Man Regains His Smile — and His Kiss — After Life-Changing Nose Surgery

For years, 68-year-old granddad Gerard McAliece watched helplessly as his nose grew larger and larger — until it began to hang over his mouth, stopping him from even kissing his wife, Carol.

What started as a small change six years ago turned into one of the worst cases of rhinophyma ever seen by doctors at Glasgow’s Ever Clinic. The rare condition causes the sebaceous glands and connective tissue of the nose to overgrow, resulting in a swollen, bulbous appearance.

“It just kept growing and growing,” said Gerard, a retired IBM employee from Kilmacolm, Scotland. “I tried to ignore it, but it got to the point where I couldn’t kiss my wife. That’s when we knew something had to change.”

Gerard became increasingly self-conscious. Children would stare, and he often worried about how his grandchildren’s friends saw him. Yet, when he sought medical help, he was told that because he could still breathe, the problem wasn’t serious — and that it would likely be considered “cosmetic.”

“I didn’t push it,” Gerard recalled. “I’m not a pushy person. There are always people worse off than me.”

Eventually, Carol took matters into her own hands. After researching online, she reached out to Ever Clinic, known for handling severe rhinophyma cases.

During his consultation, Gerard was told his case was among the most extreme they’d ever encountered — but the team, led by specialist Dr. Cormac Convery, was confident they could help.

The surgery took more than four hours, during which doctors carefully removed layers of excess tissue to reshape Gerard’s nose.

“They said it was the biggest job they’d ever done,” Gerard said. “Towards the end, the anaesthetic started to wear off, and they told me: ‘Almost there, hold on.’ And then it was done.”

The transformation was remarkable. For the first time in years, Gerard could look in the mirror and see his old self.

“It’s totally changed my life,” he said. “Carol says I’m back to being the man I used to be. I’m going out again, having a pint, enjoying meals — things I’d stopped doing.”

Jonathan Toye, managing director at Ever Clinic, said Gerard’s case was “easily the most advanced” they’d ever treated.

“He struggled to find help through the NHS, and sadly we see that too often,” Toye said. “Dr. Cormac and the team did an incredible job. Hearing Gerard say how it’s changed his life makes us all proud.”

Gerard now spends his days reading, tending to his garden, and — most importantly — sharing proper kisses with Carol once again.

“If anyone’s in the same position I was,” he said, “my advice is simple: don’t wait. Just do it.”