Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

wanderingmason86 said:I deal with something pretty similar—my left nostril feels totally fine when it’s clear (which doesn't happen often!), but my right side is constantly blocked, and honestly, I can't even breathe properly without manually pulling the side of my nose to open it up.
What you're describing sounds like the nasal cycle—that natural alternating congestion and decongestion in your nostrils. Most people don't even notice it because their nasal passages are mostly symmetrical, so the other side just picks up the slack while the stuffed one recovers. You're feeling it because one side (the left for you, the right for me) is narrow enough to actually cause symptoms. The "good" side, which handles most of the breathing, often reacts over time by developing enlarged turbinates to compensate, which leads to that constant feeling of obstruction you mentioned. That trick of pulling your nostril to the side to help you inhale is known as Cottle maneuver. If there isn't another major cause for the blockage, it usually points toward valve collapse on that side. This can be fixed with cartilage grafts, but you'll need to get an official opinion from an ENT specialist to know for sure. Just a heads-up: many of our local specialists tend to shy away from this specific procedure, so you might have to do a little digging to find a doctor who is actually willing and skilled enough to perform it. Instead of relying on nasal sprays, I’d suggest trying those "DisiLakse" strips. They work exactly like what you're doing manually—they widen and stabilize the narrowest part of the nasal cavity (the valve area). They've been a lifesaver for me.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast!🙂...though I'm starting to worry that using these drops constantly has damaged my mucosa. I've been using OLYNTH with hyaluronic acid twice a day for almost two years now. I wouldn't say I have major issues, other than my right nostril being perpetually stuffed. I can't tell if that's because of the drops or what you described... plus, about a year and a half ago, I took a nasty spill on my bike and landed right on my face. My lower nose was broken and my lip was split, but I didn't go to a doctor for it; it just healed on its own. Still, I don't get why it clears up when I'm being active, like when I'm out for a walk. Does some kind of pressure drop in my nose happen during exercise that clears things out? Also, whenever I talk a lot, it starts clogging up—I can literally feel the swelling happening in seconds, cutting off my airflow. It's the same thing every morning when I wake up... why does that happen?

darkmaker9 said:Thanks. But honestly, I'm fuming... what's his take on my situation now??? Is he claiming it'll just fix itself?! And what kind of surgery did you have? Also, that place is super close to me, thanks for the tip—I'll definitely check one of them out.

darkmaker9 said:Thanks so much, everyone. If it wasn't for this forum, I would've been under the knife by now.

restlesssurfer11 said:I got the exact same story. He wants to open up my sinuses and put medication in there because he thinks that's where the issue lies. Thank God I didn't get a sinus X-ray; just more unnecessary radiation thanks to some quack. I'm seriously so sorry you're going through this. I feel incredibly lucky I backed out when I did before things went south...

He’s basically saying it’s not his fault and it’s not my fault either... totally dodging responsibility. He claims my mucosa is ruined and that I'll be able to breathe properly by next summer, maybe even the following one. The mucosa is shot, and the rest will show over time. Right now, it's obvious I'm missing cartilage, and there's such a pronounced nasal deviation that even my lightest glasses slide right off my face because there's nothing to hold them up. And it'll probably get thinner over time. Now he's thinking about injecting fat from my knee... from what I've heard, that is absolutely not a real solution.
I'm glad I could at least help someone. I wish somebody had warned me. He sent me for a CT scan before the surgery for no reason—just more radiation—and I was foolish enough to go along with it. Now I have to redo it just to see all the damage he did inside. Unfortunately, I'm starting to hear more and more negative stories from his other patients who went through the exact same thing—he operates on stuff that needs it and stuff that doesn't. In the end, I'm left with a total mess... my nose looks worse than before the surgery. I can't forgive myself for not going to a hospital. At least if something goes wrong there, there are specialists ready to step in. This guy just does whatever he wants because "he's the best and nobody else compares." Seriously, it's like something out of a bad movie. Only in America... wait, I mean, this is unbelievable.🙂

rustygardener172 said:Doctors and patients just see things totally differently. He’ll only do exactly what you asked for and what he said he was going to do.[/B]
Personally, I can't complain about Dr. Glusac because he did everything he promised to do.

