Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

neonstag63 said:But why wouldn't it be? She doesn't actually want to go to the consultations herself; she just wants someone else to give her all the answers. 😬

Mmm... 😉

Hannah Hernandez9 said:Hey, is everything okay with you, Dzepina?

To be honest, I make it a personal rule not to comment on how an operator performs their job; instead, I prefer to focus strictly on explaining things like DG and similar topics.

So I sent an email over to Dr. Zoran Veir—fingers crossed—and we'll see what happens.
Tončić is looking for $3667, so I’ll probably just head there for the surgery if I can't track down a better deal somewhere else!

analogbison15 said:I sent an email to Veir, so we'll see what happens.
Tončić is looking for me regarding $3667, and I'll probably just go there for the surgery unless I find someone cheaper.

So it's $11,000 total at Tončić's?

I have one question: after how much time do you actually start to feel your nose again? Specifically, after how many weeks?

stormyharbor2 said:If I actually go through with this, I guess I'll just head over to see Glušac, though he keeps insisting that everything is handled using closed techniques.

It feels kind of weird to me that his website claims these surgeries are totally painless and that you’ll just "head straight home without any bruising or swelling," because, honestly, everyone ends up dealing with swelling and bruises afterward. 😁

And then there's this part they wrote, too, I guess.

So, then he goes on to claim he’s developed this whole technique he calls "nasal memory surgery," and I mean, I actually tried Googling it, only to find the exact same sentence pop up, though it was written in English and attributed to some other surgeon entirely.

I mean, who's actually copying who at this point? I guess it’s all just a bit of a mess, maybe.😕

I went to see Dr. Glušac recently, and honestly, I walked away feeling pretty unimpressed. He gave my nose a perfunctory glance, listened to my symptoms for all of five seconds, and then just blurted out that I need surgery—though I barely even had a chance to process what he was actually suggesting. It felt like he was just trying to rush me through the door as fast as possible; he basically just unloaded everything he wanted to say and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise, even though I tried to ask questions a couple of times. I guess he’s just way more focused on himself than on the actual patient, which is a shame because you really need to feel some sense of trust with your doctor. He kept insisting that his way is the only right way, and he even went out of his way to tell me NOT to go to a public hospital for my septum surgery—which I get, since he's in private practice, but the way he belittled his colleagues was just unnecessary. He kept bragging about being the only ENT specialist in the country to attend some recent seminar and showing off photos of him standing next to the top experts in the world... but at the end of the day, I don't see how those pictures do anything to help my specific issues or my upcoming surgery.

Besides that, his English is honestly so rough that I can't even wrap my head around how he managed to get through all those specialty textbooks or handle any training abroad... I mean, maybe it isn't even that big of a deal, but there it is, I guess.

Honestly, I’m just not entirely sure she’d ever actually let him go under the knife, haha.

Sorry if I'm keeping this post a little short, I guess.

I gave him some thought, but I decided against it because he ended up removing more bone from a friend of mine than was actually necessary...

Da ask one more thing—it’s been six days since my surgery. They removed the packing and the nasal tape yesterday, and I noticed a little bump on the left side. It also looks slightly yellowish, which I assume is just bruising, but now I’m worried about whether it will actually go down. I am honestly terrified that it won't. I have an appointment with the doctor this coming Monday to ask him, but if anyone here has their own opinion, please let me know. Thanks.

I have to agree with the impressions from the consultation with Glušac. I saw him last year down in San Diego, and honestly, the doctor tends to brag a bit too much. He didn't really give direct answers to my questions either; instead, he kept things vague, mostly just listing his own achievements and basically reciting a highlight reel of himself. When I pressed for specifics, he was actually kind of rude, essentially telling me why should I care, since he's the surgeon and not me.

Look, it’s not necessarily an issue if he boasts, provided he actually has the track record to back it up. But belittling every other surgeon out there—whether they work in private practice or at major hospitals—is totally uncalled for. Claiming he's the only competent person to operate on a nose is a stretch. There was even a case where a girl went to him for cosmetic surgery, only for him to tell her she'd breathe better if he fixed her septum too. It turned into a mess when he removed half the bone in her nose, leaving her stuck in a hospital ward in NYC for a month over such a small thing. I personally know two women from San Diego who went to him; everything turned out fine, but I truly believe they wouldn't have fared any worse—or better—at a standard hospital, except they wouldn't have had to shell out those massive fees.

