Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Hannah Wright6 said:I mentioned just above 🙂 maybe 5 days, though my swelling sticks around a bit longer 😉 I’m bringing up the correction thing because I actually told the doctor that since he was already going in there to break everything down, he might as well tweak things a little—not that I wasn't happy with the original plan, but he decided to try and straighten things out just a tiny bit without overdoing it. Turns out, because of that "minor" adjustment, the surgery ended up taking way longer and I looked like I’d been run over by a semi 😁 mind you, he was grinding down bone, whereas your situation is "just" soft tissue, but who knows how that plays out, right? So yeah, that's why I'm saying it 😉

ugh, I wouldn't want to end up in the hospital 😢

Guess I'll have to give it some more thought 😁

Elizabeth Davis said:ugh, I wouldn't want to be stuck in a hospital😢

I guess I'll have to think about it some more 😁

but it’s not that bad! That was my first time staying overnight at a hospital too, but the staff was awesome and I felt better pretty fast 🙂 It’s just a little awkward that first night before surgery, you know? Just waiting around. But after that, it's fine 🙂

Hannah Wright6 said:but it’s really not that bad! that was my first time staying overnight at a hospital too, and honestly, I ran into some great people, so everything went by pretty fast 🙂 the only awkward part is that first night before you actually go under, just waiting around, but after that, it's fine 🙂

I guess we'll see.. but hey, there is an upside to being in the hospital—you get Ketoral straight through an IV (if I read that right), so you aren't hurting. My brother was dying from the pain for a few days at home before he finally figured out which pills actually worked.
still, they really should be doing a better job taking care of all that stuff in hospitals 🙂

Donna Johnson16 said:did you go for that X-ray using a referral from your primary care doctor, an ENT specialist, or did you just head to a private clinic and pay out of pocket? was this like, fifteen years ago, or more recent?...

as for your other question—at public hospitals, basically major medical centers, you can get septoplasty done if you're having functional issues (which Medicare covers), and then you just pay extra for the cosmetic part they do at the same time... it's totally legit, they have set price lists for that.

with a private clinic, they'll handle both the function and the aesthetics in one single procedure, everything is bundled into the price 🙂—but nobody here has mentioned a private clinic that actually works that way with health insurance

...

I haven't been on the forum for quite a while... lately I've just been going through Medicare (for the ENT, for X-rays), I had my sinus X-ray recently, and I just got an appointment scheduled with the ENT for November 22nd (considering I was already there a year ago and they gave me Avamys which just makes my nose bleed, gross, and doesn't even help me breathe better). thanks for the reply, I didn't realize they had price lists for the cosmetic side too—so who should I actually see? I feel like the nose really needs to match the face, I definitely don't want them turning it into a potato, since I don't need a huge correction.
I was asking about that "public-private mix" at the clinics because, honestly, I feel safer going to a private place, though I don't even know why private clinics give me that much sense of security... hmm.

mel23 Asks:
I’m heading in for septoplasty soon to fix my deviated septum—basically getting my nose straightened out—and I have a bit of a stupid question... I currently have gel nails done, so am I allowed to keep them on during the surgery? Please give me a quick answer, thanks!

Betty Edwards22 said:She simply shouldn't have it.

Hannah Wright6 said:Both my doctor and two different anesthesiologists gave me the exact same warning—I am absolutely not allowed to have one. It’s all because of how they monitor your vitals during surgery—that little clip they put on your finger, the pulse oximeter, you know the one? Apparently, it’s a total non-starter for them. 😁 And then there’s the whole issue of oxygen saturation—it's just one more thing to worry about!

It seems like the nonsense is starting to pile up all over again.☕

Let’s get one thing straight—gel nails aren't going to cause you any trouble. Look, if you want my advice—and you really should listen to me on this one—you should try to go with a clear gel if you have extensions or gel manicures. Ideally, they’d be able to see the actual nail bed clearly. But honestly? Don't lose any sleep over it. It isn't some massive deal, and I can guarantee you that nobody is going to postpone your surgery just because of what's going on with your nails.😉 The real issue here—and it’s a significant one—is that this indicator is a pulse oximeter. It functions based on spectrometry to measure blood oxygen saturation levels, and having nail polish on is a massive problem because it throws off the readings entirely. What’s actually most dangerous, though, is the potential for false positives; if someone has painted nails, the device might show deceptively healthy results, which could lead to a patient being mismanaged or denied critical care when they actually need it.