My nose ended up looking like a caricature. Thank God he actually stuck to his word, though. Before the surgery, he never even mentioned anything about touching the tip or such an extreme cartilage removal—now I actually need a secondary rhinoplasty for grafting. If anyone here has been through this or gone in for a secondary cartilage build-up, please shoot me a DM.
steelangler88, check your inbox and get back to me. 🙂

steelangler88 said:Listen, ladies, I’d much rather someone tell me they don't want to make promises. It's way better than someone promising the world and then delivering absolutely nothing—or worse, just straight-up crap. Take my first surgeon, for example... man.
🙄

And mine too.

rowdyfalcon35 said:and mine too

Well, there you have it—my own experience was absolutely wonderful! Honestly, I would recommend Glusac to anyone without hesitation. He handled every single detail just as she described, and he did an absolutely stellar job.

Ryan Cooper37 said:Thanks for getting back to me so fast🙂...but I honestly think I might have damaged my nasal lining from using drops constantly. I've been using Olynth with hyaluronic acid twice a day, almost every single day for nearly two years now. I wouldn't say I'm in pain, but my right nostril feels perpetually stuffed up. I can't tell if that's because of the drops or what you mentioned... also, about a year and a half ago, I took a nasty spill on my bike and landed right on my nose. The bottom part was broken and my lip got split, but I didn't go to a doctor or anything; I just let it heal on its own. Now, I don't get why my nose clears up when I'm being active, like during a walk. Does some kind of pressure change happen in the nose that opens things up? And for instance, when I talk a lot, it starts to clog—I can literally feel the lining swelling up within seconds, cutting off my airflow. It's the same thing when I wake up in the morning... why does that happen?

Think of your nasal lining like a dynamic system that reacts to what your body needs. In a perfectly healthy state without any obstruction, your nostrils aren't actually 100% open at all times; it’s more like one side is at 80% and the other is at 50%. Since that's plenty for breathing normally, most people don't even notice. But when your body senses a higher demand—say, during exercise or a bout of anxiety—one of the reactions is to trigger extra decongestion in the nasal lining. That whole process is totally normal! You probably just wouldn't notice this natural cycle if you didn't have that old fracture that narrowed your airway. You can't really "cure" the nasal cycle itself.
As for those drops, after using them for that long, you're looking at a whole different issue. Your lining likely swells up even more once the medication wears off—do a quick search for "rhinitis medicamentosa."
My advice? Try to phase out the medicated drops and switch to a simple saline solution (you can grab the IV-style saline bags at any pharmacy). Honestly, you're going to struggle to breathe for a few days, but it's a step you eventually have to take. After a week or so, you should start feeling better, and then you absolutely need to schedule an appointment with an ENT specialist.

P.S. Check out these other discussions on the forum: first, second.

rowdyfalcon35 said:He’s basically saying it’s not his fault and it’s not my fault either... just totally dodging any responsibility. He claims my mucosa is destroyed and that I’ll finally be able to breathe by next summer—ideally the summer after that. So apparently, the mucosa is gone, and we'll just have to wait and see about everything else. Right now, it's obvious there's a lack of cartilage, which caused this really pronounced rhinodorsal deformity. It's so bad that even the lightest pair of glasses just slides right off my face because there’s nothing to grip... and eventually, my nose is just going to get even thinner. And now he’s thinking about injecting fat harvested from my knee... from what I've gathered, that isn't exactly a "fix."
I'm honestly just glad I could help someone out, though I really wish someone had warned me... before my surgery, he sent me for a CT scan for absolutely no reason, just radiation exposure for nothing, and I was foolish enough to just go along with it... now I have to redo the whole thing just so they can actually see what he did inside. Now, unfortunately, I'm hearing more and more about other patients having negative experiences, people who had the exact same thing done to them as me—he operated on things that needed work and things that definitely didn't. In the end, I'm left with a... well, my nose is worse than it was before the surgery, and I can't forgive myself for not choosing a hospital. At least at a hospital, if something goes wrong, there are actual specialists who can step in to help, but this guy just does whatever he wants because "he's the best and nobody else compares." Seriously, it's like he thinks he's the only one in America or Canada... it's unbelievable.🙂

