Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Karen Cooper51 said:Hi everyone, 🙂

For those of you who have gone through septorhinoplasty, did you experience any tooth sensitivity? If so, how long did it last?

My teeth were definitely sensitive. It lasted about ten days or so. It was such a strange sensation—honestly, it felt a bit like recovering from a nasty bout of the flu. I’ve noticed it's surprisingly hard to find actual accounts from people after septoplasty; specifically regarding breathing patterns, when things finally cleared up, and so on. Personally, my surgery went incredibly well, and I’m thrilled with the results. My only real concern now is how much longer it will take before I can breathe clearly through my entire nose without relying on all these nasal sprays. When will everything finally settle down on the inside?

@Anthony Brooks94/">@@Anthony Brooks94

The tooth pain finally let up, thank God, but man, for like two and a half weeks straight, I felt like I was walking around with a massive metal brace glued to my face. It was absolutely brutal 😵
As for breathing, I’m at three and a half weeks post-op now and things are definitely looking up. Honestly, it feels kind of weird because I'm just not used to being able to pull in so much air through my nose 😁 I just need to give my nasal lining some time to fully heal from everything, then I'll be back to feeling like a brand new person 😁

redranger82 said:Yeah, the appointment is set for the end of April.

Since you've got your date, now's the time to double-check the exact process for getting that CT scheduled so you don't miss your window. From what I understand about the procedure, I believe you were already put on the list for a hospital CT following your stay. Still...

It’s been 10 days since my combined septum and rhinoplasty surgery, and honestly, I feel like a completely different person! 😉 I can finally breathe through my nose without relying on nasal spray, day or night. There’s zero swelling and no pain either—keep in mind, it’s only day 10, so I still have to be super careful; I can't put any pressure on my nose or wear glasses for at least three months, but man, was it worth it. Now I just need to give my right nasal mucosa some time to heal after years of overusing those heavy decongestant sprays.

Ryan Cooper37 said:Ten days after my combined septum and cosmetic surgery, I’m experiencing an incredible transformation😉... seriously, I can actually breathe through my nose without using nasal spray, day or night. There's no swelling or pain either. This is just ten days out, so obviously I still have to be careful—not putting pressure on my nose or wearing glasses for at least three months—but it was absolutely worth it. Now I'm just waiting for the right side of my nasal mucosa to heal up after years of abusing heavy decongestant sprays.

As for me, I’m about three weeks out. My breathing is still a little bit restricted on one side that used to be clearer before the surgery. I’m hoping that clears up soon. I’m still applying some white oily drops three times a day and using some Afrin, though less and less frequently, just to manage that stubborn side. I really just hope everything settles into place so I don't need any follow-up work. After a decade of relying on nasal sprays, my doctor says I can keep using them for a little while until things fully stabilize. Has anyone else experienced needing more time before breathing feels completely effortless on both sides? Also, there's still a bit of tension when I pull my upper lip away from the tip of my nose. Everything else, however, is great. My nose has straightened out and looks slightly shorter; the contours are smooth even without having had full rhinoplasty.

John, can you tell me how you think the recovery process actually goes? Is it still feeling a bit sluggish on your end, or what? For me, things seem to improve once I apply the drops. That’s really my biggest worry, though ;-) It feels like there might be some progress, but it's happening so slowly. I'm getting pretty impatient... maybe I'm just worrying over nothing, but still.

Hey everyone... quick question—does anyone here have any actual intel or firsthand experience regarding deviated septum surgery out in Vinkovci? Honestly, I'm even open to hearing about places in Osijek!

The plan is to get this done through Medicare... but I really don't want to go into this blind and end up totally screwed. I've been doing a bit of digging on Google, but honestly, I'm coming up empty-handed... so if you have any info at all, please, hit me up. Anything helps! Thanks a million!

wiredjackal0 said:Hey everyone... I was wondering if anyone has any experience or info regarding septoplasty (correcting a deviated septum) in Vinkovci? I'm also open to options in Osijek!

I'm planning on getting this done through Medicare... and I really don't want to make a massive mistake here. I did a bit of Googling, but I haven't found much. Any information at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm from Osijek. At the local hospital, they perform the surgery using traditional methods—no lasers or radiofrequency involved. Basically, you should expect to spend a few days in the hospital, deal with some bruising, and have nasal packing in for at least five days. It’s a process. That said, you get what you pay for. There’s a private clinic in Osijek I visited for a consultation, but even their rates through Medicare end up being higher than getting a laser procedure in Chicago. It just makes sense not to pay extra for something you can get for free at the hospital, unless speed is your main priority. Personally, I opted for a private clinic in Chicago, and I don't regret spending a single cent. But then again, I'm a bit of a coward and could afford it. You might want to sleep on it; sometimes the "cheapest" option ends up being the most expensive one in the long run.