His whole philosophy feels a bit strange and somewhat reckless to me. He told me I shouldn't worry about a thing because my only job is to show up, pay the bill, and head home the same day. That struck me as odd; it's like saying I can just pop in for a band-aid for thirty minutes and leave, as long as I hand him the cash $5.25. Honestly, for that kind of money, you could find much higher quality and more responsible surgeons and clinics in Washington, D.C., if you're looking to pay for premium service.

Daniel Wright58 said:I had an appointment with Dr. Glušac recently, and honestly, he didn't leave the best impression on me. He gave my nose a quick look, I explained my symptoms, and he basically just told me I need surgery—I barely even understood what he was getting at. It would have been fine if I hadn't felt like he was just trying to get rid of me as quickly as possible; he just "blurted out" everything he wanted to say, and I couldn't even get a word in edgewise. I tried to ask a few questions, but I just couldn't find an opening. It feels like he’s way more focused on himself than on the patient. He didn't really inspire any confidence, which I think is absolutely vital in a doctor-patient relationship. He kept insisting that everything he does is the gold standard, and he actually advised me NOT to go to a public hospital for my septum surgery (which makes sense since he's in private practice, but why disparage his colleagues like that?!). He even bragged about being one of the only ENT specialists in the country to attend a recent seminar and showed off photos of himself with the top experts in the world... Like, what do those photos actually do for my specific issues or my upcoming surgery?!

On top of that, his English is so rough that I honestly wonder how he managed to get through all his specialty training or how he handled any continuing education abroad... I guess that might not be the most important thing, but still...

Anyway, I'm definitely not sure I'd want to go under the knife with him! :-D

Sorry for the somewhat long post

Oh, totally—you can't ignore that gut feeling.

Alright, if anyone out there is actually reading this thread because they're weighing their options for nose surgery—specifically a septum procedure—and you're stuck in that endless loop of overthinking...
Maybe my experience can offer a tiny bit of clarity.

I’ve been through the ringer, visiting countless hospitals and consulting far too many doctors.

From the very first meeting and initial consultation, I was most impressed by Vinko Borčić, who practices at the ORL department in Merkur Hospital.
I went under the knife for a septoplasty back in May of this year (2014), and I couldn't be happier. Honestly, the entire ORL staff at Merkur was great, but obviously, Dr. Borčić stands in a league of his own.

I'm taking this opportunity to give him the massive shout-out he deserves.
The man is the definition of professional: highly skilled, calm, and completely composed.
He actually listens to the patient. He answers every single question politely, without any hint of rushing you or acting stressed;
he meets you halfway and ensures everything is decided together with the patient.
In my case, the execution was flawless. I would recommend him to absolutely anyone.
He is a doctor you can place your absolute trust in.
When you're with him, you truly feel like you're in expert hands, which completely erases any fear regarding the actual surgery.
He is genuinely one of those rare finds in today's American healthcare system.

If anyone has questions, just ask...

So, I’ve decided to go see Dr. Tončić—he seems to have the best rates around! I'm heading in for a consultation in a few days.
Has anyone here had a good experience with him?

But honestly, this response I got via email a couple of days ago has me feeling a little uneasy... :/
"We also appreciate the photos you sent over. After reviewing them, looking at the nose from a frontal view, we can't guarantee that the nose can be completely straightened. However, when looking at the profile, we can remove the hump, straighten the bridge, and lift the tip."

What do you guys think? Will my nose look good from the side once they fix the hump, slim it down, and give it that little lift?

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/04/5apa5eqa.jpg
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Thought I’d weigh in here. I went through a septorhinoplasty at the local hospital, and honestly, the breathing situation post-op isn't nearly as catastrophic as people make it out to be. They had these little tube-like structures in there that actually helped me get some air moving. The only real nuisance was when they pulled the fixators and those tubes out after six days—it stings quite a bit, but you survive it.