Listen, if you’re planning on having any kind of procedure done, there's a little detail about your manicure that you really need to get straight—and I mean properly straight. If you happen to have a clear gel overlay on your nails, don't sweat it; it won't cause any issues at all. However, you absolutely must mention it to your anesthesiologist before they start their work. Now, here is where people usually mess up: if you're rocking those flashy, neon gels that glow under UV light, or anything loaded with glitter and shimmer, just take it off. It isn't just a cosmetic suggestion—it's practical. Those fancy finishes interfere with the pulse oximeter, which means you won't be getting accurate readings on your oxygen levels. And trust me, when you're under, you want those numbers to be spot on. Don't let a bit of sparkle compromise your safety. ALI Believe it or not, even that isn't going to stop the surgery—and honestly, it’s almost laughable. Just three weeks ago, I was heading in for my third operation of the year, and wouldn't you know it? Every single time, I had gel polish on my nails. This last time was even worse—I had this full-on glitter manicure that was absolutely impossible to scrub off overnight, especially since I only found out a day before the procedure that I was being wheeled in. But the anesthesiologist just looked at me and told me not to stress about it one bit; apparently, if they can't get a solid reading on your finger, they just pop the pulse oximeter on your nose instead. Problem solved. 😉

So, here’s the breakdown—take it however you want, but this is exactly what I’ve gone through under gel nails: 😬 Two births and three surgeries—tonsils, nose, and an inguinal hernia.🙂

By the way—this woman who wandered into my room in the middle of the night, straight from emergency surgery following that collision (she was coming from the surgical ward)—she had bright red nail polish on every single nail, both hands and feet.😁)

Elizabeth Davis said:I’m trying to figure out how much pain we're talking about after nose surgery—and I mean an average estimate, since I realize everyone handles it differently. How long do the bruises actually hang around? And more importantly, how long does it take before my face looks somewhat "normal" again—you know, enough to show up in public without causing everyone to pass out from shock😁?

I have a pretty standard nose, though I deal with a slight septal deviation—which absolutely wrecks me whenever I catch a cold, hit an allergy flare-up, or when the seasonal changes kick in. I’d like to make some minor aesthetic tweaks too (just narrowing it slightly, since my nostrils seem a bit wide, if that even makes sense). So, while the correction would be minimal, it would mean a lot to me... but the primary driver here is the septum. Before allergies became an issue, I could manage, but lately, my breathing has been a disaster (the right nostril is completely blocked) from Easter all the way until we hit the coast in August—it was only then, thanks to the salt air and everything else, that things finally cleared up. Now that winter is approaching, the central blockage is bothering me constantly; my nose just won't cooperate.
It turns out that in a single year, I can only breathe normally for about two months.😬

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.🙂

In my case, there was absolutely no pain at all (I had internal surgery—essentially just a cut through the septum).
I was discharged after three days, which is when they removed the stitches and the packing from my nose. Ten days later, the mold was taken off, leaving me with nothing but a discreet little bandage on my nose. My bruising was minimal, though it was deep-seated, so it lingered a bit longer—maybe about 2 to 3 weeks—but I was already back at work after two weeks because, thank God, concealer exists.😬

After those initial ten days and once the mold was out, my nose had almost zero swelling; honestly, only someone looking at my nose with a magnifying glass would have noticed a millimeter of difference.🤣

As for the cost, every hospital has a price list, though you can usually get a quote without needing a formal bill first,😁 but it really just depends on which doctor you choose.

Honestly, if functional breathing is your main priority, go to a hospital rather than seeing a private cosmetic specialist—this is the job of an ENT, not an aesthetician.😉

Hello everyone...

