Gerard McAliece's nose grew due to an underlying condition. (Ever Clinic via SWNS)
By Elizabeth Hunter
A man was left unable to kiss his wife after one of the "worst cases" of nose growth a clinic had ever seen.
Granddad Gerard McAliece, 68, had first started noticing changes to his nose six years ago - as it kept "growing and growing."
He was suffering from a severe case of Rhinophyma, a condition caused by the proliferation of sebaceous glands in the nose and underlying connective tissue - leading to severe swelling, redness, and lumps.
Tissue on Gerard's nose had expanded to such an extent that it was hanging down over his mouth and covering a large part of his face.
He had become self-conscious, nervous about his grandchildren being judged for his appearance and the growth had stopped him from being able to kiss 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.
(Ever Clinic via SWNS)
"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, saw that things were becoming untenable – “I hadn’t been able to properly kiss her for years,” he said – and she decided the private route was now unavoidable.
She contacted Ever Clinic in Glasgow, having read about their other successful Rhinophyma cases.
A consultation followed in which Gerard said he was “made to feel at ease right away”.
He said it was clear the unprecedented extent of the growth was “quite a shock to them” but that their immediate attitude was: “Yes, we can help.”
In an elaborate four-hour surgery led by Rhinophyma specialist Dr. Cormac Convery, Gerard's excess skin was removed, and his nose was made more proportional to 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 anesthetic was starting to wear off.
(Ever Clinic via SWNS)
"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.”
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