Posts by Maria Hall92

Kate Taylor59 said:For everyone who went under general anesthesia... did you deal with a sore throat after being intubated?

I had my very first surgery under general anesthesia, and if I remember correctly, my throat was absolutely wrecked. It’s tough, especially when you have those nasal tampons in—you can't even breathe through your nose, so you're forced to mouth-breathe, which just leaves your throat feeling incredibly parched. Honestly, trust me, a local anesthetic with sedation is a million times better. You really don't need to be afraid. You’ll feel great once it's over, maybe not even feeling overly tired. General anesthesia is basically just a deep sleep.

Thanks, steelangler88 🙂 , haha 😁 LOL you’re the best, Sophia Booth35! I am honestly so incredibly happy for you (and for me too, if I’m being honest, hehe 🤣 )—huge congratulations to you 😁 😁 😁 .. just please don't go asking for anything else quite yet. Let's wait until you've had a chance to recover properly, haha 😁 .. though goodness knows I can barely wait myself, sweetie 😁 !

rustygardener172 said:Look, I know you both visited them for your procedures and naturally want to stick up for them... but I honestly don't get why you're getting defensive when nobody actually attacked them! I wasn't being malicious. And I never said he got the job through nepotism; I just mentioned it’s a family-run business.
Tony's clinic was my top choice initially, and I still think they're fantastic, but I just couldn't shake that feeling of uncertainty during my consultation. That was the only reason I decided not to go through with it—not because I doubt their expertise at all.
Let's just drop this topic, because it's pretty clear we're talking past each other here.😁

Maria Hall92, I am so glad you loved your first impression!!!! But if I could offer one bit of advice to you and everyone else here who just had surgery... maybe hold off on that total euphoria for at least a month. You really can't see the true results until all that swelling finally subsides. I suspect many of the veteran patients here will agree with me on that.
Good luck to everyone!! 😍

Honestly, I didn't think you were attacking anyone; that wasn't even on my mind. It's just one of those things where you shared your perspective, we shared ours, and that's that—five different opinions, five different views.🙂

I'm actually thrilled with how it turned out. I don't think there's going to be a massive transformation in terms of size, since my old nose wasn't particularly huge to begin with, but the main thing is that the irregularities left over from my accident have been smoothed out, and the profile looks much more balanced.🙂
.. it's wonderful!!! I truly didn't expect such a great result.😁

Sophia Booth35 said:I’m honestly curious too, but when am I actually allowed to touch my nose? All I can do right now is clean those ridiculous pores!
And am I permitted to use tweezers to pluck the stray hairs right at the bridge of my nose?
And when will I finally be allowed to kiss some guy with a nose like mine without feeling like an absolute idiot?
And when can I just blow my damn nose? You know, like, a real, deep-from-the-brain kind of blow?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I’m going to go take this mold off now, I'm totally freaking out!

Seriously though, are you kidding me? Are you actually kidding me right now??! 😁

Hey everyone, I just took off the bandages and honestly, I can only say one thing: P U R E B L I S S !!! 🙂 It’s like a dream come true—Tony did an absolutely incredible job on my nose!!! And I have to mention, Dan was my surgeon, such a brilliant young doctor, and he handled everything so perfectly that the results actually exceeded my wildest expectations... Rachel Fisher97, you should totally go for it, you have my full endorsement 😉)) .. oh my gosh, I am just so incredibly happy 😁 😍😍😍

Carol Diaz31 said:Look, this isn't some case of nepotism or hiring through connections. It’s perfectly logical: if someone spends their entire life training for a specific field, following in their father's footsteps, and they happen to have a family medical practice, why wouldn't they work there? 🤷
Plus, I’m not sure what people mean by "lack of experience" here. Just because Ray has thirty-five years under his belt doesn't make ten years of training insignificant! On top of that, he spent that whole decade working side-by-side with a veteran in the field. Dan might be younger, but he's certainly not the wide-eyed novice some people are painting him to be, as if he's just some rookie using patients as practice.

Exactly, you hit the nail on the head, Carol Diaz31...

@rustygardener172/">@@rustygardener172, how can you say he won't perform surgery alone? I was actually his patient just now, and he performed the procedure himself. He had nurses with him, of course, but he was only there for the initial exam before heading off to handle his business as fast as he could.

rustygardener172 said:Oh, please... they'll hire someone else way before they ever give the job to their own son... NOT!