After spending quite a bit of time reading through all the personal accounts shared here on this forum, I’ve finally reached a point where I've decided to move forward with correcting my deviated septum.
I was wondering if anyone here might have any firsthand experience regarding nasal surgery at Varaždin General Hospital—specifically working with Dr. Turkalj.

Thank you all so much in advance.

Elizabeth Davis said:I am genuinely curious about how much pain one actually deals with after nose surgery, and just how long those bruises typically hang around—I realize it’s different for everyone, obviously—but also, how long does it take before my nose starts looking somewhat normal again? I want to know when I can actually start showing my face in public without causing everyone to faint from shock😁?

Personally, I didn't feel a single ounce of pain following my procedure. Absolutely nothing. I didn't even bother taking a single painkiller.
The bruising lasted about seven days. It wasn't nearly as bad as I feared; they were dark blue for the first couple of days, then transitioned to green and finally yellow. I was bracing myself for a total nightmare.
Once they take the splint off, you can pretty much head out into the world. So, after about 7 or 8 days, you're good to go. Your nose might still look a bit swollen, but honestly, nobody is going to notice it except for you.

Sam Kim12 said:Honestly, I didn't feel any pain at all (it was an internal procedure—just a cut through my septum).
I was discharged after 3 days once they pulled the stitches and the packing out of my nose. In about 10 days, they take off the mold and you're just left with this tiny, discreet bandage on your nose. My bruising wasn't heavy, but it was deep, so it took a little longer to fade—maybe 2 or 3 weeks—but I was already back at work after 2 weeks because, thank God, concealer exists. 😬.

After those first 10 days and getting the mold removed, my nose was barely swollen. Like, only someone who spends their life studying noses would notice a millimeter difference, and there aren't many of those people around. 🤣

As for the aesthetics, every hospital has its own price list, but you can sometimes get it done without a formal bill😁 depending on the doctor.

Real talk: if the actual function of your nose is the priority, go to a public hospital rather than a private clinic. This is ENT territory, not a med spa job.😉

For me, functionality is everything (this congestion is absolutely killing me 🙄), so I’d fix the look as a bonus. If I’m going under the knife anyway, why not fix everything at once? That’s why I’m leaning towards a public hospital. Private clinics always seem more focused on cosmetic stuff than health issues to me—maybe that’s just a bias, but whatever. Plus, I figured it’d be cheaper at a state facility!

Hey everyone!
Decided it was finally time to jump in and sort out my own mess here.😁
I’ve been scrolling through all this for ages, and honestly, my brain is just mush at this point. I can't tell what's fact and what's fiction anymore... it's all just a blur. 🙂 😕
Anyway, I’m looking for some intel on this Dr. Vinko Borčić guy mentioned earlier... Anyone have any actual experiences or thoughts on him? Thnxx

hey everyone... i'm 19. had surgery about 9 months ago because my nose was crooked from an injury. still dealing with some swelling on the tip of my nose and upper lip today too. anyone know what might be going on?... thanks 🙂

Hi everyone!!
I’ve been weighing the idea of rhinoplasty for quite some time now for several different reasons. I have a deviated septum, though it doesn't cause nearly as much trouble as it used to—back in the day, seasonal allergies would leave me dealing with a stuffed nose for weeks every spring—but nowadays, it just happens occasionally. However, the aesthetic side of things is what really bothers me. My nasal tip droops toward my lip, there's a prominent ridge between the cartilages, and it looks crooked and rather long. One profile is fine, but the other is quite unattractive; plus, I’m not one of those lucky people who at least looks good from the front—which feels even worse! Because of this, when I'm taking photos, I find myself constantly turning to the "good" side and trying not to smile too much. It's honestly hard to accept that this causes me such distress as an adult, but what can you do when it's out of your control? I actually broke my nose once, and I wonder how much that played a role, because looking back at childhood photos, my nose always looked different from everyone else's.
Anyway, enough rambling about my life story so I can get to the point... I've been following this forum for a few days now, trying to gather some impressions. I don't have any specific surgeon in mind yet, though I am somewhat curious about Dr. Glušac in Miami, but I'll give that more thought later.
I'm wondering if anyone here has had surgery specifically on the tip of the nose (mine is crooked and oversized)—is it even possible to fix that using an endonasal approach? If so, what happens to the excess skin?
Sorry for the "essay"... I won't drag it out like this again! 🙄
Thanks in advance

Sam Kim12 said:It looks like the nonsense is starting up again☕

And you're quite the expert—if you can even call yourself that... I'm stopping here because this post isn't even worth a single thought.

