Rhinoplasty in Brazil for patients living in Israel.

Why patients in Israel look at Brazil for rhinoplasty

Brazil has one of the strongest surgical traditions in facial and plastic surgery, built on decades of academic training, high case volume and dedicated specialty societies. Levantamentos by the ISAPS consistently place the country among those with the largest number of aesthetic procedures performed worldwide. For a patient in Tel Aviv, Haifa or Jerusalem, that means a deep pool of surgeons with real, verifiable training.

There is also a practical reason. Surgical fees, hospital structure and exchange rates in Brazil tend to produce a lower total cost than in the United States, the United Kingdom or Western Europe for comparable technique and hospital standards. No figures are quoted online, and the budget is only presented after the consultation, since it depends on the technique, operating time and whether grafts are needed. What matters more than the number is what is included: surgical team, hospital, anesthesia and follow-up visits.

What should never be flexible is who operates. Travel only makes sense when the surgeon, the hospital and the plan are clear before you buy a ticket.

How to verify a Brazilian surgeon from abroad

Medicine in Brazil is regulated by the Conselho Federal de Medicina. Every doctor holds a CRM registration number, and specialists hold an RQE, a registered specialist qualification linked to that CRM. Both can be checked online, from anywhere, before you speak to anyone.

Dr. Guilherme Sella is an ear, nose and throat surgeon, CRM-PR 33.018, RQE 17.984. He trained in otolaryngology at HCFMRP-USP in Ribeirão Preto, completed a doctorate in morphophysiology of facial structures at the same institution in 2018, and did a fellowship in structural rhinoplasty in Melbourne and Sydney. He is certified by the European Board in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery. His publications on dorsal preservation rhinoplasty are indexed on PubMed, including papers in Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. You can review the full background on the surgeon's profile page.

The video consultation across time zones

Israel runs roughly five to six hours ahead of Maringá. That gap is friendly. A late afternoon appointment in Tel Aviv lands in the middle of a working morning in Brazil, so you do not need to take a day off or stay up at night.

The consultation lasts about one hour. It covers your history, your breathing, what bothers you about the nose, standardized photographs that you send in advance following written instructions, and digital simulation. The simulation is a communication tool. Expect roughly 60 to 70 percent similarity to the final result, never a contract.

The team speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish, and written documents can be issued in English or Spanish on request. If you have had filler, previous surgery or nasal trauma, say so early. High frequency dermatologic ultrasound of the nose is used in selected cases to map skin thickness, residual fillers, previous grafts and columellar vascularization, and it is performed in Maringá before surgery when indicated.

Tests and preparation done at home

There is no reason to fly to Brazil for blood work. Preoperative tests are done in Israel, in your own language, with your own lab, and sent by email for review. Typical items include blood count, coagulation profile, basic metabolic tests, and cardiology clearance when age or medical history justifies it. A CT scan of the sinuses is requested when there is a functional complaint such as obstruction, chronic sinusitis or prior septal surgery.

If you smoke, use anticoagulants, isotretinoin or weight loss medication, that must be discussed well in advance, since some of these require a pause before surgery.

Flights, Maringá and the 7 to 10 day timeline

Most patients from Israel fly one-stop to São Paulo through a European or Turkish hub, then take a short domestic flight to Maringá airport, code MGF, which has direct connections from São Paulo and Curitiba. Plan the itinerary with a comfortable layover. Arrive one to two days before surgery so you can rest, attend the in-person preoperative assessment and complete hospital admission paperwork without rushing.

Day	What happens
Day 0 to 1	Arrival in Maringá, rest, in-person exam, photographs, final plan
Day 2	Surgery under general anesthesia, 3 to 5 hours, hospital stay of 12 to 24 hours at Saine Health Complex
Day 3	Discharge, first dressing check, instructions on ice, head elevation and saline rinses
Day 4 to 6	Recovery at the hotel, swelling and periorbital bruising peak and start to fade
Day 7	External aquaplast cast removed, taping applied, clearance to fly
Day 8 to 10	Optional extra days for a final check before the long flight home

Surgery is performed at a private hospital in Maringá with adult and neonatal ICU and intensivists on site 24 hours. Most patients do not need nasal packing. A silicone internal splint is used in some cases for about ten days and, when that applies, the stay is planned accordingly. A companion is strongly recommended for the first week. The team can suggest accommodation close to the Maringá clinic, which has partner parking next door.

Technique: what is usually planned for these cases

The technique is decided in consultation, never by geography. In practice, the toolbox includes dorsal preservation with push down or let down maneuvers, ultrasonic rhinoplasty using piezoelectric instruments to shape bone with less trauma to soft tissue, structural grafting from septum, ear or rib, and functional work on the septum, turbinates and nasal valves. Being an ENT surgeon means breathing is treated in the same operation, not as an afterthought. More detail on the full approach is available on the rhinoplasty page.

Revision cases take longer, require more planning and sometimes a longer stay. Published revision rates in the literature sit around 5 to 15 percent, and any revision is only considered after 12 months.

Follow-up after you fly home

Follow-up appointments are scheduled at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, in person or online. Most patients living abroad do them by video, sending standardized photographs taken with the same framing used before surgery. Messages between appointments go through the team by WhatsApp.

Practical rules for the first months: no glasses resting on the nose for 4 weeks, exercise after 15 days, sun, beach and pool only after 1 month, sunscreen factor 30 for 3 months, head elevated 30 degrees for at least 10 days, and never blow your nose. Mild bleeding in the first 48 to 72 hours is expected. Final result appears between 6 and 12 months, and up to 18 months in thick skin or revision cases.

Payment, documents and insurance

The practice is private and does not work with health plans. Documentation is issued so you can request reimbursement from your own insurer when applicable, including the functional component such as septoplasty, turbinoplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery. Reports and surgical descriptions can be provided in English. Whether your Israeli policy accepts foreign claims depends entirely on your contract, so check with your insurer before travel. Surgery can be paid in installments, and the full breakdown is presented only after the consultation.

A broader checklist for travelers is available on the international patients page.

When to contact Dr. Sella

Get in touch when you want a technical opinion before committing to anything: when you have a functional complaint such as nasal obstruction alongside an aesthetic concern, when you have had a previous rhinoplasty and are unsure what was done, or when you simply want to understand which technique would be discussed for your anatomy. The first step is a video consultation. Indication, risks and the surgical plan are individual and are always defined in consultation, never by email or photographs alone.