Look, it isn’t necessarily that they would hire him just because he’s the son—especially since he lacks experience. If anything, hiring someone unprepared could totally tank their client base and ruin their reputation by creating unnecessary headaches. But honestly, I feel like we’re veering into a whole different debate here, and I don't want to get sucked into an endless argument about it. At the end of the day, I'm not here to play devil's advocate or tear anyone down. When I went in for my consultations, everything felt perfectly fine to me. I had full confidence in his judgment; I knew the senior partner wouldn't just hand over the keys to someone who hasn't put in the work or mastered the craft. I chose them specifically because I haven't heard a single horror story about their services—only glowing reviews from people I trust.

Rachel Fisher97 said:That’s fine. The main thing is that the little guy isn't left to handle things all by himself. 🤣🤣

From what I’ve gathered through my own experience, my younger doctor was actually the one who performed my surgery... honestly, I think people might be overthinking this a bit. They wouldn't just let someone jump into a procedure like that without some serious credentials, right? You have to have the expertise. In my case, he handled the initial consultation, and then he was right there with me on the day of the operation too. Before they even moved me toward the operating table, both of them spent what felt like an eternity going over everything with me. Believe me, he wouldn't be standing in that room if he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

Sophia Booth35 said:Think about how it would actually play out: the surgeon designs this perfect "computerized" nose, you’re absolutely thrilled with the preview, then they put you under, start working, and suddenly realize the actual anatomy just won't allow for what you dreamed up. You wake up with a totally different look, spiral into a deep depression, and end up suing the doctor for deception.
I remember reading an article about this once.
Until the surgeon actually makes the first incision, there's no telling what they'll encounter.
As for my own aesthetic goals, I’ve always wanted a nose like Beyoncé’s—something long and straight. But looking at my face, which is quite round and soft without much definition in the cheekbones or jawline, that style just wouldn't sit right. He could have pushed for it if I had insisted, but then the doctor wouldn't be responsible for me looking like a caricature afterward.
I decided to put my trust in my surgeon; I believe he’s a true artist. I understand that what looks beautiful to him might not match my vision perfectly, but honestly, if it doesn't turn out right, I’d be heading straight back to him for a revision.
If we all approached these things with such negativity from the very beginning, nobody would ever go under the knife.

I’m with you on this one. Rhinoplasty is essentially like working with sculpture; you’re dealing with living material, and you never truly know the outcome until the work is laid out before you. Sure, if he creates something on the computer that matches his own vision—just enough for you to see and agree—you might still find you don't actually vibe with it. But like Sophia Booth35 mentioned, who's to say whether that specific look is even physically possible?

Sophia Booth35 said:I was absolutely terrified once I finally made the call to go through with the surgery. But then I realized I had to stop doom-scrolling through forums, stop interrogating everyone I knew, and just tune out all the "armchair experts." I kept thinking back to how firmly my surgeon gripped my hand and said, "I’m going to do everything in my power to create a nose that perfectly complements your face," and that gave me the courage to go under the knife.
just go with the flow...
fingers crossed there won't be any need for a revision.
Anyway, I'll check back in on Monday.
Thanks for the "recipe." I'm going to go indulge myself—if there are leftovers, I might even whip up a batch of cookies. 😍

Ugh, tell me about it. I was a nervous wreck constantly, especially leading up to the procedure, and honestly, I'm still shaking a little. I get my cast removed tomorrow...
Don't worry, it's easy—just follow the recipe. 🙂 ahhaahah..

''I’m going to do everything in my power to create a nose that perfectly complements your face'' — I love that he said that to you. He didn't say anything like that to me... well, actually, not at all. 🙂 Instead, it was just a endless list of "well, this option might work, but that one might not," or "this part will probably stay more or less the same as it is now," or "you'll need an extra incision because your skin is incredibly thin, though from the profile it looks fine, but we have to be careful not to pierce the skin too deeply, blah blah blah..." It went on forever. I left feeling totally overwhelmed and thought to myself, "Which doctor am I even seeing? There's no hope for me; I'm paying all this money for basically zero change." But despite all that, I went through with it. We'll see what happens tomorrow. 🙏🤷

