Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Hey there,
It’s been about a month since my surgery, and honestly? I’m breathing better than ever. 👍
Since they went with the open technique, there’s still quite a bit of swelling—plus, I have thicker, oily skin 🙂—though I have noticed it does fluctuate a little from day to day. As of today (exactly one month out!), I feel like a tiny little bump has popped up right where the doctor worked on the break, but it’s super minor, so it doesn't really bother me much. On the other hand, what *is* bothering me is how uneven my nostrils look. One looks totally fine, while the other looks like someone gave it a little pinch—kind of like Severin's nostrils, you know? 🤣 Also, on that same side inside the nose (near the top), there's this small protrusion. At my last check-up, my doctor couldn't really tell me what it was, which has me feeling a bit anxious. Does anyone have any thoughts? He checked to see if it was just the stitch, but apparently, that wasn't it. 🤷
They also did some work on the nasal tip stability. At first, I was worried because I thought I might end up with a piggie nose, but now it feels like my columella is kind of drooping... it definitely wasn't sitting below the level of my nostrils before. 😢

I’ve been trying my best not to overthink everything since it’s still so early, and I can clearly see things are improving, but I just want to get some answers and stop worrying, you know? It’s hard to wait another 20 days for my next follow-up appointment. 😳

Laura James11 said:Hi there,
I had my surgery a month ago and I’m breathing better than ever. 👍
My nose is still pretty swollen since they used the open technique, plus I have thick, oily skin 🙂. I've noticed the swelling fluctuates from day to day. Starting today (exactly one month out), I think a slight bump has appeared right where the doctor filed the bone (where the fracture was), but it's minor and doesn't bother me too much. On the other hand, what *is* bothering me is the obvious asymmetry between my nostrils—one looks normal, while the other looks pinched (kind of like Severin's nostrils) 🤣. Also, on that same side inside the nose (near the tip), I have a small protrusion. During my last checkup, my doctor couldn't tell me what it was, which has me worried. Does anyone have any ideas? He only checked if it was just the stitch, but it turns out it isn't. 🤷
They also did some work on the nasal stability. At first, it bothered me because I thought I’d end up with a pig nose, but now it feels like my columella is drooping somehow; it wasn't below the level of my nostrils before. 😢

I've been trying not to overanalyze everything since it's still so early, and I can see things are improving, but I just want answers to a few things to ease my mind. It's hard waiting another 20 days for my next follow-up. 😳

What was the diagnosis before the surgery? I'm asking because I want to know the bare minimum requirements you need to meet to qualify for the procedure.

Betty Edwards22 said:You’re hitting the nail on the head with your conclusions—based strictly on what was written, the current state of your nose doesn't necessarily scream "surgery needed." However, everything really needs to be evaluated during an actual exam. These days, X-rays are pretty much useless for evaluating paranasal sinuses; they're being phased out for a reason. A CT scan is way more informative.

My sinus issues are glaringly obvious whenever I’m being active, like when I'm out running. I hit this wall where I just can't push through because my passages are completely blocked. I've basically dedicated my life to sports, so this isn't just some minor annoyance—it's huge for me. I can't train at the level I want to, or even reach the respiratory baseline I should have if my airways were actually healthy. That's why I feel like surgery is the only way. Of course, the doctor gets the final say, though I'll definitely seek a second opinion if I run into a dead end here. On top of that, breathing is a struggle at night; my sleep is trash because I'm sleeping with my mouth open. Ever since getting the scans and the exam, I've become hyper-aware of how stuffed up I actually am. This kind of thing ruins anyone's quality of life, which should be enough justification for the procedure. I honestly don't know what specific criteria doctors use to greenlight surgeries, or if those standards stay the same from one hospital to the next.

Contrary to your
layman's view, corticosteroid sprays are actually great—when prescribed for intranasal use, they have minimal systemic absorption.

I'm not a fan of anything "steroid" based, even if it's medication. All things considered, surgery sounds like a much better option to me than long-term drug therapy. I've spent the last decade loading up on them, and now I try to avoid them as much as possible.

Laura James11 said:Hi everyone,
I had my surgery a month ago, and honestly, I’m breathing better than ever. 👍
Since they used an open technique, there’s still quite a bit of swelling—plus, I have thick, oily skin 🙂—though I have noticed the swelling fluctuates from day to day. As of today (exactly one month post-op), I feel like a slight bump has appeared right where the surgeon filed down the bone (where the fracture was), but it’s pretty minor and doesn't really bother me. On the other hand, what *is* bothering me is a very obvious asymmetry between my nostrils—one looks totally normal, while the other looks like someone gave it a pinch (kind of like Severin's nostrils) 🤣. Also, on that same side inside the nose (near the tip), there’s this small protrusion. At my last check-up, my doctor couldn't tell me what it was, which has me feeling a bit anxious. Does anyone have any ideas? He only checked to see if it was just the suture, but apparently, that wasn't it. 🤷
They also performed nasal tip support (statics), which initially worried me because I thought I might end up with a piggie nose, but now it feels like my columella is somehow drooping—it hasn't been below the level of my nostrils until now. 😢

