Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

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Kate Lee43 said:Can you tell me which doctor you had your surgery with in Miami?!
Thanks

Donna Johnson16 said:Sterile saline is the gold standard. If you’re going with something like Aqua-Maris, stick to isotonic—nothing hypo or hyper. You want the salt concentration to match human blood perfectly. Chamomile just doesn't cut it. If you want to make the process less painful, warm the solution until it’s close to body temperature. Lukewarm, not hot.

How long has it been since your surgery? Expect about a week for the mucous membranes to recover; that’s the standard timeline, even after a nasty bout of the flu.

...

It happened last Thursday. I actually just picked up some saline today, so thanks for the tip!
I'm just not sure how this is supposed to dissolve all that dried blood. I spent some time playing detective today, shining a flashlight in there to see what I was dealing with, and honestly, it looks like a disaster zone in there.

Hannah Baker23 said:...
I just don't know how it's gonna melt all that dried blood away... I was playing detective today, poking around with my flashlight, and honestly, there's some crazy stuff going on in there

🙂 Don't even sweat it, it'll come out on its own. The human body is actually kind of amazing like that. Just please, stay away from any "DIY doctor" projects, okay? Everything is still super sensitive inside 😛 plus those scabs are basically protecting the new tissue forming underneath. You really shouldn't pick them too early (it's just like when you scrape your knee and you can't stop scratching because it itches so bad, and then you end up with a scar—you've gotta let it heal all the way through first)

Hannah Baker23 said:Hey guys, quick question: is rinsing the nose with chamomile recommended? A friend who had the same nose surgery told me chamomile might be better than using an Aqua Maris spray...

The first night after getting the packing removed, I could breathe perfectly through both nostrils, but unfortunately, that was just for one night. Now, most of the time, both sides are stuffed up, or they take turns clogging. At first, it was dried blood, but now it seems to be mucus... I can feel it constantly draining down my throat. I honestly don't know if I caught some virus or if this is just normal...

On my doctor's recommendation, I used a few drops of olive oil to soften the scabs, so I didn't have any issues with them...

You can't really see any swelling anywhere except at the tip, but I’m honestly crossing my fingers that it's just my imagination and that it’ll shrink down at least a little bit from how it looks right now. As for fixing the hump, I'm honestly not sure if this procedure will do the trick... If I have to go back under the knife specifically for the hump, then yeah, I'll definitely have them shave the tip down a bit more too, because right now it doesn't look like anything was actually done other than adding a little decorative feature (the hump) to my slide! 🙂

Sam Kim12 said:It's totally normal for your nose to be swollen, and honestly, saying the rest of your nose isn't swollen anymore sounds like you're just kidding yourself—there's no way the rest could return to its original state that fast😉. It's just how it feels right now, and in 3-4 months, you'll see exactly why I'm saying that😁.
Why would you need a second surgery?

Nicole Ortiz34 said:The swelling isn't even visible anywhere except at the very top—though, honestly, I’m desperately hoping I’m just seeing things and that it’ll shrink, even if only slightly, compared to how it looks right now. As for the hump, I’m really not sure if physical therapy is going to cut it, to be perfectly blunt... If the hump doesn't improve, I’ll have to go back under the knife. And if that becomes necessary, of course, I’ll trim the top a bit more, because what I have now just isn't enough—or rather, you can't even tell anything was actually done, other than the fact that I now have this little decoration (the hump) sitting on my slide. 🙂

I see you’re being persistent.

Of course you don't notice any change—either she wanted it that way, she went ahead and tweaked it behind your back, or maybe your own nose is just too swollen for you to realize it. But let’s be real: there is absolutely no way your nose looks exactly the same three weeks after surgery as it did before. It's just impossible.😉 The swelling isn't uniform—in your case, it’s more pronounced at the top, while the rest of the nose shows much milder inflammation. You really won't be able to judge the true state of things until about six months have passed—and honestly, you might not see the final result for a full year.

Look, here’s my experience—after just two months, my nose looked absolutely incredible, and honestly, nobody could even tell I'd had work done. But fast forward nine months post-op? I’ve still got this tiny bit of swelling right at the bridge of the nose—you know, that spot between the eyebrows—plus a little bump on the left side because the internal sutures are sitting right there. It’s minimal, sure, but it’s just one of those things where everything hasn't quite snapped back to "normal" yet, which is what you'd expect to see by now.

