Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Zachary Palmer56 said:Two months?? Man, forget about getting any beach time this summer then. 😢
The girls were mentioning some creams for dark circles—basically just bruising, I guess... anyway, thanks!

Hats off to you :-)
All I heard was to stay out of the sun for at least two months...
Honestly, just ask your doctor about those creams; they'll tell you what works...
Best to get the work done during the winter... looking back, I really regret not doing mine when it was cold...

restlessfox3 said:Hats off to you! :-)
I was actually told to stay out of the sun between 2 and 4 PM...
Maybe check with your doctor about those creams—see what they think...
Honestly, working in the winter is the way to go... I really regret not doing more back then...

Haha, a hat at the beach? Fine, maybe I'll just wear a Christmas beanie instead 😁

Zachary Palmer56 said:Haha, wearing a hat on the beach? Fine, I guess I'll just grab a Christmas beanie and call it a day. 😁

As far as I'm concerned, you can just cancel me... honestly, that might be easier for you than trying to figure out how to wear a Santa hat. :-)

I finally made it down to the beach after being stuck inside for a week 😉 so all I really need is a hat, and honestly, that’s about it...

Hey everyone... I've got nose surgery coming up soon. I'll be heading to the hospital for it. Since I need to get all my preliminary tests done first (I've already got the referrals), I was wondering if anyone knows how the anesthesia part works? Like, do you go see the anesthesiologist for a consultation before you actually head to the hospital, or do you just bring the referral with you to the hospital and they check you out there?🤷

Thanks so much!😉

Alex Evans10 said:Hey everyone... I've got nose surgery coming up soon at the hospital. Since I need to get all my preliminary tests done first (I already have my referrals), I was wondering if anyone knows whether you meet with the anesthesiologist for a consultation before arriving at the hospital, or if you just bring your referral with you to the facility and they check you out there?...🤷

Hvalaaaa😉

You usually head in for a consultation beforehand... 😉 and best of luck with the surgery!!

Thanks so much for the heads-up. I'll probably give them a call to get everything squared away.

Honestly, I’m not even doing this because I want to😢 there are some really serious issues going on, and I'm honestly pretty terrified. I made it crystal clear to them that I am not looking for any cosmetic tweaks—not even a tiny bit. And the thought of having to breathe through tampons... ugh. 😢😢😢😢

Thanks again, seriously.🙂

Hello everyone! I was wondering if it’s actually any harder to undergo surgery during the summer months... mine is scheduled for right at the end of May, so I’ve been thinking about it lately. Does anyone have any thoughts or personal experiences they could share regarding the timing?

no..

Kate Taylor59, did you happen to catch that post on the OP thread??

My apologies, I see now that you were there... I went through everything, but I seem to have lost track of who said what...

restlessfox3 said:You absolutely have to dodge the sun, saunas, and tanning beds for at least two months...
Massages are strictly for managing swelling—so it subsides and your skin doesn't end up sticking to the underlying structure...
As for compresses, you should start those immediately after surgery; just pick some up at any local pharmacy...
Whether you deal with massive swelling or barely anything at all depends entirely on how carefully you follow protocol... there isn't some magic cream that's going to speed up the healing process... every doctor is going to tell you the exact same thing...
He’ll provide your specific instructions...
Ask him everything—that’s the only way you'll actually feel secure about the outcome.

To get that swelling under control, they usually go with Dexamethasone injections, and you can apply Kamagel or Heparin to the swollen areas😉, though you shouldn't even think about massaging it unless your surgeon gives you the green light.

But look
Yesterday, I went through an incredibly intense procedure—a full-scale reconstruction. They had to reshape the mucosal folds and perform aesthetic work too. I'm currently getting those Dexamethasone injections and using Kamagel, and honestly, my swelling is almost nonexistent—just a tiny bit left.

I'm wearing a splint on my nose to keep everything stabilized, and I have internal packing to reinforce the septum (since they completely removed and reconstructed my septum). Because the mucosal work was so extensive, I'm bleeding quite a bit, so they haven't pulled the nasal packing yet—they won't touch it for another two days because pulling it now would cause too much bleeding. Even now, I'm changing the gauze under my nose roughly every two hours.
I am beyond thrilled with the surgical results. As for the doctor, give him nothing but praise; he explains every single detail. Plus, thanks to the medications I mentioned, I look nearly normal already—though the constant gauze under my nose definitely ruins the aesthetic.😂
And just so you know, I had my procedure done at Dubrava Basketball Club's affiliated medical center.🙂

All I can say is that all the effort I put into vetting this surgeon and the endless consultations really paid off. If anyone is looking for an appointment slot at Mayo Clinic this October and wants to take mine, let me know—I'm all set and happy to hand it over.😬

I was wondering, have you ever actually gone through with an osteotomy... you know, where they have to break the bone?