Melissa Sanchez34 said:I want to fix my deviated septum and, if possible, do some cosmetic work too. I need both done, so it would be ideal to handle everything at once.
Does Grgic perform both procedures? And how much would it cost at the hospital? I just want to be prepared. Also, is it actually possible to get an appointment that quickly?

He does. If we're talking about a deformity caused by trauma, there's no charge—Medicare covers it. Unless, of course, you have supplemental insurance. It's not a matter of how fast you can get in line vs. what you pay; the coverage depends on the cause.

Kimberly Hughes17 said:Hi everyone!!
I’ve been weighing the idea of nose surgery for quite some time now for several reasons. I have a deviated septum, though it doesn't actually cause massive issues like it used to—back in the spring, my allergies would leave me with a stuffed nose for weeks—but nowadays, it just happens occasionally. However, it's the aesthetic side that really, really bothers me. My nasal tip droops toward my lip, there's this prominent ridge between the cartilages, and it's crooked and quite long... one profile looks okay, but the other is just ugly. And I'm not even one of those lucky people who looks good from the front—which feels even worse, honestly. So when I'm taking photos, I try to turn toward the "good" side and I'm terrified of smiling too much... It's hard to accept that this causes such an issue for me as an adult, but I guess it is what it is. I broke my nose once, and I don't know how much that affected things, because looking at childhood photos, I notice my nose always looked different than most others.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling about my life story and get to the point... I've been following this forum for a few days trying to gather some impressions. I don't have any idea yet who I should go to for the surgery. I'm somewhat curious about Dr. Glušac in LA, but I'll have to think more about that.
I want to know if any of you have had surgery specifically on the nasal tip (mine is crooked and large) and if that can even be done with an endonasal approach? If so, what happens to the excess skin?
Sorry for the "essay"... I won't drag it out like this again🙄
Thanks in advance

I saw Glušac; I also have a large nasal tip, and after his surgery, it still looks big.. -.-
Though, I did get a hole in my nose for free🙂

Betty Thompson45 said:I went to see Glušac, and my nose tip is still huge even after his surgery.. -.-
Except I got a hole in my nose for free 🙂

Plus, the tip is bigger than before AND there’s a dent on the right side 😍 just great

Sam Kim12 said:It looks like more nonsense is spreading again☕

Nail gel isn't actually an issue—the general advice is that if you have gel, try to go with something sheer so the nail bed shows through, but honestly, it’s not a dealbreaker and nobody is going to cancel your surgery over it😉 because the whole thing comes down to the pulse oximeter (which works on spectrometry) measuring blood oxygen levels, and nail polish can mess with those readings by giving false data. Actually, the worst part is that it could potentially give falsely high results, which puts the patient at risk during treatment..

Women with clear gel nails are totally fine to have them and they won't interfere, though you should definitely mention it to the anesthesiologist; the recommendation is usually to take off any neon gels that glow under UV or anything super glittery, since that's what throws off the oximeter. BUT even then, it’s still not stopping the surgery from happening. Believe it or not, I just had my third surgery this year, and every single time I had gel on, including this last one where my nails were covered in glitter! I couldn't get it off overnight since I only found out a day before, but my anesthesiologist told me not to stress at all because they can just put the oximeter on your nose or your ear if the fingers aren't working. 😉

I've gone through all these procedures with gel nails, so take it for what it's worth: 😬two births and three surgeries (tonsils, nose, and an inguinal hernia)🙂

BTW: I once saw a woman come into my room from emergency surgery after a collision, and she had bright red polish on every single nail, both hands and feet😁.

The direction this conversation is taking is totally off-topic, obviously, but since anesthesia stuff is pretty much my field, I'm curious why people think suggesting we strip off our gel nails is just spreading misinformation?

