15 posts shown.
Lisa Martinez72 said:all I care about right now is how to get rid of these dark circles under my eyes after surgery. They are incredibly dark and impossible to hide. Can any kind of compress actually help dull them down even a little bit?
Try cold compresses—you can pick some up pretty cheap online—and alternate them with chamomile tea bags. Personally, I just stick to a natural balm since you really shouldn't be putting random products anywhere near your eyes this soon.
Of course I’m bringing up the doctor on a forum when I'm asking about him. It isn't some attempt at free advertising; I'm just trying to figure out my own specific situation.
Look, doctors are human, and mistakes happen to everyone. I’m sure every specialist mentioned here has plenty of success stories where everything went perfectly. At the end of the day, you just have to find a physician you actually trust—someone you feel comfortable leaving your life in their hands. That's really all there is to it.
As for the tampons, yeah, they were removed the next day, but I had internal supports in place, plus I had to wear a nasal splint for ten days afterward. Totally understandable.
I'll lay out my experience here, just in case it ends up being useful to anyone. 🙂
First off, getting a rhinoplasty is a massive undertaking, even if every surgeon swears they’ll just "wake up and head home." I spent eight years overthinking this before I finally felt certain it was worth the hassle. My main goal was purely aesthetic, but it turned out the doctor also fixed a deviated septum I didn't even realize I had.
A lot of people have been posting about prepping for surgery, and honestly, this forum is where I’ve picked up most of my intel. Doctors usually look down on people using forums for advice, but I told mine straight: if it weren't for this place, I wouldn't have known half of what I know.😁
About a month ago, I started being extra careful about catching every cold or flu going around. I've been loading up on vitamins, trying to stay ahead of the curve so I don't end up sidelined.
A few days ago, I went ahead and stocked up on everything I might need for the next stretch, since getting out of the house isn't exactly on the menu right now. Personally, I didn't find much use for those nasal strips everyone else seems to swear by. For me, the only thing that actually mattered was the physiological saline—and I didn't even realize I’d need it until they pulled the packing out of my nose (day 11 post-op). On that same day, I thought I’d be running to CVS for cold compresses, chamomile tea for the swelling, gauze, and medical tape since you have to swap them out constantly. Turns out, my surgeon just handed me all of it right there after the procedure.
When it comes to surgery, my biggest fear was definitely the anesthesia. I made sure to emphasize that to the doctor, so both he and the anesthesiologist spent about half an hour just talking me through it before we started. Everything went smoothly, though; the whole thing took about an hour and a half. Since I only had local anesthesia, I just rested for a bit after waking up before heading back to my recovery suite. They put these patches over my eyes to minimize bruising, which actually worked wonders—not that you’d notice them since you spend most of the first day sleeping anyway. The next day, they removed the patches and the packing. All I have left under my eyes is some minor bruising and slightly swollen cheeks, but honestly, considering the procedure, it’s about as minimal as it gets.
Removing the tampons wasn't actually painful. I'm guessing they pull them out so quickly the next day that you don't even have time to process the sensation. As for the nose, I took the mold off two days ago and I am beyond thrilled with the results. 🙂)
Regarding Dr. Glušac, I’m seeing a lot of conflicting takes floating around here. 😁 Reading through this forum, I felt somewhat prepared for his performance, so I was expecting some level of indifference. But after seeing how he treated me during and after the surgery, I’ve realized that’s not exactly the case. He’s a bit blunt—just a typical, rough-around-the-edges guy from San Francisco. 😁 He’s constantly complaining while simultaneously bragging about himself. He claims he urgently needs a secretary, yet insists on handling all patient emails and calls personally. Honestly, he should probably have his own private practice instead of working out of a community health center. But, despite all that, he’s the only one I’d trust. If you set everything else aside, I would hand myself over to him in a heartbeat. I wasn't looking for a tiny, upturned nose that clashes with my face, and I certainly didn't want someone messing up my breathing just for the sake of aesthetics—and he is exactly the specialist you want for that. Personally, I think Glumičić’s nose jobs look terrible, and I can't even stand looking at Blanka Vlašić’s nose, so if that’s what you’re after, stay far away from Glušac. The reasons I chose him were practical: local anesthesia, having the packing removed the very next day, and the fact that he specialized in both ENT and plastic surgery. Plus, he’s constantly refining his skills. It was an absolute struggle to even snag a consultation with him, but that was a non-negotiable for me. On my case, he tested out a specific technique to minimize bruising. Just for context, I tend to bruise like a bruised banana, yet the day after surgery, I had almost zero discoloration under my eyes. He doesn't provide any ointments or creams; I had to buy everything myself based on recommendations from the forums. 😁Honestly, just stick to cold compresses and rinsing. Trust me, it actually works.
