Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

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Maria Wright54 says: they tie your hands during all these surgeries🙂

Like, what? 🙂

Judging by how many pages this thread has (and everywhere else online), I have zero doubt that this topic was covered ages ago while the ignorant crowd was busy reading something else entirely. ☕

Something else is really getting on my nerves after the fact. I’ve had three major surgeries in my life, including this most recent one. An appendectomy back in the nineties, then my thyroid in 2009. After the thyroid surgery, I was throwing up for 12 hours straight. Twelve.
I honestly thought they were just going to run me over again this time, so I mentioned it to the anesthesiologist during the exam—then I just let things happen.
Of course—I had absolutely no clue you could actually get something to prevent that nasty nausea. I found out way too late.

Naturally, even after my septorhinoplasty, I ended up puking like someone fed me nuclear waste mixed with rotten shellfish. About 12 hours again. 🙂
I know better now, but I'm really hoping I won't need that info ever again.

A friend of mine recently went in for a breast augmentation, and she told me they actually had her strapped down before the anesthesia even kicked in; she was so terrified she felt like she needed to bolt right then and there 😁
As for myself, I had my first rhinoplasty and handled the anesthesia and the surgery itself quite well, though I’m planning on a second procedure soon, so I’m really just hoping for a similarly smooth experience and an even better result this time around 🙂
I can't help but feel like using an open technique might yield superior results; my first nose job was done using a closed method, and unfortunately, the shape didn't hold up—it dropped, and now I have a constricted nasal passage on one side that makes breathing a real struggle
I opted to go through a private surgeon and covered all the costs out of my own pocket 😢

Maria Wright54, what do you mean by "your nose collapsed"—was he working on cartilage or bone? (Sorry if you already covered this, I honestly don't have the energy to slog through all 450 pages)

That’s a tougher pill to swallow when people pay good money only to have both the function and the aesthetics totally trashed, and nobody cares.
Like, bad luck, sorry, but you signed the consent form, so just deal with it. :-*
🙂

I really hope your revision fixes everything that went wrong and actually makes things better.:fige

I’ve also heard that an open technique yields better results, which makes sense to a layman like me, though I suspect it isn't strictly necessary for every procedure.
Sometimes it just comes down to judgment. My surgeon has been in the game for a long time, so he wanted to start with the simplest, least invasive approach possible.

Maybe he's just a true professional who puts my recovery first—but whatever, there's always a little cynic inside me whispering that he's just a pragmatic soldier in the healthcare system. He probably isn't *that* concerned about saving me from future scarring or a rougher recovery (which was his excuse against it); he probably just wants to spend less time in the OR so he can stick to his surgical schedule. 🙄

None of that changes my impression, though. Both the doctor and the whole staff were incredibly accommodating and cooperative. They aren't some soulless administrators treating people like they're on a factory assembly line.
Given the pressure the CDC (and hospital management in general) puts on them, I’d say they’re actually more patient-focused than cost-cutting focused.

Well, let's see how long they can keep that up...☕

Anyway—an hour, maybe even less than an hour—that was the surgeon's answer when I asked how long the procedure would take, and we were already in the OR.
A "classic" septorhinoplasty (bone work, maybe tip refinement...) usually takes at least two hours.
Quite the savings there.

Removing the bump, obviously, counts as aesthetic nasal work too.
I almost regret agreeing to it. Honestly, I would have happily kept my old nose if it meant I could actually breathe and had clear sinuses.
But I keep reading about these bone tissue reactions to trauma, so I'm praying mine doesn't end up with this same thickening. Even though nothing was technically broken, a couple of millimeters of bone definitely shifted.

He explained afterward that he "touched it very little to avoid overdoing it" because "we don't have such fine tools" (I practically begged him to avoid any "jumping around").
And he mentioned at least twice that if I'm not happy with the results, "we can go in for a more serious procedure in a year."