Sam Kim12 said:To help with swelling, they usually give Dexamethasone injections, and you can apply Kamagel or Heparin to the swollen area😉, but you shouldn't massage it unless your doctor gives you the green light.

Anyway
Yesterday I went through a really intense surgery—like a full reconstruction. They had to reshape the mucosal folds and work on the aesthetics too. I'm currently getting those Dexic injections and using Kamagel, and honestly, there’s hardly any swelling at all (just a tiny bit)

I have to wear this splint on my nose to keep everything in place, plus some foil inside my nostrils to reinforce and hold the septum (they actually removed and reconstructed my entire septum). Because the work on the mucosa was so extensive, I'm bleeding quite a bit, so they haven't pulled the packing out yet. It stays in for another two days because if they took it out now, I'd probably bleed too much. I'm even changing the gauze under my nose about every two hours right now.
I am super happy with how the surgery went. The doctor is amazing; he explains absolutely everything. And thanks to those meds I mentioned, I look almost normal (though the gauze under my nose kind of ruins the vibe😂)
Oh, and I had the procedure done at Dubrava Basketball Club🙂

I just wanted to say that all the effort I put into picking the right surgeon and having all those consultations totally paid off. If anyone is looking for an appointment at Mayo Clinic in October and wants to take my spot, let me know, because I've already finished everything up.😬

Oof... So, how long are you going to be stuck in the hospital?

How's breathing with the packing in? Does it feel like you can't catch your breath?😢

Sarah Cox66 said:I'm wondering—did you have an osteotomy done? You know, where they actually break the bone?

Yes, I did—I had two fractures, and as I mentioned before, it involved a full reconstruction. But honestly, it’s really not as big of a deal when you’re being treated by top-tier professionals.😉

Alex Evans10 said:Oof... So how long are you stuck in the hospital?

And how's breathing with those tampons in? Does it feel like you're suffocating?😢

I was supposed to be out by Monday, but I'll likely be stuck here until Tuesday since my doctor isn't available until then.

Breathing isn't even an issue😉—you just get used to it. Personally, I don't get that suffocating sensation at all, unlike some of the people in the other rooms. The only thing that gets under my skin is the bleeding, though frankly, as long as it's just draining from the nostrils, I couldn't care less😬. My nose started itching a little while ago because everything is pulling tight due to the Dexic, but it's hardly uncomfortable
.
I can say with absolute certainty that I am beyond satisfied with the doctor, the treatment, the medication, everything. Everyone undergoing the removal of the packing—which consists of those specialized roller-style plugs that come out easily and absorb everything perfectly—gets a healthy dose of Lidocaine in the nose so the extraction itself is painless😁

Sam Kim12 said:Yeah, because I dealt with two fractures, and like I mentioned, they had to do a full reconstruction. But honestly, it’s not even a big deal when you're in good hands.😉

I was supposed to be back by Monday, but I think I'll be out until Tuesday since my doctor isn't available until then.

Breathing isn't really an issue😉—you just get used to it. Personally, I don't feel that suffocating sensation like some of the people in the other rooms do. The only thing that gets on my nerves is the bleeding, but as long as it's just draining forward through my nostrils, I don't really care😬. My nose started itching a little while ago because everything is pulling away from the Dexic, but it's not uncomfortable.

I can honestly say I'm beyond happy with my surgeon, the treatment, the therapy, everything. Anyone going in to have polyps removed (they're those roller-type ones that come out easily and soak up moisture great) gets plenty of lidocaine in their nose, so the removal itself doesn't hurt at all.😁

Since I tend to get hit with panic attacks like this—and I'm only three weeks out from surgery—I'm looking into functional stuff. My biggest fear is definitely those damn nasal tampons and the idea of choking. Usually, I don't even breathe through my mouth. When my nose is stuffed up from being sick, I can't even go to sleep; I have to get up because I just can't drift off unless I can breathe through my nose. It's some crazy fixation😁.
But if you've had such positive experiences after all that, then I really hope things will feel normal for me too..

Sam Kim12, I am truly so glad to hear everything went smoothly for you and that you're feeling absolutely wonderful about it all.... As for me, I'm feeling a bit under the weather... just a little numb, I suppose. Hoping for the best...

