Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

I was wondering how people actually go about "shrinking or shortening" those nasal openings if that's even necessary—since you're technically "shortening" the nose itself, right?
Is that even really doable, or do the nostrils just stay the same length while they adjust the overall shape (like the bridge, the tip, slimming it down, whatever...)?

Hey everyone!

I’ve been scheduled for RF submucotomy, so I want to know what the procedure is actually like and what the experiences have been for those who’ve done it. How long does "recovery" take, and how much time passes before you can tell if it was successful?

So, since I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading through everyone’s posts on this forum, I figured it was about time I shared my own recent experience. 🙂

I was admitted to the Mayo Clinic back on February 4th. However, because I had some heavy bleeding on the final day, they actually sent me home until Tuesday evening (Feb 5th) just to let things stabilize. Once I got back to the ward that same night, I realized the anesthesiologist had prescribed blood thinner injections in my abdomen to prevent any leg clotting or thrombosis before surgery. They started those immediately, and I kept getting them right up until discharge. The night before, they gave me some Apaurin to take orally—one dose at night and one in the morning. I was wheeled into the OR just before 2:00 PM, and by 3:10 PM, I was waking up on the way back to my room. Dr. Cikojević performed my septoplasty and removed the hump. They immediately put Voltaren in my IV. I didn't sleep a wink that first night, probably due to the incredibly dry air and the struggle of adjusting to breathing through my mouth. By the next day, the area around my eyes was so swollen and red I could barely see. I ended up getting two Solu-Medrol injections for that. Honestly, I didn't feel much pain afterward; the main thing is just the discomfort and that intense pressure in your nose from everything being packed inside. I’ve been taking Advil granules in the morning and evening just to take the edge off. On the fifth day after surgery, they removed the tampons and gauze. It doesn't hurt, but it is seriously uncomfortable. What actually hurt more was having the cast removed—it had basically glued itself to my face—and then having it put back on and feeling the nose being squeezed. 😲
I was discharged with strict orders to rinse my nose with Sterimar, which I’ve been mixing with saline, and to spray Gelositin in there three times a day. My follow-up appointment to get the cast removed and have the nose reshaped was on day eight (which wasn't painful at all).
I'm breathing so beautifully now! As soon as those tampons were out, I could blow my nose gently, and everything feels totally clear inside 👍. I still have some bruising and slight swelling, but I'm feeling better every single day...
Huge thanks and kudos to the doctor and the nursing staff on the ward 😍
Ed, also, my sense of smell is way more intense than it was before 👍

Hey everyone 😉
I’ve been wondering—does fixing a deviated septum actually change your profile at all? My septum is honestly a disaster; you can literally see from an airplane that one nostril is way bigger than the other. Plus, my profile just totally tanks my self-esteem :/
I've wanted this forever, and I finally feel like I'm old enough to pull the trigger on the surgery. So, I was thinking about getting admitted to hospital to get that septum straightened out, and I could really use some advice from you guys. 🙂

Hey there! I need some advice from anyone who’s had septum surgery at Chicago General. How many days does it usually take to get discharged? I also heard you might be sent to the ICU overnight after the procedure, though that wasn't the case for my boyfriend when he recently had his surgery at Holy Spirit 🤷. Also, any idea if there's Wi-Fi available? I want to bring my laptop so I don't die of boredom haha 😁

I was at the Holy Spirit, didn't need intensive care, and don't see why anyone would. And if anyone cares, they have Wi-Fi. 😁

Grace Richardson44 said:Hey there! I could really use some advice from anyone who’s had septum surgery at the Chicago hospital. I was wondering how many days people usually stay on average? Also, I heard you might have to spend the first night in intensive care, though that wasn't the case for my boyfriend when he recently had his surgery at the Holy Spirit hospital 🤷. And if you know whether there's Wi-Fi available, that would be great so I can bring my laptop and not die of boredom haha😁

Maybe 4-5 days on average, though I guess it varies for everyone. Usually, the first night is in intensive care. There is Wi-Fi. 😉

Did they have to take off the undershirt during nose surgery? I know normally you aren't supposed to, but I'm low-key worried they might have made an exception for someone 😁😁😁

analogbison15 said:super!! I'm still saving up for my surgery (still just a high schooler, so I've only got a tiny bit of cash tucked away 🙂), can't wait to get this over with—I honestly hate how I look from the side, and plus, being viral might actually give me a little confidence boost!....if you don't mind me asking, how much did your "fix" cost? 😉