So, yeah, even he is counting on that possibility.
Yep.
🙂

So, I wanted to pick your brains on something—I know this question probably gets asked a million times, but I honestly can't find a straight answer anywhere. How long after surgery can I actually show my face in public again? I’ve got my date set for October 30th, but that's right when my semester kicks off... and there is just no way I can miss two whole weeks of classes. That’s just too much to miss, you know? :/
And now that I see they're only looking at a month out in Savannah, I'm seriously tempted to just switch things up. I've been sitting here in San Francisco waiting for five months already, and it feels like I've got another eternity to go. My only real hesitation is whether the surgeon there would be willing to fix my nose as thoroughly as the doctor here promised (mine is pretty crooked, and he mentioned he could straighten it out and narrow the tip at the same time).

Laura James11 said:I wanted to ask—and I know this question probably gets asked a hundred times—how soon can I actually go out in public after surgery? I haven't been able to find a straight answer anywhere. My surgery is scheduled for October 30th, which is right when my semester starts, and I really can't afford to miss two weeks of classes; that's just too much. :/
Also, seeing how they only have a month wait in San Francisco makes me want to switch, because here in Los Angeles I've already been waiting five months, and I still have that much longer to go. My only real worry is whether someone else might do a better job correcting my nose than the doctor here in LA promised (it's crooked, but he said he could also narrow the tip).

I had surgery for a deviated septum. I had my packing removed on day 6, and I was able to head out in public right after that. I had my procedure done in San Francisco.

Laura James11 said:I wanted to ask—and I know this has probably been asked a hundred times already—how soon after surgery can I realistically go back out in public? I can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere. My procedure is scheduled for October 30th, which is right when my semester starts, and I really can't afford to miss two weeks of classes; that's just too much. :/
Also, seeing as they only have a month's wait in San Francisco, I’m seriously considering switching my plans. Here in Los Angeles, I’ve already been waiting five months, and I still have another five to go. My only real concern is whether the surgeon there would be willing to refine my nose more than the doctor here promised (it's crooked, but my current doctor mentioned he could also narrow the tip).

I had my surgery this past Wednesday—septorhinoplasty and turbinectomy—and I actually made it to a lecture on Friday morning. I suppose I looked pretty rough, to say the least, but I was definitely capable of being there for the whole day.

I’ve had this cartilage issue for quite some time now, though I never actually touched the tip of my nose. Over the last four years—and honestly, even before that—it has started to shift downward. From an aesthetic standpoint, it doesn't look too bad, but the breathing issues are becoming impossible to ignore 😢
So, the plan is to shorten it, and then they'll just sand it down, which should be fine since there's really only a tiny bit of cartilage left right at the bridge of my nose, or whatever you call that specific part
I'm just not sure how long the wait will be; my friend works over at the ENT clinic, so I'm hoping that means I might get seen a little sooner than expected 🙄

Aha, in that case, I might just hang tight and wait until I'm back in San Francisco. I've heard nothing but great things from patients who went to Dr. Cikojević—people swear by him—and honestly, if it means recovering that much faster...
Thanks so much, guys! 🙂

Hi, I’m dealing with what’s called nasal kyphosis along with a deviated septum—basically a bump on the bridge of my nose. I took a pretty hard hit to the face when I was a kid, though I can't be 100% sure if that caused it, but my nose definitely leans to the right. On top of that, I’m a side sleeper through and through, always on my left, which means I’m constantly pressing my nose into the pillow; I wonder if that could also be contributing to the shift to the right. It’s starting to really get under my skin because while my profile doesn't look all that bad, looking at myself from the front is just plain ugly. I sent some photos over to a few clinics, and they all came to the same conclusion: nasal kyphosis and a severe septal deviation. They even asked how I manage to breathe normally at all. Honestly, I've been this way since I was a child, so I have no idea if my breathing is actually impaired until after everything is straightened out.