Sophia Booth35 said:Margarine on the face? Wait, can you actually get that near your eyes? My skin feels fine, but my eyes are a total mess right now—one of them is practically swollen shut because my nose was shifting just a few millimeters toward the center during the procedure. It’s starting to improve now, though. Honestly, I look like I went overboard with some colorful eyeshadow or something 😍

So, what's the actual recipe here? Are we talking melted margarine? Sliced? Cubed? Is it the standard stuff or the kind used for baking creams? 😍

And oh my god, my nose is itching so much I could lose my mind!!!! I feel like ripping off the cast and all the bandages just to scratch it and blow my nose! Ugh. Only 45 hours to go ☕

Haha 😁 it works... just take regular margarine or butter, spread it over your eyelids and around the area where the bruising is 🙂 .. it helps things heal faster, at least that's what my sister told me back home..
For me, the swelling clears up incredibly fast, and I actually look pretty decent considering it's only been five days since the surgery.. and man, I totally feel you on the nose itching, it's absolutely maddening.. haha.. are you getting your cast removed this Monday too? 🙂 Gosh, I am so excited, but honestly, I'm a little terrified at the same time..

Melissa Taylor3 said:So, by some twist of fate, I end up getting surgery at the Synthesis Medical Center. Everything—from my initial consultation to the prep work—was handled by Professor Klapan. Right off the bat, an old acquaintance mentioned that while Klapan is decent, they actually know someone even better and suggested I look into a second opinion just to be safe. When you first walk into the clinic, it’s actually quite impressive compared to other places; the staff is incredibly polite and welcoming right from the start. So, I figured, why not? I decided to go through with them... and then things went south. The surgery lasted about two and a half hours, but shortly after, I came down with a fever. I ended up on a twenty-day course of Augmentin. Once that cleared up, it became physically obvious that my left nostril was significantly wider and swollen. Breathing at night became an absolute nightmare; the moment I lie down, the left nasal passage just slams shut. After my follow-up exam about 25 or 30 days later, the doctor actually told me he had accidentally implanted something in my left nostril! We were all absolutely floored. I had no choice but to hunt for second opinions, especially since he kept insisting this was all "psychosomatic" and that everything was perfectly fine. When I saw Dr. Glušac, he couldn't believe the guy was claiming this was normal; my septum is shifted to the right, and there is a pea-sized implant lodged in my left nostril that you can see with the naked eye. Now, Glušac has a bit of a quirky bedside manner, but you can tell the man truly knows his craft. Still wanting to be 100% certain, I drove over to Cleveland to see Dr. Zambeli. Naturally, he did a thorough exam and his findings were almost identical, if not worse. He told me I’ll need a revision surgery, but I have to wait eight to ten months because the cartilage is damaged and needs time to heal before they can touch it again. He basically told me I don't even know what true breathing feels like. It is honestly pathetic and heartbreaking how Dr. Gjurić and his SYNTHESIS CLINIC handle this. To suggest that needing corrective surgery for a physical error is just "all in my head" is disgraceful. I would much rather they just say, "I'm sorry, we didn't get the result we aimed for." I am definitely moving forward with a lawsuit after such a disgusting display of arrogance.

Oh my goodness, I honestly cannot believe this... I feel so incredibly sorry for you. How can people even call themselves doctors? Honestly, people like that shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine! You really should tell everyone who you can so they don't fall into the same trap, and you absolutely have to sue. If I were in your shoes, I'd do the exact same thing.

Sophia Harris96 said:Look, folks, I could honestly just tape my nose to my face right now so you all could feel a little better about yours—whatever they look like! 😁 P.S. I’ve thought about getting surgery thousands upon thousands of times; I’d be lying if I said I hadn't. 😉 What’s more, I actually had $3,000 saved up and could have easily paid for it, BUT... I mean, think about it... it wouldn't really be *me* anymore. 🙂 It’s not like I have some tiny little bump that needs fixing, you know? Like, "Oh, just smooth this out and we're good." No, I don't have a face that would suit a perfectly straight, polished, or "snatched" nose. (You know that thing where you try to convince yourself everything is fine while staring at your profile in the mirror and just feeling... meh?) Honestly, no. It wouldn't be me. Besides, why bother? My husband has a big, long, fleshy nose, and my old lady has one too... so yeah, Sophia has inherited the whole set, haha! In fact, my entire family has larger noses, so changing mine would basically be like erasing my genes, my heritage, and worst of all—I’d run out of things to make fun of myself for! 😁

That is such a thoughtful way to look at it. 🙂 We really need more people thinking like that. Though, if it were me, I’d happily trade those genes away in a heartbeat... 🤣 I truly wouldn't miss them one bit. 😁 Hahaha!

stormyharbor2 said:I didn't either, and to top it all off, I ended up catching a chill from all that ice and running a fever.

