Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

restlesssurfer11 said:I had an appointment with Gusac myself, and let me tell you, I heard the exact same thing! He acts like he’s the absolute authority on everything—he knows it all, he’s the best, blah blah blah... Honestly, he spent an entire hour just talking about himself; it was absolutely exhausting! Needless to say, I’ve officially crossed him off my list, and I think Tony is my next stop. He kept bringing up my sinuses too, acting completely convinced there's an issue, as if nobody else's opinion matters because he thinks he’s God! I truly have nothing but respect for anyone who actually decides to pick him after undergoing such a mental lobotomy.

🤣🤣

Yes, that is the truth. Gusac certainly isn't for everyone. 😁
As for me, I chose him—I made my decision after just five minutes of talking to him. For me, what mattered most was finding someone approachable, someone I felt comfortable around so I could speak freely, vent, talk nonsense, or even swear if I needed to. And honestly? He does a fantastic job. I don't regret my choice for one single second. 🙏

hiddenseal14 said:🤣🤣

Yeah, it's true. Glusac isn't really for everyone 😁
I actually picked him myself... I made my choice after just five minutes of talking to him. For me, what mattered most was his vibe—I needed to feel totally comfortable around him, you know? Like, I could yell, talk nonsense, swear if I wanted to... and he does such an amazing job. Honestly, I don't regret it for even a single second 🙏

I'm seriously so happy you're satisfied! In theory, I guess it shouldn't matter what kind of person someone is, right? Just that they're a pro... but honestly, I can't even bring myself to give him a chance as a specialist, especially after seeing all those negative comments popping up on the forums lately. To be real with you, I didn't even like him at first glance, so I just started hunting for bad reviews to confirm it... You really just have to trust your gut, no matter how you look at it! 🙄

Olivia Young36 said:Has anyone here had nose surgery with Dr. Glumicic? I know he works with a ton of celebrities, so I was wondering if any "regular people" have actually gone through it with him?

Yeah, I definitely do. Just happened recently.😁

I am still waiting for some actual substance from this group! It seems like every time I check back, we are just circling the drain with the same useless chatter. Honestly, how can anyone expect to find any real answers when everyone is just shouting into the void? It’s absolutely maddening! As stated by:
I am truly pleased to hear that you had a positive experience, and in principle, one ought to prioritize a professional's expertise over their personal character. However, I find myself utterly unable to grant him even the slightest opportunity to prove his competence as an expert, especially in light of the wave of scathing reviews appearing on this forum lately. To be perfectly honest, my initial impression of him was unfavorable from the very beginning, which led me to specifically seek out negative feedback to validate my suspicions. One simply must trust their gut instinct, no matter how one chooses to look at it!🙄

Of course, everyone is free to choose the doctor that best suits their needs—after all, we are the ones footing the bill!
As far as the criticism goes, let’s be honest: there isn't a single doctor on this entire thread who hasn't absolutely trashed someone else's reputation. It's a total minefield. All you can really do is pray to God that you aren't the next unlucky soul caught in their crosshairs.

Greetings everyone,

I’ve been struggling with breathing through my right nostril for a few years now. It feels constantly congested, whereas the left side flows perfectly fine unless I manually pull the nostril open. It tends to tighten up whenever I inhale. If I use nasal drops in the right side, I can breathe normally for a few hours, but then it returns. I suspect it might be a deviated septum or something similar. However, there's a strange pattern: every morning, and whenever I spend time in enclosed spaces, the congestion becomes unbearable. Lately, when I blow my nose, I even see small amounts of blood—likely from swollen capillaries. Interestingly, as soon as I step outside for a walk in the fresh air, everything seems to clear up completely, as if nothing was ever wrong! But the moment I sit down, stay still, or head back indoors, the blockage returns. Honestly, I can rarely sleep without using nasal drops; it’s a rare treat to go to bed without them. Has anyone else dealt with this? What could be causing this mystery where walking clears me up, but sitting or being inside makes it worse?

hiddenseal14 said:Of course, everyone picks the doctor that works best for them. At the end of the day, we're the ones footing the bill.
As for the criticism, let's be real—there isn't a single surgeon on this thread who hasn't had someone rip them a new one. You just have to hope you aren't that lucky person.