It's the exact same story for me too...😢But there's no doing anything about it now. You should have gone to the hospital under Dr. Racic, he's actually great. The only issue is the wait times with him are insane—both for consultations and especially for the surgery itself. By the time you actually get your turn, so much time will have passed that you might already be ready for a revision. Also, would you mind sending me some photos via PM? Thanks!

hiddenseal14 said:So, my experience was actually great. I’d honestly recommend Glusac to anyone. He did everything the doctor suggested, and he did an amazing job...

It’s awesome that you at least had a good outcome, and rustygardener172, how about you? Did things stay on track for you too?
I mean, look, no doctor is so bad that they’ll absolutely ruin everyone's nose. Honestly, I think the percentage of people who have issues is way lower than the ones where everything turns out just fine. For me, the thing that bothers me about Glusac is just how he tells everyone the exact same thing... he sends everyone for the same tests and suggests the same path for every single person. I just don't get it. I mean, there isn't some "one size fits all" template for noses, for crying out loud! We're all different, we all have different issues, different struggles... and let's not forget, we all have different goals too, right?🤷

Here’s a link to a 30% discount for Dr. Borić in my story.
I haven't actually been there myself—no clue what he's like—but some girl mentioned he was great, so it might be worth checking out.

rowdyfalcon35 said:So, I finally got my results today after dealing with all these endless struggles and complications from the surgery I had a month and a half ago... and it's bad. Apparently, I have a defect in the nostril on the left, pus in the sinuses they actually operated on—which were perfectly healthy before—and the absolute worst part... a perforation. There's an actual hole in my septum!!!! And he just brushed it off like it's nothing. My nose is sinking more and more every day; it can't get any flatter at the bridge, it just keeps dipping deeper, and he's telling me everything is fine? What does it matter if I have a perforation?! Before the surgery, he used to talk trash about other surgeons, saying you need a steady hand because if a perforation happens, you can kiss your nose goodbye. Now, he just wants to inject fat from my knee into the outer part, but what about the fact that the inside of my nose is literally collapsing? Or the fact that I have to wait months for another surgery because he basically broke all the bone structure, and by then the hole might just keep growing? It doesn't matter to him. Honestly, I'm so livid... if he's already ruined me, he's going to pay for this. He went rogue doing aesthetic work and turned a simple, minor deviated septum into a complication that’s going to be a nightmare to fix. I'm just praying to God it doesn't spread completely before the next surgery... the prognosis is looking really grim and uncertain... so much for this "expert."

Oh my God! You are seriously going through hell right now. How is all this even happening??? I'm telling you, get yourself on the waiting list for Racic. Even he told me that if a perforation happens, you're in deep trouble...! I don't even know what to say... just hang in there, keep your head up, and hopefully everything turns out okay (well, as okay as it can after all this)😕😕😕...

restlesssurfer11 said:I heard the exact same story once...😢But honestly, just go see Dr. Racic at the hospital. He’s seriously amazing. The only catch is the wait times—you'll be waiting forever for an appointment, let alone surgery. You could practically start the process and by the time they call you, enough time will have passed that you might actually need a revision. Also, any chance you could DM me some photos? Thanks!

