Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

northernmaker84 said:Hey, which doctor would you recommend for nose surgery? I see you really know your stuff from your posts, so if you could share your opinion, I'd appreciate it! 🙂 thanks

Everyone has their own take on this. To give anyone a truly solid recommendation, you really need to see a wide enough variety of results—basically, you need to see whose hands produce consistent results regardless of the day.
To be completely honest, based on what I see every single day—every one of us residents would jump at the chance to work under Prof. Bedekovic. That isn't just a random opinion; it's based on seeing dozens of successful cases because he exclusively uses that specific approach for septorhinoplasties. By the way, one of the places that embraced and preserved this technique very early on, long before it became a global standard again, was actually the Mayo Clinic/Prof. Sercer. The method really saw a resurgence when our rhinoplasty surgeons headed over to the States in the early 90s; it was presented at a congress and then spread like wildfire. Nowadays, many institutions perform up to 90% of surgeries using this method. Why? Because there’s nothing quite like having everything done under direct supervision.

Amanda Lewis66 said:You actually listed everything they did and how long ago it happened yourself.

The human body is amazing, sure, but expecting everything to settle perfectly after just three weeks...

Thanks so much! I’m spiraling a little bit, which is why I’m asking! 😢
When can I roughly expect the swelling to go down? Two months? And would using cold compresses or something else on my nose help at all?
🙏

Betty Edwards22 said:Everyone sees things through their own lens, I suppose—to really make a definitive judgment, one would need to witness a vast number of procedures to understand how different surgeons' hands perform regardless of the specific day.
To be perfectly honest, looking at what we see every single day, I think every one of us residents would jump at the chance to work under Prof. Bedekovic; and that isn't just based on one case, but on dozens of open surgeries, because he strictly follows that specific approach to septorhinoplasty. By the way, one of the places where this technique was embraced so early on—preserving this method before it became globally famous again—was actually at the Mayo Clinic under Prof. Sercer. The whole thing really gained momentum when our rhinoplasty surgeons moved to the USA in the early 90s, after the method was showcased at a congress and then spread like wildfire from there. In many institutions today, up to 90% of surgeries are performed using this method. Why? Well, I guess it's simply because you can't argue with results when everything is done under such careful supervision.

Thank you so much for the response... I am planning to go in for surgery after the summer, and getting the nasal tip right is my absolute priority, which involves so many tiny details, and I honestly don't know which surgeon to choose. What are your thoughts on Zambelli? He's the closest to me, so I might start by scheduling a consultation with him :-) thank you so much!

northernmaker84 said:Thanks so much for getting back to me! I'm planning on going in for surgery after the summer. My main priority is really the tip of my nose—it's all about those fine details, and honestly, I'm still feeling a bit lost on which surgeon to choose. What's your take on Zambelli? He's the closest option for me, so I was thinking of starting with a consultation there. :-) Thanks again!

I'm sorry, but like I mentioned before: I'm just a student of the American medical school system. I've never actually watched his work, so I can't really weigh in on his skill or the work of anyone else being discussed here in any capacity.
The true result of any surgery isn't just what you see immediately afterward or even at the six-month mark—it's the long-term outcome.

Betty Edwards22 said:I am sorry, but as I mentioned before, I was a student at an American school. I have never actually watched the procedure mentioned, so I cannot really offer any judgment on his work—or anyone else’s being discussed here—in any capacity...
The true result of any surgery isn't just what you see immediately after, or even six months down the line; it is the long-term effect that truly matters...

I was wondering about getting an osteotomy combined with hump reduction, specifically because I want my nasal tip to stay exactly as it is now... I realize it should stay the same if it isn't touched, but I am curious if the osteotomy—and especially removing the hump—might cause the tip to lift or drop regardless? Thank you for any insight...🙂🙂

Sarah Cox66 said:I was wondering about something regarding a potential rhinoplasty involving an osteotomy and hump reduction. My main goal is to keep my nasal tip exactly where it is right now. I realize that if the surgeon doesn't actually touch the tip, it should technically stay put, but I’m curious about the mechanics of it all. Specifically, if they perform the osteotomy and focus on shaving down the hump, is there a chance the tip might shift—either lifting or drooping—even if it isn't being directly manipulated? I'd love to hear some insight on this. Thanks in advance!🙂🙂

It’s actually not about the nasal cartilage itself. When you undergo a rhinoplasty specifically to remove a hump, surgeons almost always perform an osteotomy. This creates what's known as an "open-roof" technique to close the bone-cartilage defect. Think of it like two swinging doors—by carefully breaking and repositioning those side bones, they can pull everything together to close the gap, which visually narrows the bridge of the nose. If nothing is done to address the cartilage section, then the tip is simply going to stay exactly where it is.