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with what I paid considering other places charge way more—it ended up being about $12,000 plus some extra fees....had about 7 days of swelling, a little bit of soreness, but now it's all behind me...no rush though, you've got plenty of time!!!

restlesspanther42 said:did they have to take off your undershirt for nose surgery? I know you aren't supposed to, but I'm worried maybe they let someone slide 😁😁😁

you just end up in your underwear😉

restlesspanther42 said:Did they have to take off your undershirt during nose surgery? I know the rule is usually you shouldn't, but I'm worried they might have let someone slide. 😁😁😁

You just end up sitting there in pajama bottoms while they cover your upper half with something—at least that's what happened to me. Don't sweat it; the last thing on your mind in that moment is whether or not you're exposed. 😉

I had to take off the top of my pajamas, but they just cover you up with it anyway. You fall asleep so fast regardless... 😁

So I've got to go in for a little procedure soon, apparently I have a deviated septum and need to get it sorted out in Miami... I'm curious if anyone here has been through it. The doctor says I don't absolutely have to do it right this second, but he’s definitely recommending it, and then there's the thought of having to stay in the hospital for 5 days after the surgery :O ....

One of my nostrils is just way too narrow, making it such a struggle to breathe through my nose, it's honestly been making my whole life miserable...

I'm mostly just worried about whether my nose might end up looking crooked after the operation 😢

It's unlikely to look crooked after the surgery, it might just end up looking flatter.

Anthony White3 said:It’s pretty unlikely you'll end up crooked after the surgery; if anything, things might actually look a bit straighter.

it isn't even crooked right now...☕

So I guess it’s not really a deviation then, is it?

restlesspanther42 said:Did they have to take off your undershirt for nose surgery? I know usually you aren't supposed to, but I'm worried maybe they let someone slide on it 😁😁😁

They take it off immediately and cover you up with a sheet... You get an IV in your right hand, and on the left, they put that infusion pump thing 😁 and they tucked my left arm against my body, palm tucked into the bottom of my pajama top.

Austin Adams5 said:I've got to have a minor surgery coming up—basically, a deviated septum fix down in Miami. I'm looking for some insight here. My doctor mentioned I don't *have* to do it just yet, but he says it’s highly recommended. Apparently, there's a 5-day stay at the hospital afterward after the procedure :O

You actually posted a few times about my experience in Miami already. Which doctor are you seeing?

Anthony White3 said:So it’s not even really a deviation then, right?

Well, look, visually the nose seems fine, but one patient might look totally normal while breathing is a total struggle, and that's where you actually need the fix...

Maria Thompson4... I don't even know which doctor I've got yet, just had a dream about getting a referral from my primary care physician... gotta snag a dog appointment first before we can even talk surgery.

I was actually looking into this like two years ago, everything was lined up with the doctors and all, but I backed out at the last second. Now I can't even remember the guy's name...

Does the hospital have Wi-Fi? Because if I go, I'm gonna be scrolling through stuff for five days straight out of pure boredom... not sure if I'll even be in the headspace to read a book since everyone says the pain is brutal...

Don't sweat the pain too much, they'll give you meds, and a few people I was in the room with didn't take anything for it at all. Personally, I didn't feel intense pain, just some discomfort, maybe because of the tampon.

Austin Adams5 said:Maria Thompson4, I’m still not even sure which doctor I’ve been assigned yet... I actually had this weird dream that I was just wandering around my primary care physician's office looking at referrals. Now I have to deal with the whole headache of scheduling a formal appointment just to get the green light before they'll even consider the surgery. Such a process.

You should definitely aim to head in there on Thursday afternoon. Dr. Cikojević is working that shift, and honestly, he’s hands down the best when it comes to nose surgery. You won't find anyone more reliable.

Austin Adams5 said:Does the hospital have Wi-Fi? Because if they do, I’m definitely going to lose my mind from pure boredom after five days. I honestly don't know if I'll even be in any state to sit around and read a book... everyone keeps telling me how much it's going to hurt.

It doesn't really hurt... you might feel some discomfort eventually after the surgery, but they usually give you Voltaren. Honestly, just ask for it immediately.

I was on the waiting list for about five months... so yeah, just do the math on that one.

Anthony White3 said:Personally, I didn't feel any intense pain—more like just a bit of discomfort. Honestly, it might have just been the tampon.

Also. 👍