Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

neondriver15 said:Oh, please... I can still vividly remember the blood everywhere and that sound ringing in my ears—the feeling of the hammer hitting the bone. I honestly had nightmares about the surgical lights for at least two years afterward.
General anesthesia is actually quite wonderful... you drift off, dream for a bit, and wake up feeling like nothing even happened. 🙂 Just an hour after my surgery, I was already out grabbing lunch with a friend because I was absolutely starving. 🙂
If someone is healthy, general anesthesia doesn't have any negative impact on the body whatsoever (look, I’m not an MD, but I do have a PhD, so I know a thing or two about science. 😉 ))

Maybe it doesn't, but (full disclosure: I am an MD, though not an anesthesiologist), it’s certainly not irrelevant. Every type of anesthesia carries its own set of risks and potential complications, so it’s worth mentioning. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn't choose general anesthesia in LA. Between the anxiety, the exhaustion, and that intense anticipation of the pain...

Alex Moore62 said:General anesthesia is definitely being used more often now, and honestly, they don't even perform those kinds of surgeries under local anymore. I know a guy who had it done under local a long time ago, and he said the whole sensation was just awful—not something I'd recommend at all (and > already shared her firsthand experience on this).

Did you run into any issues with the general anesthesia during this procedure, or did everything go smoothly? You always meet with the anesthesiologist before surgery, so you can really sit down with them and ask whatever questions might be on your mind.

I didn't experience any physical complications or difficulties post-op. Throughout the entire preparation phase and on the day of the surgery itself, I consulted with three different anesthesiologists. My first meeting was about five days prior to the procedure. He asked about my medications, if I had any allergies, checked my blood pressure and pulse, gave my blood and urine results a quick glance, and then handed me the paperwork to sign for consent. Right before the surgery, a younger female anesthesiologist came into my room carrying a bag—she looked like she’d rushed in, threw on her white coat, but forgot to put her bag away (I assume she was a resident). She asked if I was taking any meds and told me she'd see me in the OR in an hour. After that, a floor nurse arrived with my charts, told me to use the restroom if needed, and escorted me to the operating room. Once in the OR, I was met by an older, rather stout and arrogant-seeming anesthesiologist who simply put me under. I assume an anesthesia tech had already placed the electrodes, the blood pressure cuff, and the IV line for analgesia before that. I didn't receive any psychological or mental prep, which I think is just as vital as the physical preparation. Following the surgery, I actually went into a bit of an emotional shock. To make matters worse, the nurses didn't change our bed sheets once during our five-day stay, claiming they were short on linens. I should also mention that during rounds, there was a young doctor (likely a resident) who would address us solely by our diagnoses rather than our names.

cosmicbadger83 said:lol so what’s your PhD in? Economics? Because if you actually knew 🤣
general anesthesia definitely hits the body hard—it counts every single time you go under. I’ve been under general myself (for a C-section), so trust me, I know how blissful it is just to drift off....but I wouldn't trade my local anesthesia for general ever. I didn't feel a thing, just some pressure, and yeah, obviously I was awake, but there wasn't even a hint of pain. Plus, with local, the blood flow is different, which matters for how the anesthesia works and how you recover. Just ask any MD (not a PhD 😁 )

hehe...sorry to disappoint you, but it's not economics—it's biomedicine and molecular biology. 🙂 If you're actually interested in the specifics, here's a link to a decent peer-reviewed SCIENTIFIC paper. It's not exactly a high-impact journal, but it should give you a better handle on the actual molecular mechanism of how anesthetics work. 😉
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908224/

Is this about review work?

The kind of stuff we're talking about belongs in a textbook, not a magazine article. It just doesn't fit the format.

If you're looking for answers, there's already a dedicated thread on anesthesia where you can ask colleagues in that specialty directly.

Betty Edwards22 said:Maybe there isn't one (I mean, I am an MD, just not an anesthesiologist), but it’s not irrelevant—every type of anesthesia carries its own risk of complications, which is why it's worth pointing out. Even if an anesthesiologist in Los Angeles wouldn't personally pick it, you still have factors like fear, exhaustion, and the anticipation of pain to deal with...

Look, I agree there are risks involved, but not quite in the way she's framing it... I mean, what is this idea that "the body remembers"? Is there some kind of biological "hard drive" where the body keeps a tally of how many GABA receptors you've blocked and when?😂 I wouldn't go that far. Any substance or compound you put into your system has an effect and has to be metabolized—that's just basic pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics at work. It's as plain as day. And yeah, sure, there are side effects. But let's be real here: even local anesthesia comes with its own set of risks. In my opinion, the hype suggesting that local anesthesia is just a walk in the park while general anesthesia is some terrifying monster lurking in the shadows is completely unfounded—assuming we're talking about healthy people, of course.

