Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Melissa Sanchez34 said:Can anyone who’s had surgery at St. Jude or the Vineyard hospital tell me roughly how long the wait times are right now?
I really need to get this done as soon as possible because of my work schedule, or I might have to push it back again—though I'd much rather just get it over with!
I already went to Mercy for the initial exam, so I'm wondering if there will be any issues before I can get a new referral. Honestly, I really don't want to have the actual surgery at that facility, at least not with the doctor who saw me last time.
If anyone could help me out, I'd appreciate it! 🙂

It really depends on what kind of procedure you need and which specialist you see at the Vineyard hospital. If you go through Dr. Grgic, things move pretty fast—you can often get in within a month, maybe two at most. As for the initial consultation, it was about a month recently. Other surgeons will have totally different waiting lists depending on their schedules.

Betty Edwards22 said:There's no such thing as a direct fix for your nasal cycle...
It’s just how the body works, and honestly, everything from your hormones to random inflammation can mess with it...

When we talk about surgery, specifically for a deviated septum, you're really just clearing out the physical blockage that the lady above mentioned... But if you have issues with nasal dynamics because of uneven cavities or maxilla deformities, things might actually feel better once that obstruction is gone...
The thing is, neither surgery nor meds can truly "cure" those permanent changes to the lining that people usually call chronic rhinosinusitis...

hey I have a question for everyone—my doctors are insisting that my dark circles, watery eyes, clogged ears, fatigue, and constant colds are all coming from a deviated septum... is that even possible?! I never suspected that because I've been using Awamys, and my sinus scans looked fine even though my nose felt totally stuffed up... they say I need surgery now, so does anyone know any private clinics or maybe some public-private hybrid hospitals in the States that would do this for free if I get a nose job at the same time? (I've wanted to fix my nose for ages but never cared, but since I have to do this anyway, I might as well handle it all at once)...

Carol Booth82 said:Hey everyone, I have a quick question for the group—my doctors are claiming that my dark circles under my eyes, eye strain, clogged ears, fatigue, and even these constant colds are all actually caused by a deviated septum. Is that even possible?! Up until now, I hadn't suspected that at all because I’ve just been injecting Awamys, and my sinus scans actually came back looking fine, even though my nose felt completely stuffed up. They’re saying I’ll eventually need surgery. Does anyone know of any private clinics—maybe somewhere with a public-private hybrid model—that might perform this for free alongside a rhinoplasty? I’ve wanted to fix my nose for ages but never really cared, but since I have to go through with the surgery anyway, I figured I might as well get everything handled in one shot.

I'm not quite following what you're asking or what your specific question is here.🤷

Betty Edwards22 said:I'm not really sure what you're looking for here, or even what the actual question is...🤷

I was wondering if a deviated septum could actually be the culprit behind everything I've been dealing with lately... like the stinging in my eyes, that clogged feeling in my ears, just constant fatigue, and obviously the breathing issues... specifically the eye irritation and this weird pressure under my eyes, along with these dark circles that definitely weren't there before... anyway, please let me know what you guys think... 🙂

Fatigue can sometimes manifest as shortness of breath. As for that burning sensation in your eyes, that would likely be tied to allergies.

Carol Booth82 said:...

so the sinus scan actually looked fine, but my nose was basically a total disaster zone.

they’re telling me I need surgery—is there any kind of private clinic with a public-private hybrid setup that would do this for free alongside a rhinoplasty? (I’ve wanted to fix the look of my nose forever but honestly didn't care enough then, and since I'm forced to deal with this now, I might as well just get everything done in one go)...

did you get that X-ray through a referral from a primary care doc, an ENT specialist, or did you just head straight to a private clinic and pay out of pocket? and was this like, fifteen years ago, or more recent?

as for your other question—at public hospitals, or those big university medical centers, you can totally get a septum surgery done for functional issues (Medicare covers that part), and then you just pay the extra fee for the aesthetic portion performed at the same time. it's completely legit, they have set price lists for it.

with private clinics, they'll obviously do both (function and looks) in one single procedure, all bundled into the price 🙂—but nobody here has mentioned a specific private clinic that works in tandem with insurance like that yet...

...

Carol Booth82 said:I was wondering if a deviated septum could actually be the culprit behind everything I've been dealing with lately—the stinging sensation in my eyes, that constant feeling of congestion in my ears, the general fatigue, and, of course, the obvious breathing issues. To be more specific, my eyes feel like they're burning, there’s this strange pressure right under my eye sockets, and I’ve developed these dark circles under my eyes that definitely weren't there before. If anyone has any insight, I'd really appreciate it. 🙂

I already explained the causes to you after your specialist gave their diagnosis, yet here you are, asking the forum for answers. 😕

I'm scheduled for septoplasty soon to fix a deviated septum, and I have a bit of a silly question... I currently have gel nails; am I allowed to keep them on during the surgery? Please let me know as soon as you can, thanks!