A real doctor actually knows their limits—what they should and shouldn't touch. I know a girl who had the exact same functional issues I did. She was operated on at Westgate by a younger doctor who actually had the foresight to tell her he couldn't fully correct the deviation. He knew if he smoothed out the hump, the whole nose would collapse. Well, that’s exactly what happened to me. Sometimes a young doctor working in a hospital actually knows more than some private specialist who's traveled the world collecting fancy certificates. You have to be able to predict these things before and during surgery to prevent disaster. In my case, it was too late. That's what happens when ego takes over and surgeons act like they're the only ones who exist.

rapidfalcon39, if you've got any photos, please send them my way 🙂)) THANKS!

I just got my sinus scans back today—the ones Dr. Glusac requested—and my sinuses are completely clear and unobstructed. It turns out my only actual issue is this damn deviated septum. He told me straight up that with him, there’s no such thing as an aesthetic procedure without a functional one; he basically implied that messing with healthy sinuses just for looks is like a dentist polishing teeth for no reason.
Now I'm stuck. A specialist at the hospital told me they could just straighten the septum out—a quick 20-minute procedure followed by some packing, much less intense than those complex surgeries. What do you guys think? I was leaning toward going private because I assumed the hospital wouldn't do such a precise job, but now I'm second-guessing everything.

Greetings!
The bony part of my nose feels incredibly wide, and honestly, I'm pretty unhappy about how it looks. On top of that, I have a deviated septum on the right side, so my doctor told me surgery is a must. My question is: will correcting the septum actually help slim down the appearance of my nose, or are those two things completely unrelated?

darkmaker9 said:I just got my sinus scans back today—the ones Dr. Glusac asked me to get. My sinuses are totally clear and open. Seriously. The only issue I actually have is that damn deviated septum. Like he said, with him, there’s no such thing as an aesthetic fix without a functional one. It honestly doesn't make sense to me why he'd operate on perfectly healthy sinuses just by claiming they're "most important" while treating aesthetics like you're just polishing teeth at a dentist.
Now I'm stuck. A specialist at the hospital told me they could just straighten out the septum—it's a quick 20-minute procedure, some Tampons afterward, way easier than the complicated stuff. What do you guys think? I was leaning toward going private because I assumed the hospital wouldn't do it well enough... but now, I'm second-guessing everything.

After my surgery, he told me he operated on my sinuses and placed medication inside, then the CT showed everything was perfectly clear and ventilated.😕 I was just stunned...
My advice? Go to the hospital. I regret every single day that I didn't go through the public system. Now the hospital has to clean up the mess made by a private doctor who charged me a fortune, and until then, I'm stuck suffering for at least six months to a year because he basically shattered the bones in my nose.

rowdyfalcon35 said:After my surgery, he told me he’d operated on my sinuses and placed medication inside, yet the sinus CT shows everything is perfectly clear and open😕 I was just stunned...
My advice? Go to a hospital... I regret every single day that I didn't choose a hospital. Now, the hospital staff will have to fix the work of some private doctor who was paid a fortune, and until then, I’m stuck suffering for at least six months to a year because he fractured all the bones in my nose.

Oh my God :OOO
How long ago was your surgery? And are you going back in now??
That is exactly what I'm afraid of. If that happens, I might as well save these photos for the hospital doctors. Honestly, I really don't want anyone playing games with my nose... here is a side profile shot,http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5287/img1833ix.jpg ... if I had a hump or something, maybe I'd go in to fix that, but since I don't, I'm terrified of someone messing with things they shouldn't touch... I just need this stupid septum straightened out, and that's it. I'll have to look into finding a solid doctor at a major hospital to make sure they're legit.

darkmaker9 said:Oh my god :OOO
How long ago was your last surgery? And you're going back already??
That's exactly what scares me. If nothing changes, I might as well just save these photos for the hospital, right? I seriously don't want someone messing around with my nose... here's a side profile shot, http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5287/img1833ix.jpg ... if I had a bump or something, maybe I'd go fix it, but since I don't, I'm terrified of someone touching stuff they shouldn't. I just need that stupid septum straightened and that's it. I'll have to check around for a solid doctor at the hospital who actually knows what they're doing.

