Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Thomas Williams61 said:Does anyone have any recent updates on Dr. Munitić?

Has anyone had surgery with him lately? How was your experience and how did he do?

I saw some posts on here a while back saying he’s absolutely wonderful, but I’m really looking for some more recent feedback. I’m seriously considering him for my rhinoplasty, so I would be incredibly grateful for any insight you can share!😁

From what I understand, he actually retired earlier this year—or at least, he hasn't been practicing over at the Mayo Clinic for a few months now.

wanderingmason86 said:From what I understand, he actually retired this year—or at least stepped away from his role at the Mayo Clinic a few months back.

That’s my understanding as well, though I'm still quite curious to hear about people's actual experiences and the results of his work.

Has anyone here ever gone under the knife for septoplasty to fix their deviated septum?

brightotter21 said:I have to take the mold off in a few days, and I am honestly lost on what comes next or how I should be acting; they told me I need to massage my nose a bit.
I am terrified that someone might accidentally bump into me or apply even a slightly heavy touch, because I am constantly paranoid that my nose will end up crooked from it....

How do you guys rinse everything out with saline? My nose is absolutely packed with blood clots, so I assume this congestion is going to plague me for quite a while longer.

Nothing is going to happen to your nose, seriously... unless you take an extremely heavy hit to the face.

X-rays confirmed I've got a deviated septum with a bony outgrowth, plus permanent swelling in my other nasal passage. The real issue is that my nose never breathes 100%. Every single day, one side gets totally blocked while the other stays partially obstructed, and then they just swap back and forth.
The doctor says this is a textbook case for surgery...

I’m looking for your experiences with septum surgery and removing excess tissue. Did you actually feel better afterward? Most importantly: where did you go? I'm looking for recommendations for public hospitals, not private clinics.

Carol Reed64 said:Hey, can anyone tell me who handles the paperwork when all my test results are finally in? Can I just bring them on the day of the surgery? I'm cutting it incredibly close with time—my procedure is this Friday, but the results won't be ready until Thursday. Also, will I actually have a moment before the surgery to consult with Glumičić one last time to finalize what I want done and what I don't? If anyone has any practical advice, please share—I'm starting to panic as Friday gets closer.😱

I had my surgery with Glumičić yesterday—well, a revision, really, since Borić didn't exactly do anything useful ten years ago.
I'm feeling pretty battered—it hurts quite a bit. How are you holding up?

Hey wanderingjackal, I finally had my surgery this morning. I’m swollen like a total bumblebee right now—not quite turning blue yet, but I have a feeling that might happen by tomorrow. It’s also pretty uncomfortable when I try to swallow; it feels like everything is just shifting around in there. Have you been taking anything for the pain, or were you okay without it? My sinuses feel incredibly weird, too—it’s like they’re constantly plugging and unplugging, almost as if something is moving around inside my face...

Hey, I was wondering—what kind of dressings are you using, how exactly are you applying them, and how often do you have to change them?

How long does my nose stay tender to the touch after getting the splint removed??

I started using saline rinses today, and oh my gosh, everything feels totally stuffed up. It’s like all the dried blood just crusted over inside my nose.

Also, once I finish rinsing with the solution, is it okay to blow my nose just a little bit? Everything still feels so fresh and sensitive.

brightotter21 said:How much longer is my nose going to feel sore to the touch after having those molds removed?

It’s been a few months now.

brightotter21 said:So, I just finished rinsing everything out with that solution—is it actually okay if I blow a little bit of air out through my mouth while it’s still fresh? Just want to make sure I'm not doing anything silly!

Look, don't go blowing air straight out like that! You've gotta pull it all the way back into your lungs first, then if you absolutely have to let it out, just give it a quick, sharp exhale. It’s all about that controlled rhythm!

brightotter21 said:Once I rinse it out with that solution, am I actually allowed to blow a little bit out since everything is still fresh?

I just blew normally and absolutely nothing happened to me, so I fail to see why it wouldn't be fine.

Carol Reed64 said:Hey wanderingjackal, I just got out of surgery this morning. I look like a total bumblebee right now—not quite blue yet, but I think I’ll get there by tomorrow. It hurts a bit when I try to swallow, too... have you taken anything for the pain, or were you fine? My sinuses feel weirdly congested and then clear again, like something is constantly shifting around inside...

I'm more of a red-purple shade myself—hardly even hitting blue at this stage.😁 ... No pain for me; I can eat normally without an issue. They removed the packing yesterday and gave me instructions on how to clean everything up, plus a cream I apply to my nostrils with a Q-tip—carefully, obviously, nothing deep...
They gave me some Voltaren, but I haven't had any need for it... Honestly, breathing feels totally fine today—it's just that I can't bring myself to look in the mirror. It's a sight to behold.🙄

Olivia Nelson37 said:I just blew my nose like normal and nothing happened... why wouldn't I be able to?

...as for me, I was told not to blow at all—just gentle cleaning with Q-tips twice a day...

wanderingjackal said:...they told me not to blow my nose, just some gentle cleaning with Q-tips twice a day...