Betty Edwards22 said:A review?

That kind of information belongs in a textbook nowadays, which is exactly why it wouldn't make sense as a magazine article.

There’s already a dedicated thread on anesthesia; you can go there and ask colleagues who actually specialize in that field.

If you really are a doctor, as you claim, then you would have sat through lectures on anesthesiology, resuscitation, and intensive care—so why don't you tell us something substantive about it?

Betty Edwards22 said:A review?

The kind of stuff you find in textbooks—that's why it wouldn't work as a magazine feature.

If you want to dig into anesthesia, there’s an entire thread dedicated to it where you can just ask specialists in that field properly.

Hehe... yeah, I mean a review article from a scientific journal. How else am I supposed to say that in American English? As far as I know, pretty much everything in a textbook is just a compilation of research papers—all with proper citations pointing back to the specific scientific journal where those results were first published...

Honestly, I don't think that would really work. In the medical field, that would basically mean constantly changing everything written in the textbooks just to keep up with trends. Maybe it’s different in molecular biology, where things move forward in massive leaps every single day and there isn't really a traditional "clinical experience" component to rely on.

Regarding the terminology—if we were looking at the American context, a "review" would be translated more as a comprehensive survey article, whereas a "magazine" is usually just a populist collection of interesting tidbits. There was a time when Madison Square Garden used to be treated more like a casual magazine; people didn't take it all that seriously.
Now, it seems like modern American usage has pushed it toward a much stricter definition, but personally, I haven't quite wrapped my head around that specific way of speaking yet.

neonhawk78 said:I had my deviated septum fixed down in Miami, but honestly, it was strictly for breathing purposes. Now I’m thinking about heading up to New York City to actually fix how my nose looks, because this massive bump popped up right after that functional surgery they did in Miami. Does Dr. Jurlina handle reconstructive work? Because they couldn't touch the aesthetics back in Miami. Functionally? Sure, it works fine. I can breathe way better now, but my nose looks a wreck. There's just this huge lump. I heard Dr. Raguž is incredibly skilled, so I was considering seeing him instead. Now I'm stuck wondering what to do. 🤷

Hey there. Look, I had my nose done at the Holy Spirit hospital. You can find my old post on page 375 if you want the details. Dr. Parazajder performed the surgery, and honestly, nothing but praise for the doctors and the staff—they were always right there when you needed them.

Charles Gonzalez9 said:Hey there, I actually had my nose surgery at the Holy Spirit Hospital. You can find my previous post over on page 375—Dr. Parazajder was my surgeon, and honestly, I can't say enough good things about the doctors and the staff; they were always right there when you needed them.

I read it. 😁
The problem is, how am I supposed to figure out which doctor is actually the best when everyone here just praises the one who helped them? It seems like very few people in this thread have dealt with an equally complicated case. What I really need is a specialist who excels at reconstructive surgery to fix the mess they made of me back in Miami. I mean, I breathe a little better now, but let's be real—like Alex Moore62 mentioned, the original surgery was a total hack job, and I have no idea if they even got the functional side of things right. 🙄

Rachel Vaughn85 said:Ouch. 😢 I honestly don't know what else to tell you... If there’s any way you can get a second professional opinion—maybe just to hear how other surgeons feel about it—that might be worth doing. But for now? Just stick with yours. Take it slow, stay calm, and who knows—maybe after some time passes, it'll settle down and smooth out.
Fingers crossed for you! 😁

Thanks. Hopefully everything turns out fine. Either way, things are definitely better than they were before—my nose actually looks great, aside from this tiny little imperfection that I'm probably the only one noticing.👍 So, I'm not going to stress over it too much.

For those of you who’ve gone under the knife for a rhinoplasty—could you please tell me exactly WHEN your stitches finally came out? I had my surgery about a month ago, and honestly, these threads are driving me absolutely insane.

Melissa Wright8 said:For those of you who’ve had rhinoplasty, could you please tell me WHEN your stitches finally came out? I had my nose surgery about a month ago, and honestly, I am losing my mind dealing with these threads.

Ugh, don't even get me started. I was absolutely losing it waiting for my sutures to fall out too, especially since I kept reading online that some people see them drop within just two weeks. In my case, the first two didn't come out until a month and five days post-op, and the next two took another full week after that. To make matters worse, I feel like my surgeons actually messed up my aesthetic results, so I've been crying constantly out of pure frustration. On top of that, whenever I blow my nose, I find these massive blood clots mixed with mucus in the tissue. Has anyone else gone through something similar?

neonhawk78 said:Ugh, don't even remind me—I was losing my mind waiting for those sutures to finally dissolve, especially after reading stories about people seeing results just two weeks post-op. For me, the first two didn't budge until a month and five days later, then the next two took another week. To make matters worse, my surgeons totally botched the aesthetic part of my nose, so I spent a lot of time crying in frustration. Plus, every time I blew my nose, I'd find these massive blood clots mixed with mucus in the tissue. Has anyone else dealt with that?