What I want to know is, since you can see a doctor for these kinds of issues, and usually, insurance will cover correcting the bump if it's done to improve breathing functionality (but how will the nose actually look? Will they focus on the aesthetics too, or just fix the structural part??),

The reason I'm asking is that private cosmetic surgeries are wildly overpriced for my budget, and I simply don't have the cash to drop something like $2,500 on this kind of thing.
If anyone here has gone through this, I would really appreciate it if you could share your experience with me.🙂

I'll post some photos so you can see what I'm dealing with:

John Gomez6 said:Hey, so I’ve got this thing called nasal kyphosis along with a deviation—basically a bump right on the bridge of my nose. I took a pretty hard hit to the face back when I was a kid, though I’m not totally sure if that's what caused it, but my nose definitely leans to the right. Also, I'm one of those people who loves sleeping, but I always end up on my left side, smashing my nose into the pillow, which might be making the rightward shift even worse? It's starting to really bug me because while my profile looks fine, looking at myself from the front feels... well, pretty ugly. I sent some photos to a few clinics and they basically confirmed it's just nasal kyphosis and a really pronounced deviated septum. They actually asked me how I even manage to breathe normally! I've had it this way since childhood, so I guess I don't even realize how much breathing isn't "normal" until things get straightened out.

What I'm wondering is, since you can go to a doctor for stuff like this, usually you can get the corrective part done for free through insurance if it's for breathing purposes (but how will the nose actually look? Like, will they fix the aesthetic part too, or just the functional part??)

The reason I'm asking is that private surgeries are just way too overpriced for my budget—I haven't got thousands of dollars lying around to drop on something like this.
If anyone here has gone through this, I'd love to hear your story. 🙂

I'll post some pictures so you can see what we're working with:

Basically, you head to your primary doctor to get a referral for an X-ray, then you take those results back, and if they see a break or a clear deviation, you get a referral to an ENT specialist.
At least, that's how it worked for me. My GP even told me there was a chance I wouldn't qualify for surgery because she thought my nasal bone was broken but hadn't shifted, but then the specialist looked closer and saw a much more significant fracture. 😁
As for the aesthetics... from what I hear, some doctors will offer to touch up the look for free alongside the septoplasty, just to make sure everything heals right and avoids complications later on. But then again, other doctors won't touch the cosmetic side at all, thinking you should pay extra for that.

From a specialist's perspective, there’s really no need for an X-ray here; instead, you should just ask for a referral to an ENT. There's honestly no point in putting yourself through unnecessary radiation when it won't change anything.

Does anyone know how to upload an image here?
Imgur keeps asking me to sign up, which is kind of a hassle. I guess there might be a simpler way to do this?
thanks

Has anyone here had any personal experiences dealing with doctors out in the Vineyard area?

Joshua Murphy7 said:Anyone have experiences with doctors over in the Vineyard area?

I’ve had great luck with almost everyone up there—honestly, I can't recommend Dr. Mark Grgić enough. 🙏

He really knows his stuff—he basically saved my nose and sinuses!

Hey everyone,

So, three years ago I had surgery on my nose, and today I just took a pretty solid hit right to the bridge—on the left side.
It hurts like crazy whenever I touch it, and now there's this red bump forming up there. Do you think it’ll eventually go down?
I didn't have any bleeding or anything, and it doesn't look too bad from the front, though if I look at my profile, you can definitely see the swelling.
Help me out here, guys... what should I be doing? ;(

Maria Wood8 said:Hi everyone

Three years ago, I had rhinoplasty, and today I just took a moderately hard hit to my nose—specifically the bridge on the left side.
It hurts when I touch it, and a bump has appeared; the area looks kind of red, too. Do you think it will go down?
There wasn't any bleeding, and it doesn't look too bad, though from a profile view, you can see a bit of swelling.
Please help, guys, what should I do? ;(

It’s quite difficult to say based solely on your description; perhaps it is merely some minor swelling, but if that bump feels firm—meaning, if you sense that the actual structure of your nose has shifted rather than it just being soft inflammation—then I fear you might be dealing with a deviated septum. In that specific scenario, if you manage to get to a hospital within the next 48 hours, they can correct the deviation right then and there (you'll be awake under local anesthesia, but you can head home the same day).
Because if you don't address it immediately, there is a real possibility that the bump will remain permanent, leaving you with no choice but to undergo a corrective surgery later on (which would require general anesthesia and a seven-day hospital stay following the procedure).