Sam Kim12 said:Yeah, because I dealt with two fractures myself, and like I mentioned before, they had to do a full reconstruction... but honestly, it isn't even a big deal when you know you're in good hands.😉

I was supposed to be back by Monday, but I think I'll push it to Tuesday since there won't be a doctor available until then...

Breathing isn't really an issue😉, you just get used to it. Personally, I don't feel that suffocating sensation like some of the folks in the other rooms do; the only thing that actually gets on my nerves is the bleeding, but as long as it's just draining forward from the nostrils, I don't really mind much😬. My nose started itching a little while ago because everything is pulling as the Dexic takes effect, but it’s not uncomfortable...

I can say I'm more than satisfied with the doctor, the treatment, the therapy, and everything else. Everyone who goes in to have their polyps removed (they are those roller-shaped ones that come out easily and absorb everything so well) gets plenty of lidocaine in the nose, so the actual removal doesn't hurt at all😁.

I'm just glad you're happy with how things are going and that everything is alright🙂.

Alex Evans10 said:Since I’m prone to this kind of panic—and we’re currently three weeks out from surgery—I’m heading in for functional stuff, and my absolute biggest fear is those damn nasal tampons... the idea of feeling like I can't breathe or might suffocate. Usually, I don't even mouth-breathe. If my nose gets stuffed up when I'm sick, I won't even try to sleep; I'll just get up because I physically cannot drift off unless I can breathe through my nose. It’s this crazy fixation 😁
But if you actually had positive experiences after everything was done, then I'm hoping things will turn out normal for me too..

Sarah Cox66 said:Sam Kim12, I am seriously so glad everything went smoothly for you and that you're feeling amazing... personally, I'm feeling a bit shaky... hoping for the best

Thanks, ladies
😉Don't let it get to you—we need some positive energy here. You know you have to do this if you want to actually improve your quality of life, and once it's over, everything works out fine
The most important thing is to do your homework and research thoroughly because you're the ones who know what you want: I looked at several private clinics and even checked out the Mayo Clinic, but I ultimately decided on Dubrava Basketball Club because the surgical approach, the recovery process, and the overall quality of care were absolutely vital to me. Personally, I stayed far away from doctors who shove those massive tampons up your nose—you know, two or three feet of gauze—and those old-school types who claim that stuffing gauze in there helps hold the bones in place (seriously, such outdated methods)😍

Ladies, just don't let anyone sway you; stay firm in your decisions because this is exclusively about you
and I truly hope you all end up being satisfied with your choices😉😍

Sam Kim12 said:Thanks, girls!😉
Look, there’s really no need to stress out too much about it. I honestly think if you just try to bring a little more positive energy into the mix, things will start looking up. You know you have to stay upbeat if you want to actually see an improvement in your breathing, and once you do that, everything should turn out just fine.😍
You really have to do your homework first because, at the end of the day, you’re the one who knows best what you actually want. I personally looked into a few private clinics and even checked out the Mayo Clinic, but I eventually decided on Dubrava Basketball Club. For me, the specific surgical technique, the recovery process, and having top-tier doctors on hand were absolute dealbreakers. Honestly, I was staying far away from any surgeons who still shove those massive nasal tampons—you know, like two or three feet of gauze—down your nose, or those old-school types who claim all that packing is necessary to hold your bones in place. I just wasn't interested in those outdated methods.

Just a little advice: don't let anyone sway you or push you around. You’ve gotta stay firm and be decisive about what you actually want, because at the end of the day, this is all about you.😉 And I really hope you guys end up being happy with whatever you decide to go with, too.😍

Man, what a mess. I ended up going in for a checkup because my primary care doctor basically insisted on it—I've been dealing with constant congestion and these endless throat, ear, and sinus infections that just won't quit. So, I went over to the Sisters of Mercy hospital, saw the specialist, and... well, he just gave me a date for surgery and called it a day. It all felt incredibly sudden. But then it hit me—they're actually going to put nasal tampons in. Oh boy. 😢

Alex Evans10 said:Well, damn. I ended up going in for an exam because my primary care doctor insisted on it—I've just been dealing with constant congestion and these endless throat, ear, and sinus infections. Everything... at the local Mercy Hospital. The doctor saw me and basically just handed me a date for surgery and called it a day. It all felt quite sudden. But then I realized they put nasal packing in... oh boy 😢

And from what I've gathered, there will be packing involved... once I looked into it a bit more, I realized how uncomfortable it is having to breathe through your mouth. And when they finally take it out... well, it's not the end of the world, it's just a brief moment... but honestly, if it fixes this, I'll take it. I've been struggling with this for about eight years now, and the headaches are just constant...🙂