I've been trying not to overanalyze everything since it's still so early, and I can see things are improving, but I just want some answers to ease my mind. It’s hard waiting twenty days for my next follow-up appointment. 😳

My nostrils were asymmetrical too, and even after a month, they still look a little uneven. However, it seems to be getting better—it's probably just the internal sutures causing some slight shifting. Now, I'm not sure about your situation... 🤔 your columella shouldn't be drooping if they did the structural support, because they use cartilage to ensure it stays firm. Is it drooping significantly, or could it just be the swelling or the overall change in shape? If it helps at all, I have a bump and all sorts of other issues myself! 😁 If you don't mind me asking, where did you have your surgery done?

Hey there, I figured I’d jump in and share my own experience with nose surgery. About five months ago, I had an open septorhinoplasty. Unfortunately, the scar is pretty noticeable. The surgeon was working on fixing a hump and a deviated septum—though the deviation was definitely worse on the right side than the left. You can feel it if you touch it, and even looking at my profile, there's just extra skin on the right side. Honestly, even now, I regret ever going through with this. I was so desperate that I rushed into the first surgeon I found, and it turns out he just wasn't experienced enough for this kind of procedure. He removed the "hump," so my nose looks somewhat straight now, but the cost was high: a visible scar, uneven bone structure on either side of the septum, and because of that open technique, the tip of my nose looks rounded and too large. Weirdly enough, I can't even feel where the stitches were; I just feel the scar. Anyway, please, please think this through and really do your homework on which surgeon you choose. Don't let desperation drive you to rush into something like I did, only to end up with even more issues. As for the doctor who operated on me... I can give you his name via PM, but my best advice is to stay far away from him. It feels like he's just using patients to learn on. To this day, I still ask myself what I was thinking and why I trusted him with my surgery. 😢

Ryan Ruiz7 said:What was the actual diagnosis before you went under the knife? I'm just curious about the baseline requirements—like, what's the minimum threshold you have to hit to even get scheduled for surgery?

Broken nasal bone with displacement and a deviated septum.

briskmason42 said:Mine were totally uneven too—even after a month, they still look slightly different, but I think things are looking up... maybe the internal stitches just pulled things a bit out of alignment? As for you, 🤔 the columella shouldn't really be drooping if they did structural work on the nose, since they usually tuck cartilage in there to keep everything firm. Is it actually hanging low, or could it just be the swelling making it look that way? Or maybe just a change in the overall shape? If it makes you feel any better, I’ve got a bump and all sorts of other stuff going on too 😁—if you don't mind me asking, where did you have yours done?

I can feel the bump, but thankfully it doesn't show. 😁
Yeah, I guess I misspoke—my columella isn't actually drooping at all. It's more that my nostrils look pretty wide when I look at myself from the front, which isn't exactly the look I was going for... I'm just hoping the tip drops a little bit eventually. It only *looks* like it's drooping because the skin feels kind of wide in that area—maybe it's still just swollen? Does that part ever slim down?

Laura James11 said:I can barely feel any grbica, but thankfully it’s not visible. 😁
Actually, let me rephrase—I misspoke. My columella isn't really drooping; it’s more that my nasal alae are much more prominent now when looking from the front. It's not exactly the look I was going for, so I'm just praying the tip drops a bit. It might only look like it's drooping because the skin in that area feels wide—maybe it's still swollen? Will that part slim down eventually?

My alae were super noticeable too, but luckily everything dropped significantly once the swelling went down. During the static phase, things tend to sit a bit higher, so hopefully yours follows suit—though maybe a bit slower since you had an open rhinoplasty... In my case, both the columella and the area right beneath it were so swollen that even my lips looked weird. Thankfully, everything returned to normal, thank God. Is the incision line really obvious to you? And who was your surgeon?

briskmason42 said:The nasal bridge looked okay to me, but honestly, things settled down quite a bit later on—mostly because during the swelling phase, everything sits a little higher since it's all dropping back into place. It might be similar for you, though maybe a bit slower since they did an external incision... For me, the columella was super swollen and that whole area underneath was puffed up, which made my lips look kind of weird too, but thank God it all went back to normal. Can you actually see the incision much? And who did your surgery?