The Merocell with the tubes.

analogbison15 said:So, I've decided to go see Dr. Tončić since he's the most affordable option. I'm heading in for a consultation in a few days.
Has anyone actually had a good experience with this doctor?

But I got this response in an email a couple of days ago, and it's bugging me :/
"We also appreciate the photos you sent over. After reviewing the images, looking at the nose from the front, we can't guarantee that the nose can be completely straightened. Looking at the profile, we can remove the hump and straighten the nose while lifting the tip."

What do you guys think? Will my nose look good from the side once they fix the hump, shrink it, and lift it a bit?

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/09/04/5apa5eqa.jpg
View on imgur

Fingers crossed. Let me know how the consultation goes.🙂

darkgardener9 said:Just one question—how long does it take before you actually start feeling your nose again? Like, after how many weeks?

It’s been 12 days since my surgery, and today is really the first time the pressure inside my nose has started to lift. The tip is still pretty swollen, but things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Daniel Wright58 said:I had an appointment with Dr. Glušac recently, and honestly, he didn't leave the best impression. He gave my nose a cursory glance, I explained my symptoms, and he basically told me I need surgery—I barely caught the gist of what he was actually saying. It would have been fine if I hadn't felt like he was just trying to get rid of me as quickly as possible; he just blurted out everything he wanted to say, and before he could even finish his monologue, I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I tried to ask a few questions, but it was impossible. He seems way more focused on himself than on the patient. He didn't inspire any confidence, which I think is vital for the doctor-patient relationship. He kept insisting that everything he does is the gold standard, and he even advised me NOT to go to a public hospital for my septum surgery (which makes sense since he runs a private practice, but I don't get the need to belittle his colleagues). He went on about how he was the only specialist in the country at some recent seminar and bragged about having photos with the world's top experts... What do those photos actually do for my specific issues or my upcoming surgery?!

On top of that, his English is so poor I honestly wonder how he managed to get through all his medical training or stay updated with international research... It might not be the most important thing, but still...

Anyway, I'm not sure I'd trust him enough to go under the knife with him. :-D

Sorry for the somewhat long post.

Look, if you check the resumes of famous private practitioners, you'll see they almost all did their residency training in major hospitals (where else would they go?). And then they turn around and talk down to them. I had my surgery in a hospital setting, and in my opinion, hospital doctors often have more experience than private ones simply because they perform these procedures far more frequently. My advice? If it's just a septum issue, you can go to any major hospital in NYC (like Mount Sinai, Presbyterian, or NYU Langone) and you won't regret it.

Look, take me for example. I’d much rather have cosmetic surgery done in a hospital setting. Why? General anesthesia, safety, and the fact that there isn't really a standardized way to handle this kind of procedure... It all comes down to whether the surgeon actually feels like fixing your nose or if they're just not in the mood to bother. Even though every hospital website claims they offer cosmetic procedures, why on earth don't they just list the prices clearly and call it a day?

Here’s my take on the whole experience.
I went in today to get my deviated septum fixed at the ORL rebro clinic. Honestly, I couldn't be happier with the entire crew. From the nursing staff down to the surgeons—everyone was incredibly kind and easy to talk to.
The surgeon was Lana Kovač Bilić, who is just wonderful—super bright, cheerful, and clearly knows her stuff. That seems to be the standard for the whole team, actually. During rounds, all the doctors were fully up to speed on my status and didn't miss a beat. If you're looking for a place to get this done without any disappointment, this is it. Chatting with the other patients, it sounds like they’ve had equally great experiences. Even the recovery unit was top-notch; the nurses there were incredibly sweet and helpful.

So, I have the chance to go in for surgery with Dr. Tončić on September 22nd... on one hand, I’m totally stoked because I’d actually have enough time to recover before the fall semester kicks off on October 7th—which would be huge—but on the other hand, I’m feeling a little jittery since I have to make the final call today or tomorrow!

I keep playing this movie in my head of how I’ll feel once I see my new profile in the mirror—just seeing that smooth, balanced nose—and honestly, when I think about spending thousands of dollars on something that's going to last me a lifetime and finally kill off those insecurities, it feels so worth it.😁

An inferiority complex? Coming from that?