I was wondering if anyone here is planning on having surgery soon? I’m honestly pretty nervous because I’m looking into getting my nose done myself quite soon, so I’m really just looking for some kindred spirits to chat with and maybe vent a little bit about it all.
Also, I’m curious about the recovery process...
Like, how much physical stamina do you actually need to get through the whole thing? If I’m going to be unable to eat or sleep properly for days on end—which I assume is likely—I guess I probably need to be in pretty decent shape.
Someone mentioned taking B-complex vitamins, but I wasn't sure if that's actually a necessity or if they were just saying, "man, you're gonna need it."
My plan is to recover at a spa, though I’m not totally sure how long it might take before I can actually get up, get dressed, and make my way back home on my own (ideally with less swelling).
I’m doing this for work, obviously, but also for myself; I’m hoping it gives me a bit more energy, so I don't feel like I'm moving at a snail's pace whenever I actually need to step it up or push through something.
If anyone feels like they have a lot to vent about regarding this topic, feel free to shoot me a DM or an email at tatjana.kovacz@gmail.com

Hello,

I had surgery 12 days ago to fix a deviated septum and a nasal hump. My nose looks straight and breathing feels totally fine so far. Of course, there's still some swelling, but I can live with that. What’s actually bothering me, though, is when I run my fingers along the sides of my nose—I can feel this really distinct ridge, almost like the bone is still sticking out.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? Does that ridge eventually smooth out, or what?

Thanks!

silverorca6 said:I’m wondering if anyone is planning to undergo surgery soon—I’m feeling pretty anxious about it myself since I'm looking to get my nose straightened out shortly, so I’m searching for some comrades to chat and lament with.
I’m also looking for some intel regarding the recovery process....
How physically fit does a person actually need to be to handle all this? If I won't even be able to eat or sleep properly for days—I assume I'll need quite a bit of stamina.
Someone mentioned taking B-complex vitamins; is that actually necessary, or was that just meant in the sense of "oh, you're going to be a mess"?
I’ll be recovering at a spa, though I have no clue how long it will take before I can get up, get dressed, and make my way home on my own (ideally with minimal swelling).
I'm doing this for my career as much as for myself; I'm counting on having more energy, so I don't end up moving like a turtle when I actually need to step up and perform.
If anyone feels they have plenty to vent about regarding this topic, feel free to send me a DM or an email at tatjana.kovacz@gmail.com

Physical fitness has absolutely nothing to do with recovery.
And it is a total lie that you won't be able to eat or sleep; I had dinner less than five hours after being brought from the OR to my room—wherever you read that, they were clearly talking about some kind of mimosa plant, not a human being.☕

By the second day after my surgery, I was already walking around the hospital and headed down to the lobby to grab a coffee from the machine 😉 (my surgery wasn't even until around noon), dressing myself perfectly fine. I don't see the issue here because you aren't having abdominal surgery, you're having nose surgery.
You are overthinking and panicking way too much over nothing 😁. I wouldn't call myself a superhero, but I can tell you that my rhinoplasty was a piece of cake. Complications like bleeding can happen anytime, which is why there's that recommendation not to lift anything heavier than a 1 kg bag for a few good days and generally to avoid housework due to the sensitivity of the nasal vessels (I know a girl who nearly had a massive bleed just because she was being "too smart" for her own good).

Five months after my nose surgery, I had an inguinal hernia repaired—now *that* is a situation where you actually have things to say about recovery, the struggles of getting up, getting dressed, and so on.

Nathan Taylor2 said:Hi there,

I had my surgery 12 days ago—deviated septum and a hump. My nose looks straight and breathing is fine too. Of course, everything is still a bit swollen, but that doesn't bother me too much. What does worry me is that when I run my fingers along the sides of my nose, I feel a very pronounced ridge, almost as if the bones are still protruding.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience? Does that eventually smooth out or what?

Thanks,

That is completely normal.😉

Sam Kim12 said:Physical fitness doesn't actually impact how you recover.
And honestly, that whole thing about not being able to eat or even sleep is such a lie. I was eating dinner less than five hours after they brought me from the OR back to my room—wherever you read that, they were clearly talking about some kind of sedative-addled zombie, not a real person.☕ and all that...