It’s not really visible, just gets a little red when it's cold out 🤷
You have a message 😉

After what feels like an absolute eternity of researching, digging through medical journals, and overthinking everything, I think I’ve finally pulled the trigger on who’s going to perform my surgery—it’s going to be Dr. Davor Džepina!
Honestly though... the one thing giving me the actual jitters is the general anesthesia. I had it once before when I had my tonsils out about twelve years ago (I'm 24 now), and from what I've gathered, the more times you go under and the older you get, the harder it is on your body and your heart to bounce back. And let's be real, when dealing with the healthcare system here in the States, you just never know what kind of surprises you might run into -.-

Now, I realize nobody on this forum is actually qualified to give me a medical opinion, but please bear with me while I vent for a second and ask for some comfort—is it true that I don't really need to be terrified of going under general anesthesia again? Is it okay? 😢

casualstag24 said:After a loooong time of prepping, doing my homework, and reading up on everything, I think I’ve finally decided who’s going to perform my surgery—it’s gonna be Dr. Davor Džepina!
Man... honestly, the only thing that’s actually tripping me out right now is general anesthesia. I had it once before when I got my tonsils out like 12 years ago—I'm 24 now—and from what I understand, the more times you go under and the older you get, the harder it is on your body and heart. And let's be real, especially with how things can go at some American hospitals sometimes... anything could happen, unfortunately -.-

So, even though I know nobody here can give me a definitive answer, I just need to vent for a second and maybe get some comfort—is it true that I don't really need to be scared of going under again? Like, am I okay? 😢

You shouldn't be afraid. 😉
Are you sure he only does the surgery under general anesthesia? 🤔

You really don't need to worry about that, and honestly, your fears are totally unfounded: the number of times you've had anesthesia doesn't change anything.

casualstag24 said:After endless months of researching, digging through data, and reading up on everything, I think I’ve finally made my choice on who will be performing my surgery—it’s going to be Dr. Davor Džepina!
Now... the one thing giving me actual chills is the general anesthesia. I went under once back when I had my tonsils out twelve years ago (I’m 24 now), and from what I gather, the more times you undergo general anesthesia—and the older you get—the harder it is for the body and heart to handle the strain. And let’s be honest, when dealing with the American medical system and certain hospitals, anything can happen, unfortunately. -.-

Look, I know nobody here can give me a definitive medical answer, so just let me vent for a second and maybe offer some comfort—is it true that I don't really need to be terrified of undergoing general anesthesia again? Right? 😢

Don't worry about it 😉 Davor Džepina is my top pick too, so I'm curious to see how it all goes—if you wouldn't mind, please check back in and share your experience once the surgery is over
good luck 😊

Hey there,
does anyone know if the wait times for an appointment with Dr. Džepina are pretty long? Also, what’s the best way to actually get on his schedule?

lonehawk8 said:Hey there,
is there a long wait to see Dr. Džepina, and what's the best way to book an appointment?

If you go through his private practice, you won't be waiting forever—but as for the hospital system, I haven't a clue. If you're looking at a private consultation, just shoot him an email... it's pretty straightforward.

Hey there,
does anyone know how I can get in touch with Dr. Džepina?

Hey everyone, 🙂 I wanted to share a bit of a strange experience I had getting a minor procedure done under local anesthesia without being put to sleep. 🙂
Last summer, I actually had my first nose job under general anesthesia, which ended up requiring a week-long stay at the hospital. Honestly, it wasn't painful, and it felt okay, though you just feel so incredibly drained from the anesthesia afterward... fast forward about a year later, and my doctor suggested I should have a small bump removed that formed during the recovery phase, but this time it would be done using just local anesthesia. I think I’d honestly recommend this approach to anyone if they're just dealing with smaller issues like mine.

In my case, they were just trimming a tiny bit of cartilage in one specific spot. I was awake through the whole thing; they just numbed my nose with two injections—which, I guess, is probably the most uncomfortable part—but after that, the actual procedure was over in maybe ten minutes. Then they just put in a nasal pack and some tape (they didn't use a full cast this time), and I was able to head straight home. It's been five days since the procedure now, and the doctor told me to keep the tape on for another two days before taking it off, and then I should be all set! 🙂

Drew Anderson10 said:Hey everyone 🙂 so I wanted to share this super weird experience I had getting a minor procedure done under local anesthesia—without being knocked out by sedation 🙂
Last summer, I actually had my first nose job under general anesthesia, and man, I spent a whole week recovering in the hospital afterward. It wasn't painful, honestly quite smooth, but you just feel totally wiped out from the anesthesia for a while... fast forward a year, and my doctor told me I needed to have a little bump removed that formed during the healing process, but this time, it would be done just under local anesthesia. If you've got minor issues like that, I’d honestly recommend going that route instead.

It was just a tiny bit of cartilage they had to trim in one specific spot. I was wide awake the whole time! They numbed my nose with two quick injections—which, let's be real, is the absolute worst part—but after that, the actual procedure was over in maybe 10 minutes. Then they popped in a tampon, slapped on some tape (didn't need the full cast this time), and I was out the door. It's been five days since the surgery, and the doc said to keep the tape on for two more days and then I'm all set! 🙂

My doctor mentioned at my last checkup that we should probably clear out this protrusion that popped up inside the bridge, right near the tip, and he wants to do it under local anesthesia. I am actually so curious about what that feels like—though, honestly, just thinking about those needles makes me feel like I might pass out 🤣

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how I might be able to get an appointment with Dr. Džepina at the hospital?

He runs his own medical clinic.