracture the cartilage may be weakened, and the surgeon sometimes needs grafts to rebuild support. That is why the plan is made only after an in-person examination and imaging.

Who should consider it and how to prepare

Signs worth discussing with a surgeon:

• the nose looks crooked or asymmetrical after an injury;
• one side of the nose is harder to breathe through;
• you snore or sleep with your mouth open;
• an old fracture was 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. The optimal age range is 18–45, and older patients can be operated on if their health allows.

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. Full healing takes about 4 months, and the final shape settles in 1–1.5 years. For a dancer or anyone who trains, the return to full physical activity is agreed 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 2–4Swelling goes down; 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.

Rhinoplasty 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: primary rhinoplasty $4,200, rhinoseptoplasty $5,000, reconstructive rhinoseptoplasty $4,700, reconstructive surgery with a rib cartilage graft from $5,400 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 Iwona Pavlović or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of someone who talked openly about repairing an old injury.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Iwona Pavlović have nose surgery?

She said she badly broke her nose on a school ice rink at 14 and promised herself in her diary that she would fix it as an adult. She later did, and said she is really glad about it.

When did Iwona Pavlović have the operation?

Pudelek reports that it took place in 2008. She did not give medical details in the statements we rely on.

Can a nose broken in childhood be corrected years later?

Yes. An old fracture is a common reason for rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty in adulthood. The surgeon assesses the bones, cartilage and septum before planning.

How much does nose surgery cost at City Medical Centre?

Primary rhinoplasty costs $4,200 and rhinoseptoplasty $5,000. The exact price is confirmed after an in-person examination and fixed in the contract; the first consultation is free.

When can I exercise again after nose surgery?

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