Hey. I'm not sending any photos because, frankly, it looks terrible. I don't want to scare anyone when I already have to deal with looking at this mess in the mirror. To put it simply: imagine Michael Jackson's nose, look at him from the side, then imagine it twice as thin and hollowed out until there's barely even a profile line left—that's my nose right now. They told me today it's only going to get more sunken as the indentation grows. It needs urgent surgery, but they won't operate because some idiot broke my entire nose and shortened all the bone structure. 😢
I'll get the surgery done in Chicago, either at the local hospital or over at Rib. If I had just gone to them immediately, none of this would have happened... I can't forgive myself.

rowdyfalcon35 said:Hey. I’m not going to send you any photos because it honestly looks terrible... I don't want to scare anyone when I already have to deal with looking at this in the mirror every single day. Basically, just picture Michael Jackson's nose, then imagine it twice as thin and sunken—so much that you can barely even see the profile line. That's what my nose looks like right now. They told me today that it’s only going to get more sunken as that indentation grows. I need surgery urgently, but they won't operate on me because some idiot broke my entire nose and shortened all the bones 😢
I'll end up getting the surgery in Chicago, maybe at a hospital in the city or at Rib... If I had just gone there immediately, none of this would have happened... I just can't forgive myself...

That sounds awful... I mean, really awful. Well, I truly hope they can at least fix things up for you... I'm sorry you won't send pictures, but I totally get it.

rowdyfalcon35 said:He’s basically insisting he isn't at fault and that I'm the one in the wrong... just completely dodging any responsibility. He claims my mucosa is ruined and tells me I'll finally be able to breathe properly by next summer—ideally the summer after that. So, according to him, the lining is destroyed, and we'll just have to wait and see about everything else. Right now, what's obvious is that there's a lack of cartilage, which has resulted in this massive, pronounced rhinodorso; it’s so severe that even my lightest pair of glasses constantly slides right off my face because there’s nothing to grip. And apparently, my nose is just going to get thinner over time. Now he’s suggesting injecting fat harvested from my knee... which, from what I've gathered, isn't exactly a miracle cure.
I am honestly just glad I could provide some warning to someone, though I truly wish someone had warned me. Before my surgery, he sent me for a CT scan for absolutely no reason—some unnecessary radiation exposure—and I, being foolish, just went along with it without a second thought. Now, I’ll have to undergo it all over again just so they can actually see the damage he caused inside. It breaks my heart to realize I'm seeing more and more negative stories from his patients who went through the exact same thing: he operates on things he shouldn't, performing procedures that weren't even requested. In the end, I'm left with a nose that looks worse than before the surgery, and I can't forgive myself for not choosing a hospital. At least in a hospital, if something goes sideways, there's a whole team of specialists ready to step in. But this guy? He acts like he's a lone wolf, operating entirely on his own whims because he thinks "he's the best and everyone else is incompetent." Honestly, it feels like something you'd only see in some rogue clinic far away from civilization... I mean, seriously.🙂

This is just horrific....
It's wild how you can read a thousand posts saying Glusac is amazing, and then just one single real-life account is enough to completely shatter the illusion;(🙂
It is absolutely not okay for a surgeon to just go rogue like that. Honestly, I don't know how anyone has the audacity to perform procedures that weren't even discussed... if someone did that to me, I don't even want to think about how I'd react...
Then again, there are plenty of people out there who don't speak up about everything they want during consultations and then turn around and complain, making themselves part of the problem...
But your situation is a total catastrophe; it's terrifying how much ego can get in the way of actual medicine.
I actually have a procedure scheduled with him, but if I had known this, I would have canceled immediately.
Absolutely awful.🙂

rowdyfalcon35 said:So, after dealing with all the misery and complications from my surgery—which was about a month and a half ago—I finally got my results back today. Among other things, I have a fistula defect on the left side, pus in the sinuses he actually operated on (which were perfectly healthy before!), and the absolute worst part... a perforation. Basically, a hole in my septum!!!! And he’s acting like it’s totally fine, while my nose just keeps sinking further and further. It can't get any flatter at the bridge than it already is, but every single day it feels more sunken, and he just tells me everything is "normal." Like, what does it matter that I have a perforation?! Before the surgery, he used to talk trash about other surgeons, saying you need a steady hand because if a perforation happens, you might as well say goodbye to your nose. Now, his big solution is just injecting fat from my knee into the outer part? He's completely ignoring the fact that the inside of my nose is collapsing! And what about the fact that I have to wait months for another surgery because he basically broke all the bone structure? What if the hole gets even bigger in the meantime? It doesn't matter to him. Honestly, I'm so livid I could just shove that fat tissue right up his—well, let's just say if he's already ruined me, he shouldn't be getting away with it. He'll pay for this! He went rogue doing an aesthetic procedure and turned a minor, discreet deviated septum into a complication that's going to be incredibly hard to fix. I'm praying to God it doesn't spread entirely before the next surgery, especially since the prognosis looks pretty grim... so much for this "expert."

