Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Linda Wright19 said:I’m guessing that price tag is just for the cosmetic stuff or a deviated septum. Do you happen to know how much it costs to get polyps removed, and how long you have to stay in the hospital for either one?
Apparently, he already knows before the exam that he's "Fixing this mess." If that's the case, it's a total waste of cash.

thanks again

When I went for my consultation, I made sure to grab the bill—since my surgery wasn't strictly cosmetic, I actually got a tax refund on the 14 $0.00 which turned out to be a decent chunk of change.
Look, ladies, I don't mean to lecture anyone, but I've been dealing with breathing issues since I was eleven—a messy combo of allergies, inflammation, polyps... I practically know the entire staff at the Mayo Clinic, then there was the local hospital after that... I’ve seen private specialists like Smith, Kurtovic, Racic in Saint, Toncic, Depine, Klapan in Chicago, and even John Smith in Maryland. John Smith left a terrible impression on me; he spent the whole time gossiping about Madonna and other celebrities while I was sitting there holding my spinal CT results, trying to tell him I can't even smell anything anymore, but he just kept doing things his own way.

Polyp surgery is called FESS, and you can get it done at a hospital... in Saint, there are really good doctors like Dr. Roje, Dr. Cikojevic, and Dr. Racic... I'm sure there are others too—you usually stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days.
With that specific surgery, they aren't going to fix anything aesthetic. However, when doctors perform a septoplasty to fix a deviated septum, they often end up fixing cosmetic flaws too. That price you mentioned is what Smith charges for FESS, but if you're looking at a septoplasty, it'll be closer to $20,000, and that's when they'll touch the aesthetics—though nothing too dramatic. If you have a massive eagle nose, you'll notice the difference, but if your nose is pretty standard, they won't exactly lift it, narrow it, or change the profile significantly...

rustygardener172 said:... I'm such a wreck 🙈

...but if I'm being totally honest with you... before surgery, you don't even think about stuff like that because you're just terrified, and after surgery? You're physically incapable of caring... Like, the next day when I went in to have my tampons removed, my mom paid him, and as far as I can remember, he didn't even give her a receipt. I should probably ask her about it... He didn't even count the cash, he just tossed the envelope into a drawer next to some scrap paper and kept on talking 😁 I remember thinking at the time how "cool" that was, like, he just doesn't care about money and trusts us so much... It’s such a shame that it didn't occur to me then how weird it was that he wouldn't give a receipt, and how clearly he cares way more about the cash than the persona he puts on 😁

Exactly. After surgery, a receipt is the absolute last thing on your mind. Honestly, I really can't figure out if people on this forum are just rude, intoxicated, or something else entirely, because insulting someone or calling them a degenerate can only come from one of those groups—or maybe someone incredibly young, which isn't an excuse either, but I guess I get where they're coming from. This forum exists so we can exchange information, not to bicker over nonsense. So, I think it would be best if we all just got back on track with the topic and left John Smith and his shady little side hustles alone.

Rebecca Gomez37 said:During my consultation, I checked the bill—since my procedure wasn't strictly cosmetic, I actually qualified for a sales tax refund on the 14 $0.00 which is quite a nice little perk.
Look, ladies, I don't mean to lecture anyone—really, I don't—but I’ve been dealing with these breathing issues since I was eleven years old. It's a constant, exhausting cocktail of allergies, inflammation, and polyps... I feel like I've practically lived in the hallways of the Mayo Clinic, and before that, various clinics around town. I've seen top specialists like Smith, Kurtovic, Racic in Saint City, Toncic, Depine, Klapan in the city, and even John Smith out in Maryland. Honestly, John Smith left such a terrible impression on me—he wouldn't stop gossiping about Madonna and other celebrities—while I was standing right there holding my spinal CT results, trying to explain that I can't even smell anything anymore, and he just kept rambling about his own nonsense.

So, when did you have your surgery to get that refund? Was it before 2011?

Rebecca Gomez37 said:Polyp surgery is called FESS and you can have it done at a hospital... in Saint City, doctors like Roje, Cikojevic, and Racic are excellent... I believe there are others too—you usually stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days.
When you undergo that specific procedure, it won't do anything for your looks—it's purely functional. However, for those getting a deviated septum corrected, doctors often end up fixing aesthetic flaws as well. This price I mentioned is what Smith charges for FESS, whereas if you're looking at a septoplasty to fix a deviation, it'll run you about $20,000, and that's when they'll actually improve the appearance—though nothing too drastic. If you have a truly eagle-like nose, you'll notice the difference, but if yours is relatively normal, they aren't going to suddenly lift it, depress it, or change the profile entirely...

That isn't actually the name of the operation; FESS is just the term for the method used—specifically, Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS).😉

Sam Kim12 said:So when did you actually have the procedure to get reimbursed? Was it before 2011?

