RhinoplastyRomania5 min read
Did Simona Halep have a nose job? Yes, for breathing and for shape
In September 2022 Simona Halep, the former world number one and Romania’s best-known tennis player, posted a photo from her hospital bed with a bandaged nose and explained why she had surgery: breathing problems that had been getting worse. She added that an aesthetic correction was done in the same operation. Below is what she wrote, where it was reported, and what this kind of surgery involves.
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Key facts about the procedure
- Operation time1.5–3 hours
- Stay in clinic1 day
- AnaesthesiaGeneral
- Price
$6,000from $4,200
Profile
Simona Halep
- Country
- Romania
- Who
- Tennis player, former world number one
- Year of operation
- 2022
- Quote source
- Libertatea, 13 September 2022
The only way I could solve the problem was to have an operation. On this occasion, the doctor also performed a plastic correction.
What did Simona Halep say about her nose surgery?
She announced it herself on Instagram, and the Romanian daily Libertatea published her message on 13 September 2022. She wrote: “As some of you already know, I have been struggling for some time with problems with my nose, which got worse especially during the summer while I was in Washington. It was hard for me to breathe, and at night everything got worse.”
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WhatsAppShe went on: “The only way I could solve the problem was to have an operation. On this occasion, the doctor also performed a plastic correction.” She said everything had gone very well and that she needed a few weeks of rest before returning to training. A week later, Libertatea reported a new photo she posted, still with the bandage on, captioned: “We always have a reason to smile!” The paper also noted she was discharged the day after the operation.
That is all this article relies on. Halep did not describe the technique, and we do not guess at it. Where the text below explains the operation and recovery, it describes rhinoplasty and septorhinoplasty in general, not her treatment.
Why her story matters
For an elite athlete, breathing is not a detail. Halep described a problem that got worse over the summer and especially at night, until surgery was, in her words, the only way to fix it. That is the typical route to a functional nose operation: the decision starts with breathing, and an aesthetic correction is added only if the patient wants it.
More on this topic: Rhinoplasty in one day, Closed Rhinoplasty, Revision Rhinoplasty, Rhinoplasty for Patients from Singapore, Rhinoplasty in Brisbane.
She was also straightforward about that second part. Instead of presenting the surgery as purely medical, she said plainly that a plastic correction was done too. Nothing here comments on her appearance; the point is that she explained the reason and the scope of the operation in her own words.
Rhinoplasty abroad: choose a city and clinic
Prices, the clinic and a free online consultation for each city:
How rhinoplasty is done today
When the septum or the inner structures of the nose restrict airflow, surgeons straighten them, and if the patient wishes, reshape the outer nose in the same session. This combined operation is called septorhinoplasty.
Closed rhinoplasty
- How it is done
- All incisions inside the nose, no visible scar
- Typically used for
- Moderate shape or tip corrections
Open rhinoplasty
- How it is done
- A small incision across the columella for full visibility
- Typically used for
- Complex cases and larger structural changes
Septorhinoplasty
- How it is done
- Septum straightened and nose reshaped together
- Typically used for
- Breathing problems plus a wish to change the shape
The operation is performed under general anaesthesia and usually takes 1.5–3 hours depending on complexity. Patients normally stay one day in the inpatient unit, which matches the next-day discharge reported in her case.
Who is a candidate, and how to prepare
Rhinoplasty is considered by adults who have trouble breathing through the nose, who want a change in its shape, or both. People who train hard or sleep badly because of a blocked nose often notice the functional benefit most.
- Be specific about symptoms: when breathing gets worse, at night, during exercise or with allergies, so the surgeon can plan the functional part.
- Plan time away from sport: contact sport and hard training wait until the surgeon allows them, usually not before the first month has passed.
- Prepare for the tests: blood work, a coagulation panel, infection screening, an ECG and imaging of the sinuses are standard.
What recovery looks like
The first 24 hours are spent in the inpatient unit. In the first days there is swelling and bruising, and breathing is mainly through the mouth while internal splints are in place; they usually come out around day 7. The external splint stays on for up to two weeks.
Exercise, sauna, swimming and direct sun are avoided for about a month, and a mild stuffy feeling can linger for several weeks. The first clear improvement shows after two to three weeks, and the final shape settles over about one to one and a half years.
How recovery after rhinoplasty usually goes
- Day of surgeryGeneral anaesthesia, 1.5–3 hours; the first 24 hours in the inpatient unit.
- Days 1–7Swelling and bruising; mouth breathing while internal splints are in.
- Around day 7Internal splints are removed.
- Up to day 14The external splint comes off.
- About 1 monthNo hard training, sauna, pool or direct sun; first clear improvement after 2–3 weeks.
- 1–1.5 yearsThe final shape settles.
Rhinoplasty at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs primary and revision rhinoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty for international patients, including patients from Bucharest. The first consultation is free and can start online. Primary rhinoplasty costs $4,200 instead of $6,000, and rhinoseptoplasty $5,000; the exact price is set after an 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 Simona Halep or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of someone who explained openly why she needed nose surgery.
Frequently asked questions
When did Simona Halep have nose surgery?
In September 2022. She announced it on Instagram, and Libertatea published her message on 13 September 2022.
Why did Simona Halep have rhinoplasty?
She said she had struggled for some time with nose problems that made breathing hard, especially at night, and that surgery was the only way to solve it.
Was Simona Halep’s rhinoplasty cosmetic?
Mainly functional, by her account. She said that during the operation the doctor also performed a plastic, aesthetic correction.
How soon can athletes train after rhinoplasty?
Hard training, sauna and swimming are usually avoided for about a month; contact sport waits until the surgeon allows it.
How much does rhinoplasty cost at City Medical Centre?
Primary rhinoplasty costs $4,200 and rhinoseptoplasty $5,000. The exact price is fixed in the contract after an in-person examination.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Libertatea, 13 September 2022
- Libertatea, 19 September 2022
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Reporting Outcomes and Outcome Measures in Open Rhinoplasty: A Systematic Review (Aesthet Surg J, 2020)
- PubMed / NCBI — Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Functional Rhinoplasty Outcomes with the NOSE Score (2017)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Rhinoplasty
- World Health Organization — Safe surgery
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
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- The first consultation is free, online consultations are available
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