Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Delhi Commission Awards Woman Rs 65,000 Over Rhinoplasty Outcome
A woman paid Rs 1.30 lakh for surgery to change the shape of her nose and help with a nose problem.
She said her nose still looked crooked, its tip pointed up, and she had trouble breathing.
The doctor said she had wanted a sharper-looking nose and had been told about possible risks.
The woman later had another operation with a different doctor.
A consumer commission looked at photographs and other information about the case.
It said being unhappy with the look of a nose after surgery does not automatically mean the doctor was negligent.
But it also said the appearance matters when the purpose of surgery is to change appearance.
The commission ordered the doctor to pay her Rs 65,000.
The woman paid Rs 1.30 lakh for rhinoplasty in January 2023.
She said her nose remained crooked, its tip turned upwards, and she had breathing difficulties.
The doctor denied the allegations and said she had sought a sharper nasal tip and given informed consent.
The commission said dissatisfaction with appearance alone does not establish medical negligence, but the cosmetic outcome is relevant.
It ordered the doctor to pay Rs 65,000, or half the original surgery fee.
- Who
- A woman who underwent rhinoplasty and the doctor who performed it.
- What
- A Delhi consumer commission directed the doctor to pay the woman Rs 65,000 over shortcomings in service related to the surgery’s outcome.
- When
- The surgery took place in January 2023; the commission’s order was dated September 25, with no year specified.
- Where
- Delhi, India.
- Why
- The commission considered the photographs, the reported aesthetic outcome and the woman’s subsequent revision surgery, while distinguishing dissatisfaction from proof of medical negligence.
Woman’s complaint
Doctor’s response
Surgical outcome and care
Woman’s complaint
The woman said her nose remained crooked, its tip turned upwards, and she continued to have breathing difficulties after surgery. She alleged shortcomings in the procedure and later had revision surgery.
Doctor’s response
The doctor denied the allegations, saying the woman wanted a sharper nasal tip and had been informed about potential risks and changes during healing.
Aesthetic dissatisfaction and negligence
Woman’s complaint
The woman sought a remedy over what she said was an unsatisfactory cosmetic result and deficient service.
Doctor’s response
The doctor maintained that the procedure’s risks had been explained and that the woman gave informed consent. The commission said dissatisfaction alone does not prove negligence, but the aesthetic outcome remains relevant in cosmetic surgery.
- Original procedure
- Open rhinoplasty with functional tip plasty and septoplasty, performed in January 2023
- Original surgery cost
- Rs 1.30 lakh
- Revision surgery cost
- Rs 4.60 lakh, according to the woman
- Compensation ordered
- Rs 65,000, equal to 50% of the original surgery fee
- Order date
- September 25; the year was not specified in the report
- Commission’s finding
- It found shortcomings in the service but said an unsuccessful aesthetic result alone does not establish medical negligence.