Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Hey everyone,

A few days ago, I had a consultation with Dr. Draško Cikojević at the medical center in San Francisco. He diagnosed me with a type 5 deviated septum and already scheduled me for surgery (septoplasty) in about five months next year.
Since my nose is on the slightly larger side, I’d love to get some aesthetic work done at the same time, assuming that’s even possible to include under insurance coverage.
I didn't actually bring it up during the appointment, so I'll probably ask him later, but I was wondering if any of you have had surgery with him? Specifically, did he perform a cosmetic adjustment for you as well?

Also, there's currently a 50% discount running with Dr. Dragan Kurtović in San Francisco for rhinoplasty (bringing it down to $1,250), but I don't know much about his reputation. If anyone has any insight on him, please let me know.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

Melissa Martinez5 said:I want to know if anyone here has had nose surgery due to breathing issues.
My husband has struggled with breathing through his nose for years now.
It always feels completely blocked.
From what I've read, surgery seems to be the only real fix for this kind of thing.

I underwent nose surgery early this year because of breathing difficulties and constant headaches. Once I was cleared, I decided to go ahead with a cosmetic correction too. 😁
Not only can I breathe properly now and those headaches have vanished, but I honestly couldn't be happier with how my nose looks.

Is it totally normal to occasionally feel this tiny little sting in my nose—kind of like I have a scab in there or something?

@ casualstag24 Stick with Veir. A family friend of mine went to him for a minor touch-up, but it turned into a massive overhaul that was anything but harmless. To make matters worse, his reaction afterward was just awful.

crimsonpanther8 said:Back in January, I went under the knife to fix my breathing issues and those nonstop headaches. Once I could finally schedule it, I decided to go ahead and get a little cosmetic touch-up too. 😁
Not only can I actually breathe now without struggling, and the headaches are gone, but honestly? I am beyond obsessed with how my nose looks now.

Thanks! ;-)
I'm sending it over to the doctor to take a look. If surgery is the only way to fix things, then yeah, might as well go all in and stop dealing with the misery...

analogbison15 said:Is it actually normal to feel this weird, tiny little stinging sensation every now and then—almost like I've got scabs forming inside my nose?

Honestly, everything sounds totally normal to me 😁

But here's what I'm really wondering—should I try to peel those scabs away, or just leave them alone and let nature take its course?🤦

Like someone else mentioned earlier... I’ve actually been seriously considering getting nose surgery, but I wouldn't dream of doing it through any public hospital—I'd go strictly private, maybe looking into someone like Dr. Glusca. But here’s the thing: this isn't about vanity or trying to look like some Instagram model for me. It's purely functional. I spend the entire year breathing exclusively through my mouth because my nose is basically useless, and once allergy season hits and the ragweed starts flying, everything just becomes absolutely unbearable. My biggest fear, though, is losing the actual shape of my nose; right now, it's quite straight, narrow, and perfectly symmetrical, and I'd kill to keep it that way. Is it even possible to fix the breathing issues without losing that original profile?

Based on what you've been through, that could easily happen to you—but why would a private clinic even make that their priority?

Of course, it’s possible, assuming there's actually anything there that needs touching. Allergies mess with your mucous membranes, and you really need to treat that systematically first. Only then can you see if there's any polyp-like thickening in the membrane that's actually getting in the way of your breathing.

Anonymous said:I'm planning on getting nose surgery and want to know some details... hoping you guys can help me out
1. Does it hurt, and how long do I have to stay in the hospital afterward?
2. How much does it cost?
3. What's the minimum age for the procedure?

For me, the pain was brutal. I spent days choking because I couldn't breathe through my nose and blood kept draining down my throat. On top of that, I couldn't eat right for six months because they messed up my windpipe when they were intubating me for anesthesia. Everything just went down the wrong pipe.

Besides that, the numbness in my nose went away pretty fast...

Only go through with it if you absolutely have to.

Uff, I just realized this! I honestly thought my nose was just congested or something—but then I went to scratch a little bit earlier and realized my nose is LITERALLY full of crusties!

I’m headed in tomorrow to get my dental molds taken, but how on earth am I going to fix this? Is some basic saline solution enough to clear it all out?

analogbison15 said:I just realized this! I honestly thought my nose was just stuffed up... then I went to scratch inside my nostril a second ago and—holy crap—it’s FULL of crusting!

I have an appointment tomorrow to get my molds removed, but how do I deal with this? Is just using some saline solution enough?