If it turns out to be nothing, well, then nothing happened, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to get checked out. I would suggest heading straight to the ER or urgent care today, and they can refer you to a specialist at a major medical center like Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins, depending on where you happen to be located.

Hey everyone!
1. Does anyone know if it’s actually feasible to get an ENT surgery scheduled—including all the exams, getting the referral sorted, and everything else—through a general hospital or a specialist clinic before October hits? 😢
2. Can you undergo nasal surgery while still wearing orthodontic braces?
3. Is the anesthesia typically general, or is local an option?

Maria Wood8 said:Hey everyone

I had nose surgery about three years ago, and today I took a pretty hard hit right to my nose (specifically the bridge on the left side).
It hurts whenever I touch it, and I’ve noticed a bump forming along with some redness in that spot. Do you think it'll go down?
There wasn't any bleeding and it doesn't feel too bad, though if I look at my profile, you can definitely see the swelling.
Help me out, guys—what should I do? ;(

You should probably head to an Urgent Care or an ENT, but honestly, it's most likely just some swelling that looks worse than it actually is.

Honestly, if I were you, I’d get to a doctor as soon as possible. If you let that bump on your nose get worse, there's a massive chance it’ll start drifting to one side just like mine did. It’s honestly so awkward looking people in the eye because my nose is such a disaster—it’s clearly crooked. From the profile view, it actually looks fine since the tip is okay, but from the front? When someone looks at me or when I catch my own reflection in the mirror... total nightmare.

I’m definitely planning to see an ENT very soon to get things fixed, both for the aesthetics and the functionality, so I can actually breathe better and look somewhat normal. Even if they just straighten it out in the center and leave the bump alone, I’d be happy, because this way my nose "slants" to the side and it’s driving me crazy. I used to have a perfect nose until I took a soccer ball straight to the face, and then later, like an idiot, I slammed into a tripod. It just swelled up for a few days and seemed fine, but as the years went by, this bump kept growing and the whole thing started shifting sideways. That's why I'm telling you, seriously, go see a specialist. 🙂

John Gomez6 said:I’d honestly suggest you see a doctor as soon as possible. Though, I suppose there's a real risk that if a bump develops on your nose, there's a high chance it might start drifting to one side, just like what happened to me. It’s actually quite uncomfortable looking someone in the eye because my nose is such a disaster—it visibly tilts to the side. Profile-wise, it looks fine since the tip is decent, but when someone looks at me head-on or when I catch myself in the mirror, it's just... wow. Total disaster.

I am fairly certain that I will be heading to an ENT very shortly to get my nose fixed both aesthetically and functionally, so I can breathe better and actually look somewhat human. Even if they just straighten it out in the center of my face and leave the bump, I think I’d be satisfied, because this way it's "leaning" to the side, which is just straight-up garbage. I used to have a great nose too, until I took a soccer ball to the face and then, as luck would have it, slammed right into a tripod. It swelled up for a few days and seemed fine, but over the years, this bump kept getting larger and the nose started tilting, so I really do recommend seeing a specialist. 🙂

If I were you, I'd try to book the surgery by telling them you're having trouble breathing; otherwise, you might be waiting several months. You'll undergo full anesthesia and likely spend five or six days in the hospital. All things considered, it's worth it because once it's done, you'll have a straight nose and you'll actually be able to breathe normally.

In her case, if it hasn't been more than two or three days since the fracture, it might still be possible to get it reset immediately under local anesthesia, without all the hassle of extensive exams and hospital stays. That's why it's probably best she goes to get checked out now; because if that bump doesn't go away, she'll end up having to wait months for surgery and deal with being stuck in a hospital bed anyway.