I've noticed—honestly, it was visible before, especially right after I woke up, though I just assumed it would fade away on its own—that there's this long, vertical red line right where my lump used to be. It looks just like those little red marks you get left behind after a breakout. I'm really hoping it clears up eventually. 😢

Hmm, I can't even begin to imagine... Have you actually mentioned it to your doctor yet?

rustygardener172 said:Oh, definitely not... you've gotta keep those in the fridge.

I can't quite recall the exact reason why, but I know I couldn't stand keeping that compress on for very long myself. I’d lean it against my eyes, hold it there for maybe a minute, then toss it aside... then pick it back up again... and so on. It’s a bit of a cycle!

I used to keep mine sitting right in the ice 😁 haha... though, if I'm being honest, I was a little lazy about it. I'd hold it for a moment and then just leave it sitting next to me until it warmed up completely—then I'd pop it back in the ice just to get it at that perfect, refreshing temperature again. 😛.
Honestly, it's probably better to cool it down bit by bit; otherwise, you might actually give yourself a chill if you overdo it.

Melissa Taylor3 said:I’ve been lurking on this forum forever, but I finally worked up the nerve to actually post today. It’s been about 40 days since my surgery, and honestly, the surgeon completely wrecked my face. To make matters worse, he has the audacity to claim everything is perfect and insist that my breathing issues are just "all in my head." After his diagnosis, I went and sought out three different specialists here in the States, and they were absolutely floored by what he did to me. Now, I’m stuck in limbo, having to wait at least eight months before I can even consider a secondary rhinoplasty. So much for that "world-class" clinic... what a joke. My only goal in sharing this is to hope someone else doesn't make the same mistake I did and end up living through this absolute nightmare.

Oh my god, that is just devastating... who was your surgeon?

steelangler88 said:just... tiny... 🙂

Man, 😢 I'm crossing my fingers for you..

rustycanyon15 said:Mine have actually turned yellow already. I picked up one of those cooling gels from CVS and some kind of insert for it, but—full disclosure—I’m a bit of a klutz and ended up keeping the actual gel pack in my freezer by mistake 👎... though honestly, the relief isn't just when I'm using the cold compress. Yesterday morning, that eye pain actually woke me right up, even though I hadn't been using the compresses all night...

Anyway, thanks for the tip! I had this totally ridiculous theory running through my head, and trust me, you really don't want to hear it 😉

Hehe... well, you can definitely keep it in the freezer 🙂... I have one of those too; I'm convinced everyone does at some point 😁 hehe. Now, what was this theory? You've got me curious 😁

rustycanyon15 said:Hey everyone... I just had surgery this past Tuesday. Basically, my nose was broken and the bones healed all crooked, so the surgeon had to go in and fix everything up. I’m running into one little issue, though—whenever I apply cold compresses to my eyes, they start stinging like crazy because the area is so bruised and tender. My doctor mentioned it shouldn't be too unusual, but I wanted to check in and see if anyone else has dealt with this kind of sensation? Thanks! 🙂

Yeah, that stinging happens because you're probably making them too cold. You don't want to leave those ice packs sitting on your eyes for too long; it's just not great for the skin. Try wrapping the ice in a soft cloth so it isn't freezing directly against you. You definitely need to manage the swelling with something cool, but "ice cold" can actually do more harm than good if you aren't careful.

Just kidding—don't actually rub margarine or butter on your bruises to make them fade faster!

Sophia Booth35 said:So, thanks 😍
. I’m honestly just going to stop obsessing over this and quit reading for a bit; I am genuinely terrified about how my nose is going to turn out. I still can't even picture the end result!

Honestly 🙂... I’m right there with you. I can't see the final look either, and I'm just as anxious about the outcome. Good grief. Is it Monday yet? Seriously, someone hurry up and make it Monday.