Or you could just try getting yourself on the waiting list for the hospital in Chicago. Their equipment is definitely more advanced. We’ll just have to see how long the wait ends up being, assuming you don't have any way to jump the line and get seen sooner.

Can someone shoot me a DM if you've had nose surgery done by Glumicic?🎉

I’ve completely stopped using nasal drops because I just don't need them anymore... both nostrils are clear now. Of course, the lower nostril where I used to apply drops for years looks a bit more swollen, but even there, I'm not putting anything in anymore; I just rinse with some saline spray and call it a day. When those nasal cycles kick in, one side gets blocked while the other stays open, or sometimes they're both perfectly fine. They say that's totally normal

Could someone please break this down for me? What does this actually mean: "The paranasal sinuses are normally developed and ventilated, showing the paranasal cavities with visibly reduced aeration in both maxillary sinuses. The nasal septum is midline. Edema of the nasal conchae mucosa."
Basically, I'm wondering—do I have much of a chance of being sent in for surgery? 🤔

casualbison42 said:Could someone please help me out and explain what this report actually means? It says: "The paranasal sinuses are normally developed and ventilated, showing the paranasal cavities with visibly reduced aeration in both maxillary sinuses. The nasal septum is midline. Edema of the nasal concha mucosa."

Basically, I'm wondering if there's any chance I might be sent in for surgery.🤔

It really depends on what your main symptoms are...🙂

An X-ray can be a pretty subjective thing; the results often depend heavily on the specific imaging settings used.
Based on this report, everything looks fine, except for the fact that your nasal conchae are hypertrophied. Usually, the first step for that would be looking into a radiofrequency submucous reduction (radiofrequency mucomotomy).

...🙂

X-rays can be pretty subjective—it really all comes down to how the imaging parameters are set during the scan.
"According to the results, everything looks great, except for those hypertrophic turbinates, which should probably be treated first with radiofrequency ablation."

Hmm, let me think... I was actually hoping to get a minor nose job done, but honestly, I’m not looking to drop a ton of cash on it unless it's absolutely necessary. I ended up going outside my usual doctor's care because breathing has been such a struggle—especially when I'm trying to sleep or working out—and I've been dealing with these ear infections. I read somewhere that nasal congestion could actually be the culprit behind the ear issues, so that was my starting point. After the X-ray, I have a follow-up scheduled in a few months, and I'm really curious to see if my surgeon will feel comfortable performing a rhinoplasty given these specific findings.

The thing is, local findings can be tricky. An X-ray might show all sorts of things, and there are so many different reasons why breathing could get difficult...

Hey everyone. After thinking about it for years, I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on nose surgery. My nose was broken, which makes breathing pretty tough, so I'm going to get it fixed up—and honestly, I'll take the chance to touch up the aesthetics a bit too. To be totally real with you, the one thing keeping me up at night isn't the surgery itself, it's the anesthesia. I’ve never been under general anesthesia before, and I am absolutely terrified of it. My doctor said it'll be general, and my biggest fear is what happens if I feel nauseous and need to throw up while my nose is all stuffed up with packing?! If anyone has gone through this and can share what the recovery from anesthesia felt like, I would be so incredibly grateful. Thanks!

I handled it like a pro. Turns out my stomach was killing me, though the nurses were the ones who told me that later—I don't even remember it. Other than that, zero issues. No headaches, no vomiting, just slept through half the day, which was honestly great since that recovery room is kind of a snooze fest 🙂

placidscout25 said:Hey everyone. After thinking about this for years, I've finally decided to go through with nose surgery. My nose is broken, which makes breathing pretty tough—plus, I want to fix up the aesthetics a bit too. Honestly, nothing scares me more than the anesthesia part. I've never been under general anesthesia before and I am terrified. The doctor said it'll be general, and my biggest fear is... what if I feel nauseous and start throwing up while my nose is all stuffed with packing?! I would really appreciate hearing about anyone's experiences waking up from anesthesia. Thanks!

Well... will you throw up? I mean, it'll just come out of your mouth, right? 🤣
Not everyone gets sick after anesthesia. If it does happen to you, it probably won't be fun, but hey, it is what it is—you'll forget about it pretty fast... 🙂

After I finished typing that out, I realized my post made it sound like I'm literally puking out of my nose, hahaha! 🤣 Honestly, I'm just terrified of choking. I don't know... maybe I'm just being totally paranoid. But thanks for the support, everyone. 😉

placidscout25 said:After reading what I wrote, I realized it sounds like I’m literally throwing up through my nose, hahahahahahahahah 🤣 Honestly, I'm just terrified I might choke. Who knows... total paranoia on my part. But thanks, guys 😉

Oh come on, at least we all got a good laugh out of it. 🤣
Nah, you aren't gonna choke. Everything is going to be just fine in the end... 😉