It's a safe bet that things like wearing heels or fake lashes during a procedure wouldn't matter either, but I don't see anyone suggesting people wear those to the hospital.....

Basically, I want to know why someone prepping for a routine, elective procedure—where there's "no fire to put out"—would suggest that painted nails are perfectly acceptable?

Hint: stop confusing an urgent emergency situation with prep for a scheduled, elective procedure. You'll realize pretty quickly they aren't even in the same universe....

Honestly, let me just jump in here because I really don't have the patience to wait for a reply...

If you’ve got nail polish on before a surgery, just get rid of it. It doesn't matter what kind it is—just wipe it off and stop overthinking whether it's okay or not. Seriously! In my facility, we won't even consider moving forward if you show up with painted nails. We’ll just send you right back to the ward or call the nurse over to tell them they need to scrub that crap off your hands before any anesthesia work even begins...

People always bring up the pulse oximeter and how it might give weird saturation readings, and while that’s one part of it, it’s more than enough reason to strip the polish off. If it happens once in a blue moon, sure, maybe it’s fine. But if it happens that 101st time? Then what? Why would you ever risk a wrong assessment or, even worse, the wrong medical intervention?

But here’s the part that actually blows my mind... you're in the OR, the patient is under, intubated, and on a ventilator. You’ve got the EKG readout, the pulse oximeter, everything. But honestly, sometimes you can barely even get near the patient because you're blocked by those bright surgical lights, green drapes all over the field, and a crowd of surgeons and techs hovering everywhere. Usually, the only thing you can actually see of the patient is one arm—the other is tucked away or fixed in place—with a blood pressure cuff and a pulse oximeter on a finger. And you’ve gone and put polish on those fingers! As I said, the dodgy readings are one issue, but the much bigger problem (and I can't believe I'm even saying this to someone with medical training) is that you’ve basically blinded yourself from checking nail bed color and reperfusion. Me and a whole bunch of anesthesiologists don't always rely solely on the SpO2 number on the screen—sometimes sensors fail, lose contact, or peripheral vasoconstriction kicks in. Instead, we judge the situation by looking at the nails! By their color, or how quickly the color returns after a little squeeze... that is fundamental monitoring. Monitoring isn't just machines; it's the person watching the patient!

Now, picture that exact scenario in the OR... 100% of the time, everything is perfect and you don't even need to look. But that 101st time, a "situation" arises. And trust me, they always arise. There are endless directions a crisis can take...

I won't drone on too long because there's no point... but I can say with absolute certainty: I swear, I wouldn't dream of performing a major procedure on a patient who has painted nails. ☕...

Nail polish? No way. Personally, I think explaining why is just common sense. Who says that (if I'm following correctly) is spreading stupidity? 🙄....🙂....

Hey there!! 😍

Well, after 30 years of putting it off, I finally bit the bullet and saw an ENT specialist in San Diego regarding my
ongoing issues. 🙂

The report reads: (Nasal and nasopharyngeal endoscopy: normal mucosal response to vasoconstrictor; both tubal openings and the nasopharynx appear normal.
Right side: hypertrophied inferior turbinate with septal impingement.
Left side: findings are normal.

Since I have a follow-up scheduled with my ENT, I have a few questions:
Am I looking at nose surgery?
Will they be operating on both nostrils or just the right one, since the left side is apparently fine?
Does anyone here know what "hypertrophied inferior turbinate" actually means?
And what is this "septal impingement" business about?

Thanks in advance. Just so we’re clear—I’m not afraid of surgery itself. 🙂

Best, and thanks for any insight you can provide.

Nancy Palmer54 said:plus, the tip is higher than before, and there's this indentation on the right side of the nose😍 just wonderful

Looking at this now, I'm starting to think Dr. Glušac might be moving down my list... Thanks everyone for sharing what you've been through.
Has anyone here had surgery specifically to fix a large, unattractive tip? I'm hoping for a result where it doesn't look droopy or overly wide anymore. Personally, I'm not looking for a tiny, upturned button nose—that’s just not my style—but I really want to get rid of this tip that bothers me so much. From what I understand, isn't that actually a pretty difficult correction to pull off?