Have you been using saline so far? If you have, I don't think they should be building up that much. 🤷
If you haven't, start now. Like, ASAP. 😉

Taylor Robinson2 said:like someone else mentioned earlier... I’ve actually been thinking about getting nose surgery too, but I’d definitely go private (I’m looking into Dr. Glusac), because my goal isn't even about aesthetics. It's purely functional—I end up breathing through my mouth all year round, and once allergy season hits with the ragweed and everything else, it just becomes totally unbearable... my only real fear is that I won't end up with my original nose shape, which is straight, narrow, and pretty symmetrical. Is there any way at all to keep that "old" look?

Honestly, if you had spent even a little bit of time reading through the previous posts, you’d realize that Glusac might not be your best bet here. If you went to him, besides $5333 you'd probably end up losing half the bone structure he ended up taking out from that one girl. Seriously, check out Firulama, Vinogradska, or Dubrava instead; there are plenty of high-quality surgeons over there.

Hey, just grabbed a referral from my doctor to see an ENT about a deviated septum. Since this is my first time dealing with this, where in San Francisco should I go for an initial consult?

What do you guys think about my nose? Should I go through with surgery or just leave it alone? Here are some photos (image)(image)

urbanbadger1 said:If you’d actually bothered to read a few threads, you’d realize the Glazier isn't your best bet. Aside from $5333 you'd probably end up missing half the bones in your nose after his last mishap with some girl. Stick to hospitals in San Francisco or maybe Portland—there are plenty of competent surgeons out there.

Baseless attacks on a doctor based on one person's bad experience are pretty unprofessional. Everyone slips up sometimes, including him (hopefully he won't slip up on me 😁). No surgeon is perfect, but that doesn't mean they all have a habit of breaking noses. -.-

For those of you who saw the Glazier and spent the night in Monterey, where did you stay? Maybe a private 🙂

hollowcanyon7 said:What do you guys think about my nose? Should I get surgery or just leave it alone? Here are some photos Attachment 13833Attachment 13833

I think the only thing that really matters is what you think. If you're going to go through with surgery, you should do it strictly for yourself! 🙂

I’m not going to write a whole novel here—just feeling a bit lazy today. Anyway, I am beyond thrilled with how everything turned out; honestly, I can barely recognize my own nose. Huge shoutout and high recommendations for Dr. Dick Tončić and his entire team! 👍

So, I do have a few quick questions.

1. Now that the cast is off, can I go back to my regular skincare routine just like before the surgery?
2. Since my skin broke out quite a bit because it couldn't breathe for eight days, what would you suggest is the best way to clear that up?
3. When I laugh, I get this sensation where my upper lip and the tip of my nose feel totally numb... is it okay to laugh and talk normally without worrying that I'll mess up the results or anything?

I am curious if anyone here has undergone rhinoplasty specifically to correct the nasal tip—essentially reducing length or addressing a tip that protrudes too far forward. If you have, could you please share some before-and-after photos or at least describe your experience? Even third-party accounts would be helpful. My goal is to have the tip sit closer to my face profile. To be honest, this seems like a rather complex procedure to execute; am I correct in that assessment?

analogbison15 said:I won't go into too much detail right now because I’m just feeling a bit lazy—but honestly, I am beyond thrilled with the results! I can barely even recognize my own nose anymore. Huge thanks and high recommendations for Dr. Dinko Tončić and the entire staff! 👍

So, I actually have a few questions.

1. Now that the splint has been removed, can I go back to my regular shower routine like I did before the surgery?
2. Since I ended up with quite a few pimples because the skin couldn't breathe for eight days, what’s the best way to clear those up?
3. When I laugh, I get this sensation where my upper lip and the tip of my nose feel totally numb... Is it okay to laugh and talk normally without worrying that I might mess up the nose or something?

1. My splint comes off on the 10th day, and they told me not to shower it directly, but just to lightly spray it for a little while longer. I've decided to stick to that for the first month—so basically until October 9th.🙂
2. Same here, though I'm not touching anything at all... I'm just letting everything settle on its own.👍
3. That is completely normal! It happens to so many people—just be careful not to bump it against anything!😉

analogbison15
Personally, I found the shower pressure too aggressive near my nose, so I avoided direct contact. I just did a quick, light wash.
Luckily, I didn't deal with any breakouts, but my skin felt incredibly dry—it was actually peeling around my eyes and my nose.
As for that numbness above the upper lip and the awkward, frozen smile, everything eventually settles back to normal.😁