Your nose is gorgeous. Honestly, in hospitals, this is such a routine procedure—they do it constantly every single day. If you're in San Diego, I've heard Dr. Racic and their team are great. Sadly, I found out too late. I had my surgery a month and a half ago and dealt with some awful complications because his work caused my nose to basically collapse. I'm still dealing with it. I can't even go back for another surgery for a year because my bones need to heal; they're all fractured right now, and trying anything else could make it way worse.

darkmaker9 said:Oh my god, seriously?!
How long ago did you have your surgery, and now you’re actually going back under the knife again??
That is exactly what I'm terrified of—I might as well just save these photos for the hospital staff, because what else am I supposed to do? I honestly don't want anyone messing around with my nose... here is a profile shot, http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5287/img1833ix.jpg ... if I had some kind of bump or something, maybe I’d go in to fix it, but since I don't, I am genuinely scared of someone ruining what already works. All I need is for that stupid septum to be straightened out and that's it. I'll probably have to do some serious digging to find a surgeon at the hospital who actually knows what they're doing.

I truly cannot fathom how anyone gives themselves the right to operate on something you don't even want changed or isn't broken:::🙂
My sinuses are perfectly fine, so if a doctor tells me after surgery that they decided to "fix" them on their own whim, I swear I'll lose it! 🙂

Ryan Cooper37 said:Hey everyone,

I’ve been dealing with this breathing issue on my right nostril... for a few years now, it feels like it's constantly getting blocked up, while the left side stays totally fine—unless I manually pull my nostril open with my finger to get some air. It just feels like everything constricts when I inhale. If I use nasal drops in my right nostril, I can breathe normally for a little while, maybe a few hours. I’m guessing it might be a deviated septum or something similar, but here’s the weird part: every morning, and especially whenever I spend time in enclosed spaces, the congestion gets intense. Lately, when I blow my nose, I even see tiny bits of blood, probably from swollen capillaries. But then, the second I step outside for a walk in the fresh air, it starts clearing up completely, almost like nothing was ever wrong! Then, as soon as I sit down, stand still, or head back indoors, it clogs right back up again. Honestly, I can barely sleep without using those nasal drops; it's a rare day if I don't need them to drift off. Has anyone else dealt with this? What could be going on? The biggest mystery to me is why walking for a bit clears it all out, yet sitting still or being inside triggers the blockage immediately.

I deal with almost the exact same thing! My left side is usually "fine" (which is rare because it gets congested too sometimes), but my right side is chronically blocked unless I physically pull the nostril outward to create space.
What you're describing sounds like the nasal cycle—that alternating congestion and decongestion that happens naturally. Most people don't even notice it because their nasal passages are pretty symmetrical, so when one side swells, the other side picks up the slack. You're feeling it because one side (the left for me, the right for you) is narrow enough that it actually causes symptoms. The opposite side—your "good" side—often reacts over time by swelling up too, which is likely why you feel that constant sense of obstruction due to compensatory hypertrophy of the turbinates. Essentially, the body tries to compensate, and things get crowded on both sides.
That trick you do where you pull your nostril to the side to help you breathe is actually known as the Cottle maneuver. In many cases, if there aren't other major issues, it's a classic sign of nasal valve collapse. This can often be fixed with cartilage grafts, but you won't know for sure until you sit down with an ENT specialist. Just a heads-up though: in the US, some of our top specialists tend to be a bit hesitant about performing that specific procedure, so you might have to do a little digging to find a doctor who is experienced with it and willing to do it.
Instead of relying on those drops, I’d highly recommend trying those DisiLakse strips. They basically do exactly what you're doing with your fingers—they widen and stabilize the narrowest part of your nasal cavity (the valve area). They’ve been a lifesaver for me!

rowdyfalcon35 said:Your nose looks beautiful. Honestly, this is a routine procedure performed constantly in hospitals every single day. If you're in San Diego, I've heard Dr. Racic and Cikojevic are excellent. Unfortunately, I found out too late. I had my surgery a month and a half ago and dealt with terrible complications because his work caused the structure to collapse. I'm still dealing with them. I can't even get a revision for another year because my bones need to heal; they're all fractured, and trying anything sooner could just make things much worse.

