This situation is an absolute nightmare. What that doctor did was completely unprofessional—honestly, it felt more like a visit to a local butcher shop than a trip to a prestigious medical clinic. Just look at the photo of the anesthesia application on her hand; even an elementary school student could have done a cleaner, more organized job. And don't even get me started on those nasal bandages—I have no idea why they felt the need to cover her entire face. In my experience, I only had a mold on my nose and some hardening under the bandage—almost like plaster—but nothing spread across my whole face. It’s appalling; there really should be a formal complaint filed against them.
northernwalker45 said:Does anyone here have actual experience dealing with piercings during surgery? I’m trying to figure out if I’ll be forced to take them all out—specifically my tongue piercing—and if there’s even a window to put them back in afterward. I’ve also heard rumors about some kind of replacement piercings specifically designed for X-rays or scans; does anyone know if that’s actually a thing? Also, regarding Dr. Glusca—what does his surgery cost look like, and is it possible to set up a payment plan?🙂
I had to take out my navel piercing—basically, you can't have any metal on you during resuscitation efforts. And tongue piercings? Absolutely not, purely because of the intubation tube. They even asked me if I was wearing any dental braces or anything similar; the rule is simple: if you’re wearing it, it has to come out. You just put everything back in normally after the surgery is over. It's not like the hole is going to close up in those few hours.
In my case, there wasn't any blood trickling down my throat—mostly because I had my nose packed with gauze, which does a perfectly fine job of catching all that mess
Elizabeth Walker said:I'm curious if anyone here has experience with reducing the nasal bridge? If so, what was the outcome—are there visible scars or anything like that? Thanks!
I went through the process of reducing my bridge along with everything else, and honestly, there aren't any scars. In my case, the surgeon worked entirely through the nostrils—whereas my friend had Dr. Toncic work from the outside. She ended up with some sutures along the bridge, though I don't think they are noticeable; then again, aesthetics are subjective. I actually asked my doctor about this specific point, and he explained that he performs everything internally—essentially making small incisions in the muscle that holds the bridge to reshape it however he wants, then carefully suturing everything back up from the inside. So, for me, the stitches were strictly confined to the interior of the nose.
Sarah Martin86 said:Where on earth did you read that? My nose actually started changing when I hit 25—it began growing—so if I had my way, I’d go under the knife right now to shrink it back down.
Look, I don't recall the exact source—I was just digging through info about surgery about two years ago. I think it might have been an article by some specialist out of Austria or somewhere similar. Honestly, I can't say for certain if it's absolute truth (clearly it isn't, since you're living proof), but what I *do* know is that surgeons generally advise against procedures before you're legally an adult—even if people do them earlier without issue. At the end of the day, the best move is to consult a professional; we can sit here and debate this until we're blue in the face, but it won't change the medical reality.
You can find answers to most of those questions just a few posts up in this thread. Regarding the age limit—I've read that nasal bone development continues until you're about 22, though I personally know a few people who went through with it much earlier—so... your doctor will be the one to give you the final word on that. As for my own experience, I waited about a month for the initial OP scheduling, while the consultation process took roughly three weeks.
I am honestly not entirely certain anymore—somewhere around $3333, perhaps—though I wonder if anything has actually shifted since then... I really can't say for sure.
As I mentioned above regarding Glumicic—it honestly passes by quite quickly. You’ll likely spend most of the first day after surgery, and much of the second, just sleeping—even if you find yourself waking up frequently because breathing feels a bit labored. But truly, it isn't anything unbearable. Please, don't let fear get the better of you; there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Honestly, if I had to go through it all over again, I would—despite how nervous I was at the time. Looking back now... the amount of panic I felt was completely unnecessary.
Look, after two days, you'll realize it wasn't even a big deal. Honestly—those first forty-eight hours are the absolute worst because breathing becomes such a chore—but it passes quickly, and you're left with a great nose. 🙂 In my case, they actually had to break bone, which is why the bruising was so intense. But the pain? Nonexistent—unless, of course, you accidentally bump your nose again... I went in fully expecting agony, but their anesthesia is so incredibly effective that there’s just no pain at all. At least that was my experience with that doctor; I can't speak for anyone else's luck.
