Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Donna Wells90 said:Well, why do they give it to some people and not others?🤷...The elderly lady who was in the room with me received it, but everyone else I chatted with—mostly younger folks—didn't get it at all....

I think it really comes down to those blood coagulation tests—whether your blood clots quickly or takes its sweet time... In my case, it’s clearly on the slower side, so they gave it to me... basically, so that after surgery, the blood actually flows through the nose instead of just clotting up inside everything.

Anyway, I'm finally back home... On Wednesday, they just came by to change my tampons... then yesterday, Gudelj finally took them out. He told me, "I'll perform the procedure and then I'll write up your discharge papers," and that's exactly how it went. By 12:30, I was sitting in my car, heading home to relax. Yesterday was spent entirely in bed, and honestly, today will be much the same since it's far too hot to do anything else... Plus, a little scab formed, so it hurts whenever I try to smile, sneeze, or even make any kind of facial expression. I popped into the pharmacy this morning and picked up some Aqua Maris and a baby spray from Nivea... that actually helped clear out the congestion in my nose, so now I'm just gently spitting it out or dealing with a bit of a drip. I know, I probably look like a total mess, but I don't care—I even headed out to the local coffee shop looking like this. Whatever, as long as I'm feeling better. Of course, once they discharged me from the hospital, I didn't receive any real instructions on what to do next—nothing about what to buy or how to behave, absolutely nothing... I just took matters into my own hands and bought these sprays, the gentlest ones they had, just so I can lightly mist my nose. Otherwise, everything is still quite crusty, which is just awful... I'm going in for a check-up on Tuesday, so hopefully, they'll actually tell me something useful then.

Does anyone happen to have any intel on the IMED clinic or Dr. Aleksandar Milenović? I'm specifically looking into nose surgery.

Hi everyone, has anyone here gone through with a rhinoplasty revision recently?
Specifically, I’m looking into getting cartilage grafted into areas where there's a bit of a deficit...
Any information or experiences you could share would be greatly appreciated!

I went quite a while without any cartilage, and right after my surgery, I honestly thought the tip of my nose had gone numb or that I’d somehow messed up my nerves. 😁 But then they explained that they actually used some cartilage I'd basically worn down through sports over the years. I was absolutely thrilled—I can't stop touching it; that new sensation is just incredible. Basically, there’s a little bit of stinging when they insert the cartilage, you get a stitch or two (but don't worry, they're internal, so they won't show), and that’s it. It feels less intense than a standard nose job, mostly because the recovery is so much quicker.

I still have about a month to go before the bone fully sets. If you happen to feel any little lumps under the skin, don't panic—that’s just a normal part of the bone healing process and it'll smooth out eventually. My main goal was simply to straighten everything out; since I'm a guy, I didn't want them to shrink the size of my nose. For us, a prominent nose is a point of pride! 🙂

Regarding aftercare, once the surgery is done, you should use some oil-based drops or a compounded ointment. Apply it to the nasal passages three times a day, following up with the same number of drops of saline solution.

Anthony Kern43 said:I went a long time without any cartilage, and right after the surgery, I honestly thought the tip of my nose had gone numb or like I’d messed up some nerves or something. 😁 But then they told me later that they actually used cartilage I'd crushed playing sports... I was thrilled! I can't stop touching it; I just love this new feeling. Basically, there's a little incision to insert the cartilage, you get one stitch (it won't show because it's internal), and that's it. It’s basically like a nose job, just with a much faster recovery time.

I still have about a month to go before my bones fully heal. If you feel those little lumps under the skin, don't freak out—that happens when the bone is knitting back together and it'll smooth out on its own, so don't worry... My procedure was strictly to straighten things out; since I'm a guy, I didn't want them to shrink the size of my nose, because a big nose is a point of pride. 🙂

As for maintenance, after the surgery, you should use some oil-based drops or compounded ointments, applying them inside the nostrils three times a day along with the same amount of saline solution.

It's been a month since my surgery and I can still feel those bumps on one side—basically the bone—but I'm sure it'll clear up eventually.

rustycrane12 said:Just wanted to say hi and share my experience with nose surgery. When I finally decided to go through with it because of some deviated cartilage, I went through a whole circuit of doctors. I started with consultations with Dr. Kinčl, who gets amazing reviews, but honestly, the prices listed on his site are a joke—they end up being at least double once you factor in the anesthesiologist, the nursing staff, and all the other hidden fees, making the final bill absolutely outrageous. So, I passed on him and moved on to Dr. Tončić, where I was seen by Tončić Jr., who seemed to know just as little about these procedures as I did... he’d suggest one technique, then call his dad over, only for the old man to tell him that method was garbage and suggest something else instead. It felt like they were both totally clueless. Eventually, I went to seeing Ostojić, who seemed great at first; he explained everything perfectly, and I thought, "This is it." I chose him. After the surgery, I went home, had the tampons removed the next day, and a week later when the mold came off, my nose felt worse than ever. Now my nose is crooked; he joined the cartilage, sure, but the right side is wider and bigger than the left, and it looks terrible. To make matters worse, we got into an argument and he actually kicked me out of the office because he was hitting on me... and all this happened for a measly 15 $0.00. Whatever you do, stay away from Ostojić. I haven't been back for a single follow-up since the mold was removed, and when I tried to complain at the clinic on Šubićev, they brushed me off because all the doctors there look out for one another...👎

