Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Rachel Martinez94 said:I'll be happy if I can just get a referral for blood work from my primary care doctor... they are seriously stingy when it comes to handing those out. 🤣

Haha, I know exactly how you feel—the first time I went to Washington, D.C., they didn't even give me a travel authorization. And then, despite having a deviated septum and breathing issues, they wouldn't cover my follow-up appointment. Like, excuse me? I get to choose my hospital, so why can't I get an authorization? Makes zero sense... but hey, one really nice doctor covering the shift actually sorted out my paperwork for a six-month checkup. 😁😁 That matters a lot to me—I have to set aside quite a bit for travel...

Hey guys, I’ve got another question for you!
It’s been almost three months since my surgery, and now I’m dealing with this annoying issue where the bridge of my nose looks flat, but the tip is all swollen and sticking out.
I’m guessing it looks this way because I haven't been massaging it or getting any lymphatic drainage done. :/
Is it too late to go for one or two sessions now? Or is there even any point in bothering, since it should probably start settling down on its own around this stage anyway?🙂
Thanks in advance.

Mine is five months in, and honestly, every single day brings a new symptom or sensation😁—it’s been a complete disaster...🙂
What really throws me for a loop is the recovery process. I’ve gone through two surgeries now, and this recovery feels entirely different from the first one. I can't even begin to predict what kind of changes to expect based on my initial experience. It almost feels like my nose is shifting more every day rather than settling down.😕Ma, don't let it get to you.🙂

Hey, does anyone know how much surgery costs with Dr. Glušac?
I'm wondering how they handle the local anesthesia—is it just an injection in the nose or what?? Also, how much are the pre-op tests, and what exactly do they check during the exam??

brightotter21 said:Does anyone know how much surgery costs with Dr. Glušac?
Also, how do they handle the local anesthesia—is it an injection in the nose or what? And what kind of pre-op tests are required, and what specifically do they actually check?

The price for both cosmetic and functional surgery was around $2,200 (at least, that’s what it was at the start of the year).
As for the anesthesia, you get it through a vein in your left arm 😁. From what I recall, I definitely didn't have anything injected into my nose.
Regarding the pre-op workups (blood work and an EKG), you can just go through your own primary care doctor if you want to save some cash and avoid extra fees. Though, I do remember the doctor mentioning he could handle the EKG on-site too 🤷.

Wait, isn't that general anesthesia instead of just local??

How long does the recovery take—you know, until you're actually feeling up to heading out and hanging with people?

brightotter21 said:Wait, isn't that general anesthesia rather than just local??

How long does the recovery actually take—you know, until you can finally get out and be seen in public?

I’m pretty sure it was general, and I think you were asking about local, my bad. 🙂.

As for the recovery part, honestly, it’s anyone's guess. It really depends on the individual. For me, I only just took the patches off on day 11 after surgery, and I was still dealing with bruising for another ten days or so. To be honest, I didn't even bother going out because I wasn't exactly feeling sharp—my head felt all woozy and unsteady. 😂

Some women feel like brand new people after just a week. So, there's really no set rule. 😉

Rachel Martinez94 said:My first choice is Dr. Toncic. I was actually leaning toward Dr. Glumicic at first—mostly because I want a smaller nose and was worried Dr. Toncic might not reduce it quite enough 🤷 😱 😵, but after reading through all the discussions on this forum, I’ve decided to go with Toncic instead. I hope I'm making the right call. That said, since my surgery isn't scheduled until June, I still have some time to finalize everything. The real issue is that while my profile looks relatively straight, even if the nose is large, from the front it looks like a potato 🙂

I trust everything will turn out fine and you'll be happy with the results in the end; I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. 🙂 🙂

I actually went in for a consultation with Toncic myself. As I've mentioned before—I don't exactly have the budget to go on a pilgrimage visiting every single doctor out there... so Toncic eventually became my clear choice, and well, I went! During the exam, I saw his associate, Dr. Dinko, and I have a feeling everything will proceed exactly as we discussed—that my expectations are realistic, as he put it. Since this is cosmetic, the price is $3333, though I was already aware of that. I'm actually heading in for the surgery this Monday!!! Yes, just a weekend stands between me and the big day! 😁 😁

wearybear18 - I’m actually planning on seeing Dr. Toncic too. Reading through everything on this forum, he just seemed like the right fit—I don't know, I just had a gut feeling about him from the start... though my surgery wouldn't be for another couple of months, and I'm aiming for a consultation in about a month or so. I'm only interested in the aesthetic side of things, so I was wondering, can you insist on just doing the cosmetic part? Or does he insist on a full workup to check if there's a functional issue? (Because personally, I feel like I breathe fine and probably don't need anything functional done). Could you explain a bit more about what happens during the consultation—is it just a chat, or does he actually do some testing?