I haven't felt anything like this since my very first OP. Sure, it’s definitely not pleasant when they’re stripping the mold or rinsing out your sinuses—especially when your bones feel like they've been fractured—but honestly, calling this "pain" feels like a stretch. :/
One more thing: if you’re prone to breakouts, get a facial cleaning done before your op. Once you're post-surgery, you won't be able to deal with any spots popping up right around your nose, especially since you'll have that mold or brace stuck on for a week.
Anyway, that's just my experience. Hope this helps someone out 🙂
Grace Patel75 said:Well, I have to travel to Seattle anyway.
Why never? There isn’t a guarantee with any doctor you visit.
I get the feeling that Glušac isn't exactly an aesthetic specialist.
Look, I’m not just talking about Dr. Glušac right now. He’s not the only ENT out there; you pick whoever matches your aesthetic. Of course nobody can give you a guarantee, but going under the knife for a procedure like this with someone who isn't an ENT—since rhinoplasty is actually a demanding surgery, despite everyone acting like it’s a walk in the park—is pure madness to me.😁
I get where you're coming from. If you breathe fine and don't have issues, you probably aren't even thinking about it, let alone realizing how many complications can pop up if someone messes with your nasal function. And honestly? There's a higher chance they'll screw it up if they aren't an ENT. That's just a fact.
fadedfalcon13 said:Based on what brankec has been posting lately, 😁
All jokes aside, I had an incredible experience with Dr. Glušac until about a year ago, but his bluntness during appointments definitely leaves an impression.
True, and his bedside manner is exactly why I hesitated for so long. In the end, I decided to prioritize actual expertise over someone who’s overly charming or rude. He definitely needs to work on his approach.😁
I'll try to put together a longer post sometime this week if anyone finds it useful.
Grace Patel75 said:How many ENT plastic surgeons are actually out there? I'm looking into Dr. Cikojević in San Francisco, but I have a feeling he doesn't just do cosmetic work.
The location is huge for me since I won't be traveling alone; I'd honestly rather accept that he's just a plastic surgeon if it means staying local.
Trust me, you don't want to go down that road. 🙂
I've pulled long trips from other cities myself, and having someone to stay the night with makes a massive difference—you can definitely find someone to tag along. But whatever you do, never let a pure plastic surgeon touch your nose. Ever. (Seriously, I cannot stress this enough 😉).
crimsonpanther8 said:I didn't have any plastic filling inside me, but during those first few days, I wrapped some non-sterile gauze in a tissue, dampened it with saline, and gently cleaned the top of my nose. I also used Q-tips to pick out whatever I could reach at the entrance.
Thanks, I'm definitely going to give that a shot. I've already been trying to clean things out with gauze.