It’s not actually called "polyp surgery"—FESS is just the method used, basically Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS).😉

It shows up on every single one of my medical reports—it's constantly there—so since I had surgery for sinus polyps, I just assumed that was the name of the thing. My bad.
Yeah, back in 2010, that was definitely the deal.☺

Rebecca Gomez37 said:It shows up on every single one of my medical reports—it’s just constant—and since I already had surgery for sinus polyps, I honestly assumed that was just what they called it. My bad.
Well, back in 2010, wasn't it? ☺

How lucky can one person be?😍

Has anyone here dealt with a nasal septum perforation, or do you know someone who has? Also, does anyone know a doctor in the US who’s actually good at repairing them successfully? Thanks a ton!

So, I went in for surgery to actually be able to breathe—the issue wasn't even primarily the septum, but more about the... pyramid, the nostrils? Whatever those 🤷 are called—to fix the valve area. Now, after a year and a half of waiting for things to settle, I’m breathing even harder than before!
In the last six months, I’ve gone back for two check-ups (with the legendary Slaven Bilić 😠, if anyone cares) just to tell him how bad things are: my nostrils are even more concave now, they're incredibly thick, and not only do they still collapse when I inhale, but that thickening makes the passage even narrower, making breathing even tougher. There's this bump in my left nostril that you can feel by touch and even see as a bulge on the outside (probably from a poorly handled septum), and that side bleeds whenever I blow my nose. Overall, it's worse than before. And aesthetically? They "fixed" it, sure, but I actually liked my old nose better, lumps and all. This one looks way too "mainstream," haha 😛 (though obviously, the cosmetic correction is the only thing that actually worked, so they point to that and claim the nose is totally fine)
And the doctor tells me: "I think you're overthinking the nose... everything is fine, I don't see any issues... you're just breathing through your mouth " (WTF?!? Is he being serious??)... "just focus on some other part of your body and you'll forget about the nose" (YES, HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT!!)
And don't even get me started on his "medical reports" 🤦
I tell him one thing, and he writes something completely different in the report! For example: I say the condition is worse than before and I'm dissatisfied; he writes "subjectively good." I complain about my nostrils collapsing during NORMAL inhalation; he writes "partial nasal collapse during forced inspiration." I point out the bump in my left nostril and the bleeding; he takes a half-hearted look inside and says "I see no irregularities." I tell him my nose is constantly full of sticky, uhm, nasal secretions that I often can't even blow out and have to pull out with a tissue; he writes "occasional increased nasal secretion" 🙂. In the end, it's my word against his! It's like because he's the doctor, he's always right, and I'm just some imaginary patient or a hypochondriac who has nothing better to do than trek to appointments because, stupid me, I actually want to breathe through my nose instead of my mouth! 😠

Anyway, since I can't count on this doctor to honestly look me in the eye and tell me what's going on (and I know, and I feel it, and he knows the surgery failed to improve functionality, but he won't admit it), I've decided to get a second opinion
Apparently, the ENT department at the local University Hospital is supposed to be great. Does anyone have experience or a recommendation for a doctor there?
(I just hope they don't dump me with some random person—obviously whoever has the least work—meaning, the worst one)

Listen up, because I’m talking to all of you who are sitting on the fence about getting a nose job or some kind of correction. First off, it’s honestly hilarious how people are too chicken to admit they went under the knife for more than just breathing issues. Everyone claims it’s just a "deviated septum"... yeah, right. Whatever. I had my procedure back in the 90s with Glumičić. Here was my timeline:
1. Consultation
2. Show up at 9 AM, then find myself in bed by 2 PM—waking up from the anesthesia.
3. By 4 PM, I was already heading home.
To be honest, I don't remember the actual surgery itself, but waking up from the anesthesia felt pretty nasty. There was definitely pain because, let's face it, they did a lot of work around my nose, but nothing I couldn't handle. They pulled the packing out after two days; having those things shoved up there made breathing a bit uncomfortable, I won't lie. You're going to have massive bruising, your eyes will be swollen shut, and obviously, your nose will be a mess. But the bruising started fading after just a few days. Three weeks later, I felt like a new person.
All told, the full recovery process takes about 6 months.
Oh, and a heads-up: during that time, stay away from glasses if you can help it. A metal nasal brace is highly recommended...
One last thing: when you go to see the doctor, the very first thing you'll get is a contract. Read the damn thing from start to finish. Everything is laid out in there, and you need to realize that a huge part of the outcome depends on you—your expectations and, most importantly, how strictly you follow the post-op instructions.

jadebison24 said:And one more thing—when you show up at the doctor's office, the very first thing you need to do is grab the contract and actually read the whole damn thing before signing.