Wait, did you actually have cosmetic surgery done? And how exactly did they mess up your nose? 😢(
Honestly, I'm dealing with those exact same clots right now—they're stuck deep in my nose and I can't even get them out because they're practically glued to the sutures. It’s gross. I have this sinking feeling the threads aren't going to drop out anytime soon.

Melissa Wright8 said:Did you get cosmetic surgery or something? My god, how did they mess up your nose like that? 😢(
Well, I have these blood clots stuck right in my nose, and I can't get them out because they're basically glued to the sutures. It’s honestly awful; I have this feeling like the threads aren't going to pass through anytime soon.

No, I actually had functional surgery done because I couldn't breathe—my septum was pretty crooked, you see—but I didn't have a lump before. I developed the lump after the procedure, and now I'm just hoping someone in Chicago can fix the aesthetics for me.
For me, the mucous membrane was also an absolute disaster for the first three weeks, especially whenever I changed environments; there was this constant discomfort, those little dots were tightening my nose, and the tip of my nose was aching (and honestly, it still hurts a bit if I touch it with my finger). You really need to use as much saline solution as possible to soften those clots. Every single time I tried to blow out those bloody bits, it felt like my legs were being cut off. 😢 I think I used more saline than I actually drank water. 🙂

Hello everyone,
Has anyone here undergone rhinoplasty with Dr. Ribnikar in New York City? I’m also curious about what your experiences have been like with Glumicica. I’ve come across a mix of glowing reviews and some pretty harsh criticisms, so I’m looking for someone who had a successful outcome more recently to reach out to me. I actually really admire Ivo Leko’s nose; mine was quite similar to hers before I decided to look into surgery.

shadowraven8 said:Hey everyone
Has anyone here actually gone to Dr. Ribnikar in New York City for a rhinoplasty? Also, what’s the deal with Glumicica—any real feedback? I’ve been reading mixed reviews everywhere, so if there’s anyone who recently had surgery and is actually happy with the results, please reach out. I’m obsessed with Ivo Leko’s nose—mine looks pretty much like hers did before she had her work done.

Ostojic is a fantastic doctor. He does beautiful noses.

neonhawk78 said:Ugh, don't remind me. I was losing my mind waiting for those stitches to finally fall out, especially after reading stories about people getting them out just two weeks after surgery. For me, the first two didn't budge until a month and five days had passed, and then the next two came out a week later. To make matters worse, the surgeons basically ruined my nose aesthetically, which left me in tears so often that whenever I blew my nose, I'd find these massive blood clots mixed with mucus in the tissue. Did anyone else deal with that?

Hold on, you were actually blowing your nose after the surgery?
That is a huge no-no! Did they seriously not tell you that?!
After a procedure like this, you're supposed to be rinsing your nose constantly with saline, and you're meant to swallow or spit out whatever drains—you absolutely cannot blow your nose.
How long were you blowing your nose after the operation? Is it possible that’s why the shape ended up deformed?!

Guys, I need some advice!

Ever since my nose surgery, eating has been impossible. I have no idea what’s going on, but whenever I try to eat, it feels like my swallowing reflex just vanished. I’ve tried so many times and nearly choked. Right now, I’m basically just sipping liquids like an ant, and I have zero energy left.

Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm wondering if it's just a super dry throat or maybe something from being intubated during the procedure.

If you have any smart suggestions, please let me know.

Alex Moore62 said:Wait, hold on a second—you're actually that person? Is it normal to be blowing your nose like crazy after surgery? I mean, I’m starting to wonder if this is just part of the recovery process or if something is actually going wrong. It feels a bit excessive, honestly.
This is absolutely unacceptable! Seriously, did they not tell you?!
After the surgery, you really have to be careful with your nose. You need to rinse it thoroughly and frequently using saline solution, and any fluid that drains out should be brought up to the back of your throat and spit out. Whatever you do, please don't try to blow your nose; I guess it might seem intuitive, but it’s probably best to avoid it entirely to prevent any issues.
How long did you wait before you started blowing your nose after the surgery? I mean, I can't help but wonder if that might be why things look a bit deformed now. Maybe it's just my speculation, but it seems like a possibility.

I know you aren't supposed to blow your nose after surgery, but I have to be honest—I was so incredibly frustrated one time that I just couldn't help myself. They had me crying, and my nose was just completely stuffed up with mucus. Eventually, I ended up blowing my nose, and that blood clot finally came out. Then again, I think it had already been about three weeks since the procedure, so maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as they make it out to be.