I actually passed out when they pulled the tampons out—it wasn't even my throat that hurt, just this constant, parching dryness from breathing through my mouth, so I had to carry a water bottle everywhere just to cope. To make matters worse, the pressure gave me a pounding headache and made my teeth ache too.
I visited Glumicic—I actually stayed overnight once, though strictly because I wasn't from Washington, D.C.; otherwise, you just head home after a few hours. Now, look, it really varies from person to person. As long as those nasal packs are in, you won't have the energy for anything—they take them out after two days—but once you can finally breathe again, it’s fantastic. Personally, the day my packs were removed, I was already cooking; nothing intense, just enough to get moving since I couldn't just lie around anymore, even though rest is the standard recommendation. Basically, you can walk around and all that, but you absolutely shouldn't tackle any heavy lifting because you'll risk a nosebleed, but you aren't exactly bedridden either 🙂 I opted for general anesthesia, which suited me perfectly because I had zero interest in being conscious while they reset my nose—that was simply out of the question. Disgusting! I don't remember the actual waking process; the last thing I recall is falling asleep at a table and then waking up in bed with an IV, feeling great—honestly, as if I hadn't even been in surgery. No nausea or anything, if that's what you're worried about. The girl in the room told me they wheeled me in on a gurney and I managed to move myself to the bed before they tucked me in and let me sleep, though I have no memory of doing so. The doctor claimed there wouldn't be any pain, which I didn't believe until, well, I found out firsthand 🙂 it truly doesn't hurt As for getting your life back... I'd say you can handle some light housework as soon as you feel a bit better, but don't overdo it; you'll know your own limits. You'll tire more easily during those first couple of days, so you'll need to slow down your daily routine, but every day gets progressively better. I didn't go out much at all, except to get the packs and the splint removed. After that, I headed back to college after about two weeks. In my case, the main issue was the bruising—it lasted a month because I bruise incredibly easily, but that's highly individual. My friend, for instance, didn't have any bruising whatsoever, so I mostly avoided going out because the ladies at the grocery store kept looking at me like I was a victim of some tragedy, haha. But at home, I did everything. You'll return to your normal self after a few days; if someone can step in and help with the "baby" duties until you find your footing, everything will be fine. The most important thing is to just get through that first day and night (you won't want to do anything anyway besides sleep). Once those packs come out, life gradually returns to normal—you'll see, it improves every single day Just stay brave, I'm crossing my fingers for you 😉
So, I underwent rhinoplasty—it’ll be about two years before the final results settle—and if anyone wants the specifics, just ask. I know exactly how much anxiety and chaos this process can stir up, but honestly, stay brave; it really isn't as daunting as it seems.😉
I just finished up at the clinic with the specialist. He’s insisting on running a full battery of tests—his take is that it’s better to be thorough and ensure everything is actually functioning as it should. Honestly, my throat didn't even hurt from having that tube inserted; the only real issue was the wheezing I kept experiencing.
This is absolutely terrifying—a living nightmare. My experience, however, was such a complete success that I would go back in a heartbeat. They didn't even bother with any injections in the backside or anything like that; they simply gave me liquid sedation that makes everything feel wonderful... well, let's just say my brain went "bye-bye." I had the consultation with the nurse to fill out all those forms regarding allergies and similar nonsense, then met with the anesthesiologist, and finally spoke with the surgeon right before the procedure. In the OR, there was the anesthesiologist and the technician, and the anesthesia was administered in a split second—I didn't feel a thing. The staff spent the whole time joking with me to help me relax, continuing to chat even though I drifted off almost instantly. When I woke up in my hospital bed, I realized I didn't even have a mold on my nose; honestly, I wouldn't have known I’d even had surgery. Out of our group of five, not a single person suffered from nausea after the general anesthesia. We were all in great spirits, joking around... When I regained consciousness, my mother, the head nurse, the anesthesiologist, and the doctor all came by to check on me. The doctor even remarked that I have a beautiful nose and so on... And I wasn't covered in adhesive across my entire face—just something firm on my nose, like a cast, holding that purple mold in place, haha. I was given two IV bags and took antibiotics for a few days to prevent any infection, but as far as pain goes—zero points, just as the doctor predicted.