wearybear18 said:I just saw Dr. Toncic for my consultation, and honestly, I've already said it—I don't have the time or energy to go on a massive pilgrimage visiting every single doctor out there. I finally settled on Dr. Toncic, so here we are! I was seen by Dr. Dinko, and I actually walked away feeling pretty good about it. It feels like everything we talked about is on the table and my expectations are totally realistic, at least according to him. Since this is an aesthetic procedure, the price is $3333, but I already knew that. I’m heading in for the surgery this Monday!!! Yeah, just one more weekend stands between me and the big day! 😁 😁

Good luck!! 🙂 🙂 Let us know how it goes. 😉

Hey ladies... I'm actually scheduled to go in for deviated septum surgery at the local hospital in San Diego within the next few days. So, here's what's on my mind... do you think it would be possible to negotiate with the doctor to also fix up a tiny little bump and perhaps release that muscle above my lip? Every time I smile, my nose seems to sag right down toward my mouth :/ Is that even something they'd consider? I can't afford any private cosmetic procedures since I'm still a student...

Michelle Phillips69 said:Hey girls... I'm actually looking into scheduling surgery for a deviated septum at the local university hospital soon. But here's the thing... I was wondering if I could talk my doctor into also trimming a tiny little bump and cutting that muscle right above my lip? Every time I laugh, my nose just sort of collapses down toward my mouth :/ ... Is that even doable? I can't afford private plastic surgery because I'm still a student...

Honestly, everyone asks for that. You should definitely have a chat with your surgeon about it... it’s not technically part of what they're required to do, but if he's a decent guy, I bet he'll be willing to help you out. Good luck!

wearybear18 said:So, I finally saw Dr. Toncic for my consultation. Like I mentioned before, I don't really have the energy or the desire to go on some massive pilgrimage visiting every single doctor out there... I just sort of settled on Dr. Toncic, and well, here I am! I had Dr. Dinko with me during the exam, and I honestly get the feeling everything is going to go exactly as we planned. He made me feel like my expectations are actually realistic, which was nice. Since it's an aesthetic surgery, the price tag is $3333, but I already knew that. Anyway, I'm heading in for the surgery this Monday!!! Yeah, just one weekend left until the big day! 😁 😁

Wait, $10,000 at Dr. Toncic's??? Man, I totally thought the prices were pretty much standard everywhere and that everyone charged about the same... Turns out Dr. Toncic is actually the budget option, because I ended up paying almost $15,000...
BEST OF LUCK!!!!

They won't give you a straight answer on the price until they actually see you and realize the extent of what needs fixing. Dr. Toncic told me back then it would be roughly around $4333...
And I had a similar situation pop up with Dr. Glušac too.

I finally managed to snap some before-and-after photos! If anyone is interested in seeing them, just shoot me a private message.

It’s been three months since the surgery, and I guess the peak is still a bit swollen. I'm really hoping that little bulge at the top settles down soon, but honestly, the profile looks pretty good to me—from the way the implant sits to the overall shape. At least, that's how it looks from my perspective...

Ashley Gomez said:I finally got some before and after photos together, so if anyone wants to see them, just shoot me a PM.

It’s been three months since the surgery. The tip is still pretty swollen, and I'm really hoping that bulbous look at the end starts to go down soon. As for my profile, from the moment they removed the cast, I think it looks pretty good... at least, that's how it seems to me.

Send those pics, please....!!! 😁

rustygardener172 said:They usually give you the actual price during the exam once they see what needs fixing. For me, Dr. Toncic mentioned it would be around $4333...
The same thing happened when I saw Dr. Glušac.

Wait, $13,000 with Dr. Toncic—what's that covering exactly?
I'm actually looking to get a hump removed and maybe slim it down a bit... does anyone know what kind of damage that would do to my wallet?

Ashley Gomez said:I finally put together some before and after photos, so if anyone wants to see them, just shoot me a DM.

It's been three months since my surgery. The tip is still pretty swollen, so I'm really hoping that "ball" look at the end goes down soon. As for the profile—from the mold removal to now—I think it looks solid. At least, that's how it looks to me...

Me too! 🙂

urbanowl13 said:$13,000 at Dr. Toncic's—what does that actually cover?
I’m looking to get rid of this hump and slim it down a bit... anyone know what kind of damage that would do to my wallet?

Septoplasty and fixing a crooked nose... I've been breathing like crap and it keeps tilting to one side.
He'll give you the real number once he actually lays eyes on your nose; we're just playing a guessing game here.

Ashley Gomez and me too, send over some photos if you have them, thanks! 😁

I think I’ve sent this out to everyone ☕

I was actually wondering, when did you all first start wearing glasses? Personally, I get this really unsettling sensation whenever I put them on, and part of me is worried it might be a bit too early in life... though, honestly, I am dying for some decent sunglasses 🙂