If any of this is actually true (and I’m talking to everyone here who keeps complaining), why don't you just take it up with the president of the American plastic surgeons association😕🤷, which I believe is Dr. Zambelli? From what I hear through someone close to me, if you file a formal written complaint—providing proof that you saw the surgeon, clearly explaining the unprofessionalism, the lack of courtesy, the botched work, or even sexual harassment—you can actually get a refund and damages. For God's sake, stop just whining about it here and fight for yourselves; nobody is handing out free money...🙄Do a little digging, seriously, it isn't all hopeless... planning more nose surgeries out of your own damn pocket, man, wtf??😲😂😢

Most surgeons end up giving everyone these broken-looking noses; you might not notice it during those first six months, but as time passes, they just get uglier—too narrow at the bridge and way too bulbous at the tip...🙄So, the people who didn't even have a bad nose to begin with, but decide to go under the knife just to obsess over tiny imperfections, usually end up regretting it and weeping over their old photos.😢

Ran'ia... As if...
Hey everyone, I'm looking for some advice if anyone here has dealt with something similar... 🙂

So, looking at my nose straight on, it actually looks pretty nice—small, narrow, and the tip is perfectly fine... but once I see my profile, it’s like a completely different story because it looks way too pointy, especially with that little bump right at the bridge that makes the whole thing look awkward from the side... it sounds totally bizarre, but honestly, that's just how it is...
I’ve been sitting here weighing whether surgery is actually worth the headache, because I’ve spent so much time obsessing over that little bump on the bridge of my nose... I just want to smooth that out and maybe get a bit more definition in my profile so it doesn't look so flat, though I absolutely refuse to touch the tip because I'm terrified it'll throw off my entire face... if I can keep the length and the tip exactly as they are, is it really worth the risk, and can you ever truly trust a surgeon to deliver exactly what you're picturing...

Thanks...

Don't sweat the small stuff; it would be such a shame if you ended up looking like Michael Jackson... though honestly, compared to the crowd we have around here, that wouldn't even be a stretch...🙄😢Look, if it’s narrow like you say, at least it looks good from the front... honestly, just enjoy it and stop being so damn self-conscious about it...🙏

analogangler5 said:Look, if all this stuff is actually true—and I’m talking to all of you people whining here—why don't you just take it up with the head of the plastic surgery association in the US😕 🤷,which, from what I hear through someone close to me, is Dr. Zambelli. If you actually file a formal written complaint—with actual proof that you were even under that surgeon's care—and clearly lay out how they were unprofessional, rude, botched the job, or even harassed you... then yeah, you could potentially get a refund or damages. For God's sake, stop just complaining online and actually fight for yourselves. None of you are paying for these things out of your own damn pockets anyway.🙄Do a little digging, seriously... it's not all hopeless. Planning more nose jobs entirely out of your own pocket? Like, wtf??😲 😂 😢

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I agree, though no matter how much those "in the know" judge those who aren't, they are still colleagues and won't turn on one another.
If a massive mistake was made during the initial surgery, you simply cannot expect the same plastic surgeon to be the one to fix it...
The reality is that everyone makes mistakes occasionally—it happens to all doctors, whether they are internists or gynecologists—but some people make them constantly, and that is the true distinction.
And the hard truth is that there is no way to stop the teams who repeatedly cause such damage and essentially "disfigure" people, because they have spread through the media like a plague and will always find an uninformed, impressionable clientele. I was one of those people once, and now I am paying the price. 🤷
So now, I am searching for someone who can actually help me look like my old self again, or at least get close to it...
I just want to reach a point where I don't feel ashamed to stand in front of a camera, something I used to absolutely love doing...
The easiest patients to handle are those with truly massive, obvious noses. Everyone else, those who just want to look "a little bit better," are the most difficult cases, and it is incredibly easy to do a poor job with them...and I fall right into that category.