It’s been 19 days since my surgery, and I was just cleaning out my nose when I pulled out one completely intact... do you think that could be an issue? 😢

Hey everyone, I had my nose surgery five days ago, so I just wanted to jump in and share how it went 🙂
I went with Dr. Boric—a friend actually recommended him—and honestly (so far🙂), I have nothing but good things to say
My main issue was this massive bump on my nose; I just wanted that gone. I didn't want to change the tip at all, just wanted the bridge to flow naturally into the tip..
I actually clicked with the doctor immediately—which was a huge relief because I was terrified—and he really went above and beyond. The whole thing took about an hour. I didn't feel sick afterward at all; I only felt some pain during the first thirty minutes after waking up, and then nothing (I haven't even touched a single painkiller).. The only rough patch was day three. It wasn't exactly pain, but more like this intense pressure in my head and nose (probably just from all the swelling and mess up there).
Yesterday, I went in to get the packing removed. That was the part I was dreading most! I’m usually not a fearful person, but by the end, Nurse Blazenka was holding my hand like I was a little kid (she is absolutely amazing 🙂), and while it hurt a bit, it was over in like two seconds 🙂
Today I feel great. No pain, no pressure, though I do look pretty rough—total elephant vibes!😉 My whole face is swollen and my nose looks like a giant potato (on the bright side, it's a flat, large potato, meaning the bump is gone and you can tell it's going to be a cute nose eventually 🙂))
All in all, considering I've been putting this off for years, it really wasn't as scary as I thought 😉

Elizabeth Fox57 said:It's day 19 post-op, and I was just cleaning my nose when I pulled out one single stitch... do you think that could cause any issues? 😢

No, you shouldn't worry! The healing process is already well underway, which means everything is settling into its new position. It's actually pretty normal at this stage for those stitches to start loosening up or working themselves loose.

Oh, thank God!!! 🙂 😉 And a huge thank you to you for getting back to me!!!! 😍 😍

Betty Edwards22 said:It doesn't actually have anything to do with the nasal hump itself. When you undergo a rhinoplasty—specifically when removing a hump—osteotomies are mandatory to close that bone-cartilage gap, often called an "open-roof" technique. Essentially, they break the side bones so they can swing shut, much like a set of double doors closing together, which visually narrows the bridge. The tip stays exactly where it is unless there's specific work done to the cartilage portion...

Thanks for the explanation..... I understand how that closing mechanism works, I was just wondering if those two things were directly linked to one another...🙂🙂

Has anyone else here dealt with hair loss following surgery? 😢

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Does anyone here know if Prof. Miso Virag is still operating? I know he was performing surgeries over at the Mayo Clinic back around 2007, but I have no clue if he’s retired or just moved on to other things. You guys don't really mention him around here, but he did an absolutely incredible job for my mom a while back—both the functional side and the aesthetics were spot on. So, I'm just trying to figure out if he's still in practice...

@Elizabeth Fox57/">@@Elizabeth Fox57 - stress does crazy things to your body. Don't spiral too much, your hair will grow back 🙂

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I really hope so... because what we're seeing today just isn't right—it's an absolute disaster! :/ On the bright side, though, things are looking up every single day.

Donna Johnson16 said:-

Does anyone here know if Miso Virag is still performing surgeries? I know he was doing procedures over at the Mayo Clinic back around 2007, but I’m not sure if he’s retired or what. You guys don't seem to mention him much, but he did an absolutely amazing job for my mom a while back—both functional and aesthetic results were perfect—so I’d love to find out if he's still practicing.

@Elizabeth Fox57/">@@Elizabeth Fox57 - stress really does take a toll on the body. Try not to worry too much; your hair will bounce back! 🙂

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He’s officially retired, but he still consults there like an unofficial head of the department.

Betty Edwards22 said:He’s retired now, but he’s still basically running the whole show there behind the scenes.

🙂 thanks; he runs things—but does he actually perform surgery?

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Donna Johnson16 said:🙂 thanks; they can write prescriptions—but can they actually perform surgery?

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That’s something you’ll have to ask them directly 🙂

Betty Edwards22 said:You’re gonna have to ask him yourself, 🙂

Yeah, well, I am asking... do you really think I should just go straight to him? I'm hoping someone on this thread might actually have a clue. If nobody comes through, then yeah, I guess I'll just have to pull him aside and ask directly 👍 anyway, good to know he's still around there, thanks

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Who are you even worried about? Don't sweat it—nobody's going to lay a finger on you... :P

I’m asking the folks on this health PDF who actually post under the 'nose surgery' topic... because, honestly, I was hoping someone might already have the answers I'm looking for? 🤷 What kind of fear are you even talking about?

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