Thanks for the heads-up, I really need to hear from people who've actually been through this.
Could you maybe let me know what kind of tests they require before surgery, and if there's somewhere I can just get everything done in one spot?
I know they have to check out the heart because of the anesthesia, so I’m guessing there’s blood work too, and maybe a urine sample...
Also, could you compare the surgery experience to, say, a bad flu? Because last winter I had this absolutely disgusting flu—just non-stop vomiting and diarrhea for about five days, pure torture.
I think I might be panicking a bit, but I don't really know what else to do. I'll try to pull myself together, then I start freaking out again. Then I read the comments, which makes me freak out more, then I try to chill, then I'm back to panicking...

I had to head over to the hospital for an EKG, a cardiac ultrasound, a lung ultrasound, and two separate blood draws since they only perform those specific tests in a clinical setting.

It’s better if you stop scrolling through these comments and just decide what you want for yourself; you can't really make life decisions based on everyone else's experiences.

silverorca6 said:Thanks for the info—I really need to hear from people who have actually been through this.
Can you tell me which tests are required before surgery and if there's any way to get them all done in one place?
I know they need to check my heart because of the anesthesia, so I’m assuming blood work and maybe a urine test too...
Also, can you compare the recovery to something like the flu? Last winter I had this absolutely vile flu—vomiting and diarrhea for about five days—it was pure sadism.
I think I’m panicking, but honestly, what else am I supposed to do? One minute I'm pulling myself together, the next I'm falling apart again. I read some comments, start spiraling, try to calm down, then spiral right back into it...

I had all my testing done at the hospital the day before the surgery: urine, blood work, an EKG, and a consultation with the anesthesiologist. But don't take my word for it—every facility is different, and some might demand lung scans and things like that.

It's hard to compare surgery to anything else since it's its own beast, but based on my experience, I’d rank them like this: nose surgery was the easiest, then tonsillectomy, then the flu (but I mean the kind of flu that pins you to the bed for ten days with a 104 fever), and by far the absolute worst was my hernia surgery. Now, that’s just my perspective—how I handled it—and it doesn't mean everyone feels the same. Everyone processes illness and recovery differently; for some, getting tonsils out is a joke, whereas I felt like I was dying.😉

If you're talking about going through with the surgery itself, just dive in—there's no sense in stalling. 😁

Is it just me, or is nobody really talking about cleaning out the nose (using those little swabs or something?) after removing a tampon? Or did I somehow miss that part of the discussion? Is the pain from removing the tampon actually zero compared to that...

I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I think I'm still somewhat in shock myself. My honest advice? Only consider surgery if that nasal breathing truly, absolutely becomes an issue...

neonwolf9 said:Is nobody else talking about cleaning out the nose—with those little sticks or whatever?—after removing the tampon, or did I just miss that part? Is the pain from pulling out a tampon basically zero compared to this?!

This is the first time I've ever heard of that idea.😕

neonwolf9 said:I don't want to scare anyone, but I'm essentially in shock here—and honestly, I’d only recommend surgery if that nasal breathing is truly, absolutely terrible.

So, what actually happened to you to make your experience that bad?😢

I suppose I could say everything was somewhat manageable and tolerable until they started the prep work... It honestly took me at least a minute and a half just to get through my full name so they could record it on the paperwork🙂 but oh well, I survived... Yesterday was absolutely terrifying, though. I have no idea what else is in store for me... I'll write out the full experience once my emotions settle down a bit and I've finished all my follow-up exams

neonwolf9 said:I guess I could say everything was somewhat manageable until they started the cleaning process... It took me at least a minute and a half just to get my full name down so they could put it on the report🙂 but hey, I survived... yesterday was absolutely terrifying. I have no idea what else is in store for me. I’ll write up the whole experience once the dust settles and I've finished all my follow-up exams

Where did you have the surgery?

Sam Kim12, you say it’s totally normal, but honestly, it creeps me out a bit... those ribs sticking out on the sides... did you have that too? How long does it actually take for that to settle down? And should I be looking into massages or maybe some specific creams to help?

Just a heads-up for any women on birth control: you need to stop taking them two weeks before surgery to lower the risk of an embolism. Nobody bothered to tell me that, so they just sent me home today and canceled my procedure.🙂🙂🙂

It has been exactly three weeks since my surgery, and I honestly couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. My nose has settled into its new shape so beautifully; I know they say the swelling continues to subside for up to two months, but at this point, it feels pretty much stabilized to me. Even better, there’s no more tenderness or pain when I touch it. For anyone out there who is still feeling hesitant or nervous about making the leap, please don't let fear hold you back. There is truly nothing quite like that wonderful feeling of waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and finally seeing the reflection you've always dreamed of having. 😍 👍