Amy Williams34 said:I’m with you on that, but honestly, no matter how much "the experts" judge "the uninformed," they’re all colleagues at the end of the day and won't turn on each other...
If a surgeon absolutely butchers a primary procedure, you can't exactly go back to that same plastic surgeon to fix their mess...
The reality is that everyone slips up sometimes—doctors, internists, OBGYNs, they all have mistakes or oversights—but the difference is some people just make it a habit...
And the hard truth is that nobody can truly stop the teams who constantly mess up and leave people disfigured, because they've spread through the media like a plague and will always find an uninformed, gullible clientele. I was one of those people once, and now I'm paying the price...🤷
Now I'm just searching for someone who can help me look somewhat like my old self again...
So I don't have to feel ashamed whenever a camera is pointed my way, though I used to love being in front of them...
The easiest patients to handle are the ones with massive, obviously botched noses. Everyone else, those wanting just a "little bit better," are the most difficult, and that's when it's easiest to screw things up...and that's where I fall...

Doll, I am so incredibly sorry for everything you're going through😢,but damn it, don't give up...reach out, complain, fight back...someone close to me actually sued and walked away with a massive settlement. I can see you're hurting mentally, and if you've been seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist because of this, there's your compensation...just don't surrender, and whatever you do, don't pay for the corrective surgery out of your own pocket, honey!!😢

Honestly, this whole thread is just straight-up depressing. 😳

stormyharbor2 said:Honestly, this whole thread is just straight-up depressing. 😳

It’s tragic...😢I can't stand injustice, so please, educate yourselves and fight for what you're owed; I've laid everything out for you already, and I always tell people that at the end of the day, it's about your face and your identity, and if the nose isn't truly massive, it simply isn't worth the risk...😢

I’m right there with you regarding Dr. Ignatovski. He’ll promise you the moon and stars, but when it comes down to actually delivering results? Nothing. I’ve gone under the knife twice for nose jobs, and he turned mine into an absolute disaster. Honestly, I have my doubts if he even performs the surgeries himself; it feels more like he’s hiding behind some random assistant while posing as this seasoned, high-level surgeon. From my own experience, the guy uses cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel Botox and calls it a day. Just be careful—once you hand over that money, it’s gone forever. My advice? Ask him to sign a contract guaranteeing the exact look from the computer animation before you agree to anything, then we'll see how fast he suddenly wants to operate.

I am planning to visit Dr. Tončić this coming fall... I'm feeling just a little bit anxious about the anesthesia part. How does local anesthesia actually work? Has anyone else here gone under local? :-)

Jell, does wearing braces have anything to do with getting rhinoplasty? Is that actually a contraindication or what?

driftingnomad7 said:Does Jell actually care if you're wearing braces during nose surgery? Is that even a contraindication?

I'm wondering the same thing... 😁 The only thing I can think of is that the recovery would just be a total nightmare—having your whole head and teeth throbbing at the same time. 🤣 Honestly, it just seems like way too much hassle...😳

darkhawk10 said:I’m planning on seeing Dr. Tončić this fall... I'm just a little nervous about the anesthesia. How does local anesthesia actually feel? Has anyone here ever gone under local? :-)

I’ve been under enhanced local anesthesia before. As far as the numbing goes, everything was fine, but I was seeing Dr. Ignatovski in Milwaukee—and honestly, the guy is a total amateur. If things go south, they go south, and frankly, there's a massive risk involved. Seriously, double-check who you're booking with. Make them sign a contract regarding the final look (like, a computer animation or something), otherwise, you've got zero recourse if it's a disaster.

Amy Williams34 said:Look, I get it, but no matter how much the "experts" judge the "uninformed," they’re all still colleagues. They won't turn on each other.
If someone completely butchers a primary surgery, you can't exactly go back to the same plastic surgeon to fix their mess...
The truth is, everyone messes up sometimes—doctors, internists, OB-GYNs—mistakes and oversights happen to the best of us. But there's a massive difference between an occasional slip-up and some people just being consistently incompetent.
And here's the kicker: nobody can truly stop the teams who constantly mutilate people because they've already poisoned the media. They've branded themselves as "saviors," and there will always be a steady stream of uninformed, easily swayed clients. I was one of those people once, and now I'm paying the price. 🤷
Now I'm stuck searching for anyone who can help me look somewhat like my old self again...
I just want to be able to stand in front of a camera without feeling pure shame, because I used to love it...
The easiest patients are the ones with obviously huge, ugly noses. The most difficult ones? It's everyone else who just wants to look "a little bit better." That's where it's easiest to screw things up... and that's where I am right now.

The only way out is to create a computer animation of what you actually want—or use an old photo of yourself—and then hammer out a formal medical service contract that details every single specific adjustment. Whoever is willing to sign a contract like that is probably legit. Just stay far away from Vladimir Borić; that guy just wants your cash. He'll disfigure you and laugh about it behind your back. Watch your step. Best,

swiftdriver86 said:The only way is to put together some kind of computer animation showing the look you want—or just use an old photo of yourself—and then draft a formal medical service contract that spells out every single detail of the procedure. Honestly, if someone actually signs a contract like that, they’re probably legit enough for you...

Shouldn't they be doing that by default without you even having to ask?🤔 I highly doubt Tončić and Ostojić are operating like that...