Oh, right—during my initial consultations, I asked if the procedure could be done under local anesthesia because I was terrified of going under general. However, the surgeon explained that facial surgeries, especially on the nose (which is one of the more difficult areas), must be performed under general anesthesia due to the significant amount of blood that can drain down the throat and other complications I can't quite recall. Under general anesthesia, they use a breathing tube, which allows them to suction blood much more easily than if you were breathing on your own—they can't risk having something obstruct the airway and cause choking. He is a maxillofacial surgeon, so he certainly knows more about this than I do. And I have no regrets; everyone tells me I made the right call.
To those of you heading in soon, I'm crossing my fingers for you! Good luck.
[QUOTE=George Ramos11;22367983]Fine... you all ignored my first post... but whatever. I'll decide for myself who my Dr. Nozic will be—thanks anyway. My second question is this: Has anyone else here actually fully recovered from their surgery? Is a "total recovery" even a realistic concept? Does a state exist after surgery where things feel exactly as they did before? Has anyone reached that stage? You all talk incessantly about post-op complications, yet I have yet to hear a single person say, "I have zero pain... it’s been about a year and it's like I never even had the surgery." What is the point of all this constant complaining?[/QUOTE
Look, I'll give you my answer: It's been six months since my surgery and everything feels completely normal—honestly, it's as if I never even went under the knife. I can breathe through my nose perfectly fine, just like before.[/QUOTE]
steelangler88 said:Mine actually dropped quite significantly after the surgery. It doesn’t look terrible per se, but I feel a deep sense of regret now for not insisting they lift it higher. Plus, I still have this lump on the side.🙄 I’m thinking about seeing someone else—it’s been a full year since the procedure. My biggest fear is making the exact same mistake twice!😳[
I honestly had no idea a nose could drop that much after some time has passed. Regardless, that is encouraging news. 👍 I am truly sorry you're dealing with that "lump." Honestly, things like that simply shouldn't happen—we all go into these procedures with such high expectations, and then, inevitably, everything goes sideways—Murphy's law 😁 at its finest.
Everything jadecrane3 mentioned is spot on. I looked like a total wreck myself for quite a while, but once the swelling finally started to subside daily, I began to see real progress. This is all perfectly normal, so please don't worry—it takes a full year for the nose to settle into its final shape.
silentdrifter13 said:It’s been 11 days since my surgery, and I wanted to share my initial impressions—though they aren't exactly glowing. Regarding my profile, I am satisfied; I have zero complaints there, especially since an unsatisfactory profile was the primary reason I opted for this procedure in the first place. However, the reason I am unhappy with the results is the frontal view of my nose. It is simply too upturned—by at least 5mm—which makes my nasal bridge look far too prominent. All in all, it doesn't suit my face, and while I realize it is incredibly early to make such a judgment, I am already considering a revision. I am curious if anyone knows how long one must wait before undergoing a second surgery, and whether it is even possible to lower the tip like this. One more thing: even though it has been 11 days, my upper lip and nose feel practically paralyzed—I can barely move them. Is this normal, or...? Apologies for the lengthy post, but I am truly desperate due to this outcome, and any constructive advice would be greatly appreciated.
You won't need a second surgery because your nose will definitely settle down—but that takes time. It took me more than two months for my nose to drop, and it was the same story with my lip returning to normal. And you can't go under for anything else until at least a year has passed.
Ashley Morgan73 said:Oh, fantastic—so what’s the verdict from everyone else? How long did it take for the nose to actually settle into its final state? I’m sure you’re absolutely thrilled.😍 Look, I’ve officially thrown in the towel.😢 My appointment was set for February 2nd, but the sheer anxiety hit me so hard I started shaking the moment I hung up the phone.🤷 Clearly, I’m not mentally ready yet—but the cash is sitting safely in my savings account, and once I find my nerve, I’ll be heading in.😁
Thanks, ladies! Honestly, everyone says it looks incredible—they’re totally blown away by the results. It stayed swollen for about a month before it finally started looking like an actual nose. He achieved the look I wanted, even though he insisted you can't just pick a celebrity photo and expect a match—it has to work with your specific facial structure. You shouldn't have given up; it really isn't that bad. They basically hype you up so much that you don't even care about the downsides. In reality, the absolute worst part is simply the agonizing wait leading up to the surgery day.
Here are my before and after photos for you to see As for picking a surgeon—honestly, I think it just comes down to personal preference. Every doctor has a completely different approach and style when it comes to their work.