Zachary Young7 said:I’m scheduled for septoplasty surgery soon to fix my deviated septum, and I have a bit of a silly question... I currently have gel nails on—is it okay to keep them during the procedure? Please let me know as soon as you can, thanks!

I wouldn't recommend keeping them.

Zachary Young7 said:I’m scheduled for nasal surgery soon—septoplasty to fix a deviated septum—and I have a bit of a silly question... I have gel nails right now, and I was wondering if it's okay to keep them on during the procedure? Please let me know as soon as you can, thanks!

I went through my own procedure, and having them on didn't cause any issues at all.🙂

Zachary Young7 said:I'm having nasal surgery soon for a deviated septum and I have a silly question... I have gel nails, am I allowed to wear them during the surgery? Please answer ASAP, thanks!

My doctor and two anesthesiologists all told me no way. It's because they need to monitor my vitals during the procedure using that little clip they put on your finger—I think it's called a pulse oximeter 😁—to check my oxygen levels!

🙂

Hannah Wright6 said:Both my doctor and two anesthesiologists told me I absolutely cannot have one. They need to monitor my vitals during surgery using that little clip they put on your finger—I can't even remember what that 😁 thing is called—and track my oxygen saturation levels!

Just wondering, how long does a typical hospital stay look like following septoplasty surgery?

Thanks in advance

So, I’ve got my next appointment coming up with Dr. Grgica over at Vineyard.
Back about two years ago, I went to see Dr. Jurlin at the Mayo Clinic, and he told me straight up that I needed septum surgery—basically said my nose was way too "mountainous" and needed to be reshaped into something more "coastal." 😁But, you know, life happened, and because I was pregnant... I just couldn't go through with the surgery then. I guess I'm wondering if it's actually worth showing Dr. Grgica all the paperwork and notes from Dr. Jurlin, or if I should just start fresh? 😕
In the report, it says this:
macrorhinia and stenorhinia. Septal deformity on the right, type 5.
Could anyone maybe help me make sense of what that actually means? Dr. Jurlin wasn't exactly the most outgoing or chatty guy during our visit, so I'm really hoping things go a bit smoother when I talk to Dr. Grgica. 🙂

Betty Edwards22 said:It really depends on what you need done and which specialist you see over at the Vineyard clinic. If you go to Dr. Grgica, you can get in pretty fast—maybe a month at most. I just had an appointment recently and the wait was about a month for a checkup. Other doctors have totally different waiting lists.

I want to fix my deviated septum and hopefully get some aesthetic work done too. It would be perfect to knock both out at once.
Does Dr. Grgica handle both? And what kind of hospital fees am I looking at? Just trying to be prepared in case I actually can get an appointment that quickly.

Dana Torres14 said:Just wondering, how long does someone usually stay in the hospital after septum surgery?

thanks in advance

I think the average is about 5 days, but honestly, it just depends on how you heal. I ended up staying an extra day because besides the bruising, the swelling was pretty bad and I needed dexamethasone shots.

I'm trying to get a feel for how much pain we're talking about after nose surgery. Like, how long does the soreness actually last? And what’s the average timeframe for those bruises to clear up? I know everyone heals differently, but I need a ballpark figure. Also, when can I actually start showing my face in public again without people looking at me like I've seen a ghost? 😁?

My nose is pretty standard, just a slight deviated septum that absolutely wrecks me whenever I catch a cold, deal with allergies, or even just when the seasonal changes hit. I'd love to tweak it slightly too—just slim down the nostrils a bit since they feel kind of wide, if that makes sense. So, the cosmetic stuff would be minor, but honestly, it would mean a lot to me... though the main reason for the surgery is definitely that septum. Before my allergies kicked in, it wasn't a huge deal, but lately, it's been a total nightmare. My right nostril was basically useless from Easter all the way until our beach trip in August (I think the salt air finally cleared things out a bit). Now that winter is coming, the congestion is back and my nose is just being a jerk.
Basically, in a whole year, I only get two months where I can actually breathe normally. 😬

Thanks in advance for any insight you guys have. 🙂

Elizabeth Davis said:I'm wondering how much pain there is after nose surgery and how long bruising lasts on average (I know everyone is different), and also how long it takes for the nose to look somewhat normal so I can actually go out in public without people fainting 😁?

