Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

3. Mr U says the Trust discharged him following corrective rhinoplasty surgery on 28 February 2023, without adequately treating his symptoms. This is his second rhinoplasty surgery as the first was unsuccessful.

4. Mr U states his nose is disfigured post-surgery. He continues to have breathing issues and constantly smells foul odours. He says he has lost trust in the NHS, feels self-conscious about his nose, and struggles with his confidence.

5. Mr U is seeking an apology and a financial remedy as an outcome to his complaint.

6. Mr U underwent septorhinoplasty surgery on 23 December 2020 to address a deviated septum. This combined procedure straightens the nasal septum (the wall separating the nostrils) to improve breathing while also modifying the external shape of the nose.

7. On 28 February 2023, Mr U had revision surgery.

8. The Trust discharged Mr U from its services in April 2023.

11. Mr U says the Trust discharged him after corrective septorhinoplasty surgery on 28 February 2023 despite his persistent breathing problems, a stuffy nose, and concerns about the shape of his nose.

12. GMC guidelines on good medical practice say:

‘You must provide effective treatments based on the best available evidence’

If you assess, diagnose or treat patients you must:

• adequately assess the patients conditions, taking account of their history, (including the symptoms and psychological, spiritual, social and cultural factors) their views and values; where necessary examine the patient’.

13. Our adviser said there are no more-specific standards that apply to Mr U’s case. They said the indications for surgery were clear, and the decision to proceed with surgery was justified. Mr U was informed of the limitations of further surgery during the consent process.

14. The aim of treating nasal disorders is improvement, which can be assessed through changes in function, such as airflow. The consultant determined that airflow was satisfactory after the surgery.

15. Revision surgery involves altering the bone structure, so changes to the nose are likely. The results of surgery become visible once post-surgical swelling decreases, which typically takes around six weeks.

16. Our adviser reviewed images taken by the consultant pre- and post-initial surgery, as well as a CT scan of Mr U’s sinuses from March 2020. Our adviser also reviewed informal images provided by Mr U from 2025.

17. Pre-surgery photos from November 2020 show a deviated (asymmetrical) nose leaning to the right side with a moderate hump. Images from September 2022 show residual deviation to the right; however, the overall shape of the nose had improved. Residual deviation is the asymmetry of the nasal septum.

18. The March 2020 CT scan reveals a deviated nasal septum to the left, clear sinuses, and no evidence of sinusitis. Mr U’s post-revision surgery images show a degree of residual deviation in the nose towards the right side.

19. Our adviser explained that Mr U’s nose is not worse than it was before his initial surgery. Because his septum had a severe deviation and his external nose leaned significantly to the right, it is not unusual to see some residual deviation after surgery. The photos reflect a reasonable surgical outcome, despite the notable septum deviation.

20. Completely correcting this type of septum and external nose deformity presents significant challenges.

21. The clinical records show that Mr U has rhinitis, which is partly due to allergies. The Trust made efforts to treat this condition by providing him with appropriate medication, although these treatments do not work for all patients.

22. Foul smells are not a recognised side effect of surgery. Mr U did not raise concerns about experiencing foul smells with the Trust. His medical records, including the last clinic letter from April 2023, contain no references to such symptoms.

23. The evidence shows that the Trust treated Mr U appropriately and took his concerns seriously whenever he reported them. The Trust made a reasonable decision to discharge Mr U after it had taken reasonable steps to assess and manage his symptoms. We have seen no indication that the Trust treated him incorrectly or did not manage him in line with GMC guidance before deciding to discharge him from its services.

24. We understand that Mr U remains concerned about the outcome of his surgery and that his ongoing symptoms continue to affect him. We recognise this has been upsetting for him, and we thank him for taking the time to explain his experience.

1. We have carefully considered Mr U’s complaint about Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust). We understand that the events leading to Mr U’s complaint are important to him. We recognise how upsetting it has been for him to feel he did not receive the correct care. We are sorry to hear about the distress the events have caused him.

2. We acknowledge Mr U’s concerns that the Trust did not treat him appropriately, given the symptoms he experienced following surgery to his nose. However, we saw no indication the clinical care he received was incorrect.