‘I couldn’t kiss my wife because my nose just kept growing’

A man was left unable to kiss his wife due to one of the “worst cases” of nose growth a clinic had ever encountered. Grandfather Gerard McAliece, 68, first noticed changes to his nose six years ago as it continued to “grow and grow”.

He was battling a severe case of Rhinophyma, a condition triggered by an overgrowth of sebaceous glands in the nose and underlying connective tissue, resulting in significant swelling, redness and lumps. The tissue on Gerard’s nose had expanded so much that it hung over his mouth and covered a large portion of his face.

Self-conscious and worried about his grandchildren being judged because of his appearance, the growth also prevented him from kissing his wife, Carol.

“It just kept growing and growing and, as much as possible, I tried to ignore it,” said Gerard, a retired IBM employee of 30 years from Kilmalcolm, Scotland.

“Yes, people began to stare, and some would turn away, but my view was: this is me. Take me as I am.

“In retrospect, the younger kids were the worst. I mean no harm to them, but they have no guile at that age and no filters.

“I used to really worry at my grandchildren’s birthday parties – what do their wee pals think? Are they saying: ‘is that your granda?’

“When I went to the doctor it was a locum that I saw, they asked if I could breathe and I said ‘yes’ and they said ‘that’s ok then’.

“After that I didn’t discuss it with my GP as I didn’t think they would do anything about it, as they would deem it as cosmetic. I didn’t push it. I am not a pushy person and I don’t expect things to be done for me. There are more important things going on.”

Gerard’s wife, Carol, recognised that the situation had become impossible to bear. “I hadn’t been able to properly kiss her for years,” he said – and she determined that private treatment was now the only option.

She reached out to Ever Clinic in Glasgow, having learnt about their other successful Rhinophyma treatments. A consultation ensued during which Gerard said he was “made to feel at ease right away”.

He said it was evident the extraordinary scale of the growth was “quite a shock to them” but that their instant response was: “Yes, we can help.”

During an intricate four-hour procedure headed by Rhinophyma expert Dr Cormac Convery, Gerard’s surplus skin was eliminated and his nose reshaped to better suit his face.

“They said it was the biggest job that they had ever tackled and that it was going to be a real challenge, but that, hopefully, they would be able to do it in one session, which they did – although the operation lasted more than four hours,” he said.

“I had no idea of time during the surgery and, towards the end, the local anaesthetic was starting to wear off. They gave me a little more and said ‘almost there, hold on’ and then it was done.

“The result has been fantastic. It has totally turned my life around.

“Carol says that I am back to being the man that I used to be. I am now talking to people, going for a pint and enjoying meals out in restaurants, which we haven’t done for years.

“Kilmacolm is a fairly insular sort of place and I don’t golf, or play bowls or fish, but I am really enjoying settling down with a book, or my crosswords, or getting jobs done in the garden. If there is anyone out there in the position I was in, my advice to them would be – don’t wait. Just do it.”

Jonathan Toye, managing director at Ever Clinic, said: “Gerard was easily the most advanced case of rhinophyma we’ve seen at Ever Clinic. Unfortunately, he struggled to find the help he needed through the NHS and we see this far too often.

“We’ve reached out several times to explore how we might support in managing these cases, but so far there’s been little progress. Dr Cormac really outdid himself with this case and the result is outstanding. We’re so proud of the whole team and hearing Gerard talk about how it’s changed his life has been a proud moment for all of us.”