I have a pretty standard nose but a slight deviated septum (which kills me whenever I have a cold, allergies hit, or when the AC kicks in), though I’d like to tweak it a bit (narrow it slightly since my nostrils seem kind of wide, if that makes sense). So, the correction would be minimal, but it would mean a lot to me... and the main reason for the surgery would be that septum. Before I developed allergies, things were okay, but now my nose is trashed (my right nostril is totally blocked) from Easter until we hit the coast in August (it finally cleared up then, maybe because of the salt air and stuff). Of course, winter is coming, and the central blockage and constant issues are really bothering me.
Basically, in a year, I can only breathe normally for about two months. 😬

Thanks in advance for any answers! 🙂

I can only tell you how it was for me, since I'm still recovering so it's all still fresh. 😁 My surgery was on Oct 18th. The first 36 hours were rough, but 😲 once the swelling started and the bruising kicked in, I was so swollen my eyes were almost completely shut (I wouldn't even let my parents or friends come see me)... but after those first two or three days, it starts going down really fast (except for my swelling, mine was super stubborn). The only thing was two spots under my eyes and some bruising that reached my chin (like blue lines on each side of my mouth) that hung around stubbornly for about ten days after the surgery, but by then I was already socially acceptable. 😉 My nose was still swollen then, but not enough for strangers to notice, and I just covered the bruises with makeup. 😉 As for the pain, honestly, during the worst first two days I was getting Ketorolac via IV, and it worked so fast I can't even say I suffered. It only started hurting after I laughed like an idiot in the room because I was with such great company, and we were all collectively passing around Ibuprofen. 😁 Now, just two or three days later, the swelling has totally deflated—even I can tell—while other people haven't noticed anything for a while now 😉 except that it looks a little different.
Regarding the cosmetic part, only a doctor can really decide if it counts as a "minor" correction, no matter how small the change is, because it depends on what they actually have to do to fix it... hope this helps at least a little. 😉

Hannah Wright6 said:I can only tell you about my own experience, since I'm still recovering so everything is still pretty fresh in my mind😁 My surgery was on October 18th. Those first 36 hours were honestly brutal, especially😲 once the swelling kicked in and the bruising started. I was so swollen my eyes were practically shut—I wouldn't even let my parents or friends come by to see me. But after those first two or three days, things start to go down pretty fast (except for my swelling; mine was being really stubborn). The only things that stuck around were two little spots under my eyes and some bruising that reached down to my chin (like a blue line on each side of my mouth). Those hung on for about ten days after the surgery, but by then I was already back out in public😉 My nose was still swollen back then, but not enough for strangers to notice, and I just used makeup to cover the dark spots😉 As for the pain... honestly, the worst part was the first two days when they were giving me Ketorolac through an IV. It worked so fast I can't even say I felt much pain. It only started hurting after I spent the afternoon laughing like an idiot in the room because I had such great company—we were all basically passing Ibuprofen around like candy😁 Now, my nose looks totally deflated after just two or three days; I can definitely see the change, though most people haven't noticed anything at all yet😉 except maybe a tiny bit
Regarding the revision, only a doctor can really judge if it qualifies as a "minor" correction. No matter how small the change seems, it depends entirely on what they actually have to do to fix it... I hope this helps a little😉

Thanks so much for the quick and detailed reply👍

One thing I'm wondering about—from what I gather, you stayed in the hospital? How long does that usually last?

The only person in my family who's had work done was my brother, but he just had ear surgery, so you don't stay in the hospital for that. I'm kind of in the dark here😬

And I think my revision would be smaller—just narrowing the nostrils, rather than having to narrow the whole bridge and remove a hump and all that. I'm not saying it'd be tiny, just smaller than some other cases🙂

Elizabeth Davis said:thanks so much for getting back to me so fast with all those details 👍

I'm still wondering though—from what I gathered, you actually stayed in the hospital? How long does that part usually last?

The only thing anyone in my family has ever had done was ear surgery, and you don't stay overnight for that, so I'm totally out of the loop here 😬

And I think my correction would be pretty minor, like just narrowing the nostrils, not like having to shrink the whole bridge and fix a bump... I'm not saying it'd be tiny, just smaller than some other procedures.. 🙂

Like I mentioned above 🙂 maybe around 5 days, though the swelling hangs around a bit longer for me 😉 I'm only bringing up the correction because when I talked to my doctor, I told him that since he was already going in, he could touch up a few things even though I wasn't really unhappy. He decided to try and straighten things out just a tiny bit without overdoing it, but in the end, that "little" tweak made the surgery take way longer and I ended up looking like I got hit by a truck 😁 I mean, obviously he was grinding bone, whereas yours is "just" soft tissue, but I don't know how that works, so that's why I'm asking 😉