I’m heading in tomorrow to have the tampons removed—honestly, they’re driving me crazy. Part of me just wants to rip them out myself... How is the removal process? How long does it take, and was it painful for you? Also, what’s your take on the nasal device so far?

Carol Reed64 said:I'm heading in tomorrow to get my splints out—these things are driving me insane. I’d honestly rather just rip them out myself... How was the removal process for you? How long did it take, and was it painful? Also, how are you liking your nose so far?

The actual removal is quick. I only felt a bit of discomfort on the right side, while the left one actually triggered spontaneous tears... but don't worry, it lasts maybe two or three seconds and then it's over. It's truly nothing you can't handle... hopefully, it'll be even easier for you.😉
It's hard to judge my nose right now—that purple mold hides whatever irregularities might be lurking underneath—and I won't really know the truth until the swelling completely subsides. And we all know that’s going to take some time...
How are you feeling about your nose so far?

Greetings,
I had septoplasty three weeks ago, though it turned out to be a bit more extensive than expected. My ENT performed a full septal reconstruction; he took cartilage from behind both ears to rebuild my septum because it was too weak, causing my nose to sag and obstructing airflow through my right nostril.
So, here is the timeline of my hospital stay:

Wednesday: Arrived around 10:00 AM and spent the day acting like a tourist...
Thursday: Took some Upethen in the morning, followed by other meds and an IV (they left a silicone catheter in my arm). Around 11:30 AM, they wheeled me into the OR. They injected something into my IV, I felt a bit lightheaded, then the mask went on, and I was out within ten seconds...
I woke up around 2:30 PM feeling groggy. I received a small injection for pain (barely felt it). I stayed in recovery for about half an hour; no pain at all. My nose was packed with tampons, so I had to breathe through my mouth for the next five days. They moved me back to my room. It took an hour or two before I could stand up, though I could speak softly, call home, or look in the mirror. No bruising, as the doctor didn't dig too deep into my nasal cavity. By evening, I had dinner and could walk to the restroom or down the hall, but they insisted I stay in bed. I didn't get much sleep that night.
Friday: The grogginess mostly cleared, though I still felt slightly dizzy. No pain. I’m on antibiotics and something for swelling via the IV. Eating is a bit of a struggle because of the packing...
Saturday through Wednesday morning: Pain-free. I can go outside whenever I want, provided I come back for my antibiotic doses...
Wednesday morning: Tampon removal. First, they sprayed something into the packing to soften it, and then... it wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. A few seconds per nostril and the tampons were out. There was some minor bleeding, so you spend most of the day using tissues... I headed home around 10:00 AM.

Today (three weeks post-op), breathing through my right nostril is slightly easier (the left is fine), but it's only at about 50-60% capacity. The doctor warned me beforehand that my nasal structure is quite problematic, so he couldn't guarantee full airflow in that side.

Looking back at the whole thing... my nose looks fine (it's actually not as crooked as it used to be), breathing is better, and there was virtually no pain (which I suppose is why people hesitate to decide on surgery in the first place).

To anyone considering this surgery but feeling hesitant: if there is even a slight chance of improvement, go for it. In my case, the chances were slim and the change is modest, but it is definitely beneficial.

By the way, I was at a local hospital in the Midwest under Dr. Vartarić.🙂

So I finally took off my mold the day before yesterday! Honestly, the results look amazing and I’m totally loving them, but man, my nose is so stuffed up it's driving me crazy. It feels slightly better than before, but I still can't breathe through my nose at all because it's just full of crusties... I've been rinsing with saline and using a little gel with cotton swabs. Plus, I've got these rainbow bruises under my eyes, ughhh... I can't even go out anywhere, which is the worst part!

Is it okay to use something like a nasal spray? Since everything feels so raw right now, I'm honestly terrified of putting anything in there.

JDoes anyone else feel like when they try to rinse their nose, absolutely nothing comes out?? All I manage to do is pull up some mucus and swallow it or spit it out—there's no other way!

What did your doctors tell you to watch out for once you get your mold off and start getting back to your normal routine? Besides avoiding any bumps or hits to the face, what should I stay away from?

Hey wanderingjackal, I finally got the tampon out myself. Honestly, what an uncomfortable sensation. Right now, I’m looking a bit like a rabbit; I'm really hoping it’s just the pressure from the mold and the tape pulling everything upward, and that things will settle down once I take it all off. Hopefully, the swelling goes down soon, because I would truly hate to be stuck looking like a rabbit. Is yours feeling just as tight toward God?

I have a question for the group. I used to have a pretty straight nose, but last year I had a bit of an accident where I took a hit right to the face. At first, it was just tender to the touch, and after a while, things seemed fine, except for the fact that it looked slightly crooked. Now, it’s become quite bumpy, and I’ve noticed it seems to have pulled downward. If it were just a few millimeters more upturned, my nose would look almost perfectly flat again, but I'm really not happy with how it looks now. Is there any way this could be easily fixed?

@Davor Đanić thanks so much for sharing your experience!
It’s not the pain I’m worried about. It's making sure the surgery actually works. I've heard from plenty of people that their procedures didn't even help, so since I'm going through with this anyway, I just want to make sure it's worth the trouble and actually fixes things...