Rhinoplasty in Brazil for patients living in France.

Why patients living in France consider surgery in Brazil

Brazil has a long surgical tradition in facial and body plastic surgery, built around the school of Ivo Pitanguy, and it is consistently among the countries with the highest volume of aesthetic procedures in the world according to ISAPS surveys. High volume alone does not make a surgeon suitable for your nose. What it does create is a dense environment of training programs, congresses and teaching centers, which is the reason many European surgeons travel to Brazil for observation and courses.

There is also a practical factor. For someone earning in euros, the cost structure of surgery in Brazil, which combines professional fees, hospital charges and exchange rate, tends to be lower than in France or in neighboring European countries. This matters, and it is honest to say so. It should never be the main reason for the decision. The main reason should be the surgeon, the technique proposed for your anatomy and the quality of the hospital.

How to verify a Brazilian surgeon's credentials from France

Medicine in Brazil is regulated by the Conselho Federal de Medicina. Every physician has a CRM registration number, and specialists hold an RQE, a registered specialist qualification linked to a recognized board. Both can be checked online on the regional medical council website, from anywhere in the world.

For reference, Dr. Guilherme Sella holds CRM-PR 33.018 and RQE 17.984 in Otorhinolaryngology. His training includes residency at the Hospital das Clínicas of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, a doctorate completed at the same institution in 2018 on morphophysiology of facial structures, a rhinoplasty fellowship in Melbourne and Sydney, and certification by the European Board in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has six indexed articles on PubMed, including papers on dorsal preservation rhinoplasty published in Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. You can read the full background on the page about Dr. Guilherme Sella.

A practical checklist before you book anything:

• Confirm the CRM and RQE numbers on the state medical council website.
• Look for indexed publications, not only social media content.
• Ask which hospital will be used and whether it has an adult ICU.
• Ask whether the surgeon treats the functional side of the nose, not only the external shape.
• Ask who performs the surgery and who follows you afterward.

The first step: a video consultation from Paris

The first appointment is a full consultation, not a quick sales call. It lasts around one hour and covers your history, what bothers you about your nose, breathing complaints, previous surgeries or fillers, photographs in standardized views and a digital simulation. The simulation is a communication tool. It usually reproduces something in the range of 60 to 70 percent of the final result, and it exists to align expectations, not to promise an outcome.

The time difference between Paris and Maringá is four or five hours depending on daylight saving. A late morning in Brazil is mid afternoon in France, which makes scheduling straightforward for most working patients. The consultation can be held in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

If you are considering dorsal preservation rhinoplasty or ultrasonic rhinoplasty, this is the moment to discuss whether your anatomy fits those techniques. The choice is individual and is only defined after physical examination, which includes internal examination of the nose and, when indicated, high frequency dermatological ultrasound of the nasal skin.

Tests and preparation you complete in France

Preoperative tests are done in your own city, with your own laboratory, and sent by email for review. Typically this includes blood work, a cardiology assessment when age or history justifies it, and any imaging requested after the video consultation. If you take medication, use anticoagulants, smoke or have a history of allergies, that is discussed in advance.

Two points matter for patients flying long distances. First, hydration and mobility during the flight, which reduce thrombotic risk. Second, arriving with enough margin before surgery. The recommendation is to land one to two days before the procedure, so that the in person consultation, final photographs and any additional examination can be done without rushing.

Flights and how long you stay in Maringá

Paris to São Paulo is a direct flight of roughly eleven hours, operated daily by several carriers into Guarulhos. From there, a domestic connection of about one hour and twenty minutes reaches Maringá airport, code MGF, which also receives flights from Congonhas and Curitiba. Total door to door travel is usually under twenty hours.

Surgery is performed under general anesthesia, lasts three to five hours in primary cases and longer in revisions, with an inpatient stay of 12 to 24 hours at Saine Health Complex, a boutique hospital in Maringá with 11 operating rooms, adult and neonatal ICU and intensivists on site around the clock.

Day	What happens
Day 0	Arrival in Maringá, rest
Day 1	In person consultation, examination, final photographs, preoperative review
Day 2	Surgery, overnight hospital stay
Day 3	Discharge, first dressing check, instructions
Days 4 to 6	Rest, ice, head elevated at 30 degrees, saline irrigation
Day 7	Removal of the external cast, taping applied, clearance to fly
Days 8 to 10	Optional extra days before the long flight

Most patients plan 7 to 10 days in the city. A companion is recommended for the first week. The team can suggest accommodation close to the clinic, which is located on Avenida Cidade de Leiria, in Zona 01, with partner parking next door.

Follow-up after you return to France

Flying home is cleared after the cast is removed. Taping continues for about one more week, glasses are avoided for four weeks, exercise restarts after fifteen days, and sun exposure, beach and pool wait one month, with SPF 30 for three months. Mild bleeding in the first 48 to 72 hours and periorbital bruising for up to fifteen days are expected parts of recovery.

Follow-up appointments at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months can be done by video from France, with photographs sent in the same standardized views. Definitive results appear between 6 and 12 months, and up to 18 months in thick skin or revision cases. If you ever need a second opinion about an unsatisfactory result, that discussion belongs to revision rhinoplasty, where international literature reports revision rates in the range of 5 to 15 percent and reoperation is generally considered only after twelve months.

Costs, documents and reimbursement

Practice is private, without Brazilian health insurance contracts. The surgical estimate is only issued after the consultation, because it depends on the technique, operating time and the grafts required. It includes the surgical team, hospital, anesthesia and the scheduled follow-up visits. No figure is quoted before a proper evaluation, and no figure is published online.

The clinic issues documentation in English or Spanish on request, including surgical reports and invoices that patients may submit to private insurers or mutuelles. This applies to the functional portion of the procedure as well, such as septoplasty, turbinate surgery or sinus surgery, when it is part of the operation. Reimbursement rules depend entirely on your own policy in France.

More logistical details for travelers are gathered on the international patients page, and the overview of techniques is available under rhinoplasty.

When to contact Dr. Sella

The right moment is when you can describe what bothers you and you are ready to hear an honest assessment, including the possibility that surgery is not indicated, or that a different approach than the one you imagined fits your anatomy better. Indication, risks and the surgical plan are always individual and defined in consultation. To schedule a video appointment from France, use the contact page or the team's WhatsApp line.