Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Angela Davis8 said:Has anyone here dealt with Dr. Branko Glusc over in Santa Barbara?

You’ve got a lot of posts in this thread—some horror stories and some glowing reviews—but personally, my experience wasn't great. I wouldn't recommend him.

Ever since my septoplasty, I’ve developed a hematoma in my nostril. It’s just as annoying as the septum was before the surgery—only now, the discomfort has shifted to the opposite side.

How long does it usually take for this stuff to clear up? It’s already been two weeks since the procedure. Anyone here dealt with something similar?
EDIT: It looks a bit like what you see in this photo, though mine isn't quite that massive.

http://www.drpaulose.com/wp-content/...-hematoma2.jpg

Do you have a septal hematoma in your nasal septum?!?
That’s an absolute medical emergency—if you don't get that drained, your cartilage could start breaking down, and you might end up dealing with some pretty serious breathing issues too.

Alright, so what's the move then? Does anyone actually have a solution?

@Carl Young57/">@@Carl Young57 - seriously, man, you need to call your surgeon or hit up the clinic or hospital where they did that septum procedure ASAP... this isn't something you can just DIY at home...

Carl Young57 said:Alright, what should I do at this point? Does anyone have a suggestion or a solution?

Call your provider right away—today! You absolutely need to get to an emergency ENT clinic. Honestly, I'm not even sure where you had your nasal surgery done.

I’ve been doing some reading on this, and I don't think we're looking at a hematoma. It feels more like a slight thickening—completely smooth to the touch and doesn't extend beyond a millimeter. Could it just be swelling?
I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow.

In the meantime, how long does the recovery actually take? I’m still breathing through one nostril like I was before the surgery, while the other side is completely blocked.

Anyone?

Carl Young57 said:Anyone?

It’s most likely just mucosal swelling. I dealt with similar swelling myself; for a while, I was convinced I had a massive abscess or some kind of severe allergic reaction. But as time passed since the surgery, the swelling simply subsided and vanished. Don't panic over every minor fluctuation you notice. Just remember that you underwent an invasive surgical procedure, which must leave its mark.

If you're convinced it isn't just swelling, then go to a follow-up appointment instead of scaring yourself with self-diagnoses pulled from Google. A doctor actually knows what they're doing; you aren't a physician. 😉

I’m pretty sure it’s just swelling. But honestly, how long does the recovery actually take? That’s my main concern right now. I’m hearing everything from a few weeks to two months, or even six... I mainly want to know when I'll finally be able to breathe through both nostrils again. Does that require a bit more time to pass?

You should probably just check in with your doctor the day after tomorrow. Since everyone’s situation is different, they can give you a rough estimate based on how intensive the surgery is and all that.
If I remember correctly, it took me about two weeks before I could finally breathe easy again, though even then, my nose was constantly getting stuffed up.

Hello there!
Next month will mark two years since my first rhinoplasty. To be honest, I’m still dealing with the fallout from that procedure. My surgeon essentially gave me a nose that’s far too short; he cut away those little fleshy bits at the tip, which completely ruined the natural look of my profile. On top of that, he didn't properly lower the nasal bones to meet my facial structure, leaving me with these bumps on both sides of my nose. When doctors tell you that you just have "bony irregularities," I think they might be misleading you—at least, that's what the specialist I went to for a second opinion told me. She was quite blunt about how much the tip was botched... and so on. After finally accepting that my nose isn't going to magically reshape itself over time, and having spent $5000 that I painstakingly saved up for four years, I am now searching for a surgeon who actually has the skill to repair this damage.
If you wouldn't mind, I would truly appreciate any information you might have;
Has anyone here visited Dr. Uglešić at his private practice, or perhaps seen him at Oakland University Medical Center? If so, could you let me know what the wait time is like for a consultation?
I am also curious if anyone has experience with Dr. Gulic (over at the Gulic Clinic, near Green Gold).
Thank you all so much in advance for your help.

So, I swung by Dr. Uglešić’s office over at the Oakland clinic for a checkup. The wait time wasn't bad at all; he’s there every Wednesday, and you can actually book an appointment for this coming Wednesday right now, provided he hasn't decided to take a vacation or something. From what I’ve gathered, he’s a solid doctor, though he isn't exactly the chatty type. He gets straight to the point, runs the exam, and calls it a day.

William Robinson80 said:Well, I actually went to see Dr. Uglešić at the Oakland medical center for an exam. I guess you don't have to wait too long for an appointment; he’s there every Wednesday, and if he isn't taking some time off for vacation, you can probably book a slot for this coming Wednesday already. From what I've gathered, he's quite a good doctor, though maybe he's just a bit of a man of few words. He tends to get through the examination pretty quickly and then that's that.

Did he end up performing surgery on you as well?

analoghound6 said:Did they end up performing the surgery on you too?

I haven't gone under the knife just yet. Even though the doctor wanted to schedule the operation for the very next week right after my checkup, I'm planning to get a second opinion from someone else first. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Who did you go to for your procedure? And more importantly, do you have a specific doctor you'd recommend for a consultation?

William Robinson80 said:I haven't actually gone through with the surgery yet, even though they wanted me to head straight in the following week after my checkup. I think I might seek out another doctor just to get a second opinion, you know? Who did you go to for your procedure? And do you happen to have any doctors you’d recommend for a consultation?

Dr. Smith performed my surgery, and he seemed incredibly professional—honestly, he had a demeanor very much like Jennifer Aniston.
Just a quick question; is this going to be your first surgery, or are you having a revision done?

.

Since this will be my very first surgery, I’m dead set on picking the most reliable doctor out there.

Carl Young57 said:After my septum surgery, I ended up with a hematoma in my nostril, so it’s just as annoying as the original issue was before the operation. Only now, the problem has shifted to the opposite side.

How long does this usually take to clear up? It's already been two weeks since the procedure. Has anyone else dealt with this?
EDIT: It looks kind of like what you see in this photo, just not quite as massive.

http://www.drpaulose.com/wp-content/...-hematoma2.jpg

I've actually got something similar in the nostril I used to breathe through, and honestly, things aren't going great right now. 🙂 It's been almost five months for me and it's still sitting there, yet my doctor insists he doesn't see anything wrong and tells me everything is fine. I can barely breathe, and at this rate, it feels like it'll stay this way until I go back in for a revision surgery, which hopefully happens as soon as possible.🙂

Hey everyone, I have a quick question for the group: does anyone know how much downtime is typically required before it's safe to start wearing glasses again following surgery?

Personally, my doctor told me there's no way I can do anything for three months, even though some people claim you can get back at it after just a month.