Well, I didn't get any contract at all.

stormyharbor2 said:I didn't receive any contract at all.

Me neither.

So, I went in for a consultation about my nose. The doctor spent about 10 minutes rambling on about piercings, engines, and his own massive head—and then, in maybe ninety seconds, he finally glanced at my nose, told me I need to fix my septum (well, he just said I needed surgery, the rest was all in the report), and sent me on my way. Honestly, I have zero clue what he’s actually planning to do to me, how long recovery takes, or how much it’s going to hurt—which matters because of my training schedule. Plus, if I’m already going under the knife to get my nose shape fixed 🙂, does the procedure include aesthetic corrections too? If anyone actually knows, please explain, because this guy isn't acting much like a doctor. I even asked him if this might finally stop my snoring, and he basically told me that wasn't his concern. Like, seriously, what's the point? Am I actually going to be able to breathe easier or what?

So many different doctors and so many conflicting opinions—everyone’s had their own experience with this. Honestly, the more I read through this forum, the more confused I get... 😢

Oh, and nobody has actually mentioned if it's okay to go swimming in the ocean or a pool yet??

Zachary Palmer56 said:I went in for a checkup on my nasal bone. The doctor spent like 10 minutes rambling about piercings, engines, and his own massive head, and then he spends maybe ninety seconds actually looking at my nose. He just told me I need my septum fixed—well, he just said I need surgery, I had to read the rest in the medical report—and then he was done. I have absolutely no clue what he’s even planning to do to me, how long recovery takes, how much it's going to hurt (which matters because of my training schedule), or if I get a cosmetic fix too since I already have to go under for him to straighten my cheekbone🙂... so if anyone knows anything, please explain it to me, because he clearly isn't acting like a doctor. I asked him if it would at least stop my snoring, and he basically told me that's not his concern. Like, hello? What is the point? Am I supposed to be able to breathe easier or what?

Good grief, Zachary Palmer56!
That's just how it goes in hospitals, honestly, unless you hit a rare exception. Seriously though, if you want him to "fix" the look of your nose aesthetically too, you actually have to tell him... you have to ask if he'll do that part. Most of them don't mind doing it, but you definitely have to make it clear...

Zachary Palmer56 said:There are just so many different doctors and so many conflicting opinions out there... everyone has their own experience, and honestly, the more I read on this forum, the more confused I get... 😢

Oh, and also, nobody has actually told me if I'm allowed to go swimming in the ocean or a pool??

I'd say staying out of the pool is probably best, but the ocean? That should be totally fine. Which is why right now is actually the perfect time to get the nose surgery done—get it over with before summer hits so you can enjoy those natural sea air inhalations...

Greetings, everyone. I have a quick question for the group: did everyone have a tampon placed after their surgery, or is there anyone out there who didn't?

Kate Nguyen40 Asks:
Greetings, everyone! I have a quick question—did they put "tampons" in for everyone after surgery, or did anyone go through this without them?

I haven't had any issues following my second surgery—honestly, I have no idea why some people struggle. I guess it just depends on certain factors. 🤷

So, looking back, I completely skipped out on lymphatic drainage after my surgery... and honestly, it’s already been 8 months (who would've thought?), so does anyone know if skipping that might be why this lump formed? I’ve got this little bump right there... and it just won't budge. Some days it's more noticeable, other days it settles down... My doctor basically just shrugged and told me that's just how it goes since he had to perform the whole thing while I was awake, making it a pretty "rough" procedure... He mentioned he could fix it if I opted for a revision, but I really don't have the stomach for being under the knife again just because of one stubborn lump (plus, let's be real, it's visible on one side)... and my stomach is already such a mess. I honestly don't know if I could handle the antibiotics that come with it. -.-

steelangler88 said:I didn't have anything after my second surgery either, I honestly don't know why... I guess it just depends on certain things 🤷

Hey steelangler88.
Could you please send me some photos via DM? Thanks!

Kate Taylor59 said:Since I skipped out on the lymphatic drainage after my surgery... and it’s already been 8 months (honestly, who would believe it?), does anyone know if skipping it might be why this lump formed? I have this little bump... and it just won't go away... some days it's more noticeable, other days it's less... My doctor just told me that's just how it is, because he had to perform everything while I was awake and it was a pretty "rough" procedure... He said he can fix it if I decide to go in for a revision, but honestly, I really don't feel up to going under the knife just for one stubborn lump (and yeah, you can clearly see it on one side)... plus, my stomach is such a mess lately... I really don't know how it would handle antibiotics -.-

Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't, who knows? Everyone reacts differently to everything, so just because something worked for someone else doesn't mean it'll work for you. Honestly, if your doctor told you that's just the way it turned out, then I'm thinking there wasn't much that could have been done during recovery. You'll see, maybe it'll shrink, or disappear, or just fade away...