I think a lot of us don't actually grasp the fact that we went under the knife. We somehow expect zero side effects. It's like people watching too much reality TV 😁
How are you guys handling the internal nose cleaning, or at least dealing with this constant mucus drip? Is it actually normal for this to be running non-stop? It’s been three days since they pulled the packing out. My doctor told me to avoid blowing my nose or using saline rinses because of the surgical work still going on inside, but I'm low-key terrified everything is just going to crust over up in there. :/
(I’m following his orders, obviously, but I’m just wondering if this much drainage is standard—especially since he told me it would wrap up in a day.)
urbanbadger1 said:If you’d actually bothered to read a few threads, you’d realize the Glazier isn't your best bet. Aside from $5333 you'd probably end up missing half the bones in your nose after his last mishap with some girl. Stick to hospitals in San Francisco or maybe Portland—there are plenty of competent surgeons out there.
Baseless attacks on a doctor based on one person's bad experience are pretty unprofessional. Everyone slips up sometimes, including him (hopefully he won't slip up on me 😁). No surgeon is perfect, but that doesn't mean they all have a habit of breaking noses. -.-
For those of you who saw the Glazier and spent the night in Monterey, where did you stay? Maybe a private 🙂
hiddenseal14 said:doesn't charge for consultations.
nor for follow-up exams after surgery.
Thanks. Honestly, that doctor sounds a little too good to be true. 😁
Well, I finally scored an appointment with Dr. Glušac. Fingers crossed I’ll be joining the ranks of the satisfied patients here by the end of it. 🙂 Once it reaches the surgery stage, I’ll make sure to post a full breakdown of how everything went.
Since we couldn't play phone tag at any decent hour—partly due to my job and partly because of his schedule—we ended up setting everything up via email. I did try asking about his consultation fees, but he dodged the question. So, if any of you have actually sat in his office for a consult, could you please let me know what the damage usually is? 🙂 Thanks.
For those of you who’ve seen Dr. Glušac down in Miami, how long was the wait for a consultation appointment? I need to clear some time at work, so I'm trying to figure out if I can just burn through some vacation days or if I should plan ahead before I even pick up the phone. Thanks 🙂
Alex Moore62 said:I can't speak for Vineyard Hospital, but if the health department says the person who examined you is the one performing the surgery, then that's her doctor. She should probably just ask 🤷
Like I said, I have zero experience with bribery and no intention of ever dealing with it. Obviously, in the situation you're describing, you'd have to pay up just to survive, which is a total disaster. We'd all do it if we were backed into a corner like that. Over here, that isn't even an option, but in the North America, it’s practically a local custom, and clearly, some unethical doctors take advantage of it. Fortunately, not everyone is like that.
But look, if there's an official price list, paying extra is just a bribe. I was talking about a small token of appreciation—a little something I chose to give after my procedure as a thank you. No one asked for it.
I know two people who had ear surgeries at Vineyard, and neither mentioned anything about bribes. If they had experienced that kind of thing, they probably would have brought it up. 🤷
I started posting from a different account, but whatever, we get the point. 😁
Yeah, after my own surgery, I gave the nurses on the floor a little gift when I was leaving because they were genuinely wonderful. I certainly didn't count that as a bribe.
Thanks again 😉
Alex Moore62 said:Did they see that specific surgeon before, or is this their first time booking an operation with them? Usually, you have to schedule those appointments with a particular doctor. 🤷 I think it’s possible for a resident to handle the intake exam when someone’s being admitted to a department, especially if they're already checking in for surgery, but I couldn't say for sure.
They scheduled the surgery right after the first appointment because her condition was so obvious there wasn't any point in waiting for a second opinion. After she finished her blood work and met with the anesthesiologist, the doctor mentioned that the guy who did the initial exam was "just" a resident. I guess she took that to mean he wouldn't be the one actually performing the procedure. 🤷
As for gifting doctors—yeah, let’s call it what it is: bribery. In a country where you're practically walled in by a single border, that kind of "incentive" isn't just common practice; it’s the unwritten rule. You won't even get a look-in without it, even if your life is hanging in the balance. It's especially blatant in surgical wards where they know you need urgent intervention, and they use that leverage. Some of them actually have their own price lists; I've seen it firsthand. That's exactly why I asked. I'm terrified that a single bottle of wine might be the deciding factor in whether they do a sloppy job or not.