Thanks. But I can't just sit here and wait... what is he telling you about your current condition? Is he actually claiming it'll just fix itself?! What kind of procedure did you have done? And thanks for the tip—since they're the closest to me, I'll look into booking one of them.

boldeagle3 said:General anesthesia is definitely the way to go, honestly.
You just drift off, they wheel you in, do the surgery, bring you back, and then you wake up and it’s all over. 😁
They actually offered me local anesthesia, but I don't think I could ever deal with that. 😉

Hey everyone... so I'm looking at getting surgery soon because I've been diagnosed with a deviated septum. Does anyone here know exactly what that procedure entails and what they actually do during it? I already had a consultation with Dr. Sos in St. Louis, and I was wondering if anyone knows him—like, is he a good doctor? Or should I just head over to Chicago instead? Thanks!😕

Nancy Stewart5 said:Hey everyone... I’m looking at undergoing surgery for a deviated septum. Can anyone explain exactly what this procedure entails and what they actually do during the operation? I was seen by Dr. Sos in St. Louis, so I'm wondering if he's a good doctor or if I should just head to Chicago instead. Thanks.😕

I'm thinking septoplasty. Deviation basically means your nasal septum is crooked. The surgery itself isn't overly risky; you shouldn't have much to worry about. They put you under, it takes anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour, and they straighten out that septum. As for that doctor, I don't know him personally since I'm not from around here. You should probably do some digging. 🙂

rowdyfalcon35 said:After my surgery, they told me they’d operated on my sinuses and placed medication inside them, but then the CT scan showed everything was perfectly clear and open😕 I was just left there totally stunned...
My honest advice? Go to a hospital... I regret every single day that I didn't choose a hospital. Now the hospital is going to have to fix whatever this expensive private doctor messed up, and until then, I’m stuck dealing with the pain for at least six months to a year because he basically fractured all the bones in my nose.

I got the exact same story. "We'll open up the sinuses, put some meds in there, because we think you have a sinus issue." Thank God I didn't get an X-ray for my sinuses—just more useless radiation because of some hack doctor. I am seriously so sorry this happened to you... honestly, I feel so lucky that I backed out when I did before things went wrong...

darkmaker9 said:I just got my sinus scans back today—the ones Dr. Glusac ordered—and honestly, my sinuses look perfectly clear and unobstructed. It turns out my only real issue is this damn deviated septum. According to him, he doesn't do "aesthetic" work without functional necessity; he basically thinks fixing the looks is like a dentist polishing teeth when the actual structure is fine.
Now I’m stuck in limbo. A specialist at the hospital told me they could straighten the septum quite easily—a quick 20-minute procedure, some Tampons afterward, nothing nearly as intense as more complex surgeries. What do you all think? I was originally leaning toward going private because I was worried the hospital wouldn't do a great job... but now, I’m second-guessing everything.

Look, if the scans show your sinuses are fine, then there is absolutely no reason to touch them.☕
Half of these private practitioners will perform unnecessary procedures just to pad their pockets.🙄

I don't get why you're doubting the public hospitals—to be honest, the main reason I chose the hospital route was seeing how many people end up there for corrective surgery after private clinics completely botch the job.😲 The waiting room at the local medical center is constantly packed with people who are miserable because they went private and ended up with a nose that looks great aesthetically but fails miserably on a functional level.

Sam Kim12 said:If the lab results say your sinuses are fine, then leave them alone. Period.☕
Half of these private contractors will bill you for work they didn't even finish just to make sure they get paid.🙄

I don't get why you're questioning the hospitals. Honestly, I actually decided to trust them once I saw how many people end up there needing fixes after private clinics completely botched their procedures.😲 The waiting room at Rib is packed with people who are unhappy with what they got from private clinics. It happens all the time—the aesthetic results look fantastic, but when it comes down to the actual functionality, it’s a total disaster.

I actually thought the same thing at first—that something was wrong with my sinus function. I completely wrote off Glumicic and Zambelli because they focus so much on aesthetics, but then Glusac came into the picture as an ENT who could actually handle both the medical side and the look. But honestly, seeing all these horror stories about people operating on perfectly healthy sinuses? I’m just going to head to the hospital and call it a day. 🙂Thank you all so much. If it weren't for this forum, I would have already been on the operating table by now.