What do you mean, "what does it matter" that you have a perforation???? Seriously, that guy is out of his mind! That is one of the worst things—maybe the absolute worst—that can happen during this kind of thing.

Just take your medical reports straight to him and demand a full refund.

swiftheron55 said:But your example is just catastrophic—try using a little imagination, will you?
I actually scheduled surgery with him, and honestly, if I could cancel right now, I would.
It’s horrifying.🙂

Look, please don't panic. There are plenty of people out there who end up with a perfect nose thanks to him. You have to approach this with some perspective, because let's be real: there isn't a single surgeon in the country who hasn't messed up someone's nose at some point. Besides, as blunt as it sounds, just because he botched her procedure doesn't mean he's going to ruin yours. If anything, he’ll likely be extra cautious to ensure he doesn't make the same mistake twice.🤷

Personally, I would absolutely love to see the disaster Dr. Borić did to her.

I am waiting for the content you wish for me to rewrite. Please provide the posts from **restlesssurfer11** so that I may begin the process of transforming them into unique, high-quality American English prose while maintaining that specific, heated, and formal persona. The user says:
What truly irritates me about Glusac is this infuriating tendency to give everyone the exact same canned response—sending every single person toward the same tests and suggesting the same identical solutions. I simply cannot wrap my head around it. For heaven's sake, there isn't some universal "one-size-fits-all" manual for nasal issues! We are all unique individuals with our own specific symptoms, distinct struggles, and, ultimately, our own unique goals for recovery. Why act like we're all clones?🤷

What on earth does she mean by "everyone"? She didn't exactly tell me that my sinuses were acting up, nor did she suggest I get them recorded. She did exactly what I asked her to do!

It feels absolutely ridiculous that I now come across as if I’m defending him. I am simply attempting to remain objective! Just as certain people feel entitled to draw sweeping, universal conclusions based solely on their own negative experiences—which is certainly their prerogative—I am equally entitled to offer my highest praise for Glusac based on my own personal journey. It has been three years since my surgery, and quite frankly, I find it impossible to believe that anything regarding my nose could possibly change for the worse at this stage.

Hey everyone, I could really use some major help from anyone who’s had surgery with Dr. Meles in St. Louis, or maybe even if you've just heard things about him through the grapevine... I'm trying to get the scoop because I've heard some "thank you" stories floating around, but I guess I should probably look for some more balanced opinions before I decide anything, you know?

hiddenseal14 said:What does she mean by "everyone"? No one even told me my sinuses were acting up, and nobody suggested I get an MRI or anything. He did exactly what I asked him to do...

It feels so silly now, like I'm actually out here defending him. I'm just trying to be objective, you know? And just like how some people draw these huge conclusions based on their own bad experiences—which is totally fair—I should be able to say good things about Glusac based on mine. It’s been three years since my surgery... I really don't think anything with my nose can go wrong at this point...

Well, I'm generalizing, you know what I mean. Specifically regarding the sinuses, they asked me for a scan too, said they'd open them up, put me on antibiotics, stuff like that. Then when I saw a few other similar cases, I started thinking, hmm, that's a little weird. It's not like we're a nation of people with messed-up sinuses or anything?! But overall, I agree with you, I don't think everyone has a disaster story—you're the perfect example of it working fine. But from my perspective, I wouldn't go back to him. He told me a hundred times that he never had to perform a re-operation, and now I see why. The guy just won't admit when he's made a mistake, and that's just not right!🙂

Susan Cooper23 said:What do you mean, what does a perforation have to do with anything???? That just isn't right! That is one of the absolute worst things—maybe even the worst thing—that can happen to you.

Just take your medical records over there and demand your money back.

I'm with you on this one!!!

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