Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Betty Edwards22 said:Usually, they leave those tampons in for five days or whatever "splint" thing they use, but hey, something’s gotta keep that septum from moving around.

So, after my first nose job—just fixing a deviation, done through Medicare at the hospital—they kept the tampons in me for four whole days...
...and honestly? My breathing didn't get any better... the deviation was still there... the headaches thinned out a bit, but they stuck around... and my nose ended up looking crooked...
Then came the second surgery, the one where I did both the deviation and the aesthetics because I actually wanted to fix that crooked mess. This time, I went private, and they only kept the tampons in for a single day...
...and man, what a difference! No more deviation... no more headaches (well, except for when I'm nursing a hangover 😁), and I can breathe like a damn king!!

Bottom line... if you ask me... there doesn't seem to be any real rule when it comes to those tampons...

rustygardener172 said:After my first nose job, which was just for a deviated septum and done through Medicare, they kept the tampons in me for four whole days...
...but my breathing didn't actually get better... the deviation was still there... the headaches happened less often, but they didn't go away... and my nose ended up looking crooked...
Then, for my second surgery—this time doing both the septum and the aesthetics because I really wanted to fix the shape privately—they only kept the tampons in for one day...
...and now, the deviation is totally gone... no more headaches (except for when I have a hangover 😁), and I can breathe like a total champ!!

So, honestly... it feels like there isn't any real rule when it comes to those tampons...

I think we might be jumping to the wrong conclusion here—it’s not the tampons that fix the septum and the nose, it’s probably the actual surgery, right?

Betty Edwards22 said:Wrong conclusion—they aren't fixing the septum and nose themselves, they're just holding everything in place, right?

Actually, your logic isn't flawed at all... you mentioned those tampons need to stay in for five days to keep the septum aligned properly. Well, in my case, mine were out after just one day and everything stayed perfectly straight.
So, if the surgeon actually knows what they're doing and does a solid job from the start, it doesn't really matter how long those tampons sit in there. If the doc messes up the initial work, you could leave them in for ten days and it wouldn't change a damn thing...
...which pretty much proves my point: those tampons aren't some magic wand for the success of the surgery.

Regarding the small hole resulting from my septoplasty... My surgeon claims it's perfectly normal, but I’m wondering if it will eventually need to be patched with some kind of button or synthetic material.🙄

Has anyone else dealt with a perforation following a septal procedure?

So, I’ve been briefed on an upcoming surgery to fix a deviated septum. My doctor is adamant that the deviation is on the right side—but here’s the thing—I can’t seem to breathe through either nostril, not just the right one. I’ve been doing some digging online, and from what I can gather, a deviation is supposed to cause congestion in only one side... I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this...

rustygardener172 said:It’s not a wrong conclusion... you wrote that tampons need to stay in the nose for 5 days to keep the septum straight. In my case, they were only in for 1 day and everything stayed perfectly in place.
So basically, if the doctor actually does their job right, it doesn't even matter how long those tampons sit in there. I mean, if they don't set it correctly to begin with, you could leave them in for 10 days and it wouldn't do a damn thing...
...which just goes back to what I've been saying—those tampons don't really play that huge of a role in whether the surgery is a success or not.

Hey everyone!
I also had my surgery at the hospital in St., and everything turned out great—fixed my deviated septum and took care of the hump too. It’s been 3 weeks now and I can breathe perfectly. Honestly, I don't get why the tampon duration varies so much from person to person. It’s not just different hospitals versus private clinics; even private doctors seem to have totally different ideas about how long they should stay in. Technology is moving forward, so you'd think the tampons themselves and the time they need to stay put would be standardized by now. As for me, I ended up keeping mine in for 7 days just because the weekend hit.

Kenneth Walker15 said:I’m scheduled for a septoplasty soon. My doctor told me my septum is deviated to the right, but honestly, I can't breathe out of either nostril—it's not just the right side. I've been reading stuff online saying a deviation should only block one side... what do you guys think?

Look, you've got nasal turbinates in there too... and here's the thing: if your deviation is, say, blocking the right side, you aren't actually going to breathe fine on the left. Your body is pretty smart about this stuff; it tries to balance out the airflow on both sides, so those turbinates end up swelling up on the left side to compensate. That's why it feels like both nostrils are stuffed up.
When I had my surgery, my doctor ended up fixing my turbinates at the same time he corrected the deviation.

rustygardener172 said:Look, you've got nasal turbinates in there... and here's the thing... if you have a deviation, say, that blocks off your right nostril, you aren't actually going to breathe great through the left one either. The body is pretty smart about this stuff... it tries to balance out the airflow on both sides, so those turbinates end up swelling up on the left side, which is why breathing feels like a struggle on both nostrils.
My surgeon actually went ahead and leveled out my turbinates at the same time he fixed the deviation during my surgery.

Rustygardener172, can you post a picture of your nose?

rustygardener172 said:It’s not an incorrect conclusion... you wrote that tampons need to stay in the nose for five days to keep the septum properly aligned. In my case, they were only in for one day and everything stayed perfectly in place.
So, if the doctor does their job right, it doesn't really matter how long those tampons are in there. If the surgeon messes up the alignment, you could leave them in for ten days and it wouldn't make a bit of difference...
...which just goes back to my point that those tampons don't actually play a massive role in whether the surgery is successful or not.

Come on, take a second to actually re-read what I wrote—no amount of packing is going to fix a septum that was incorrectly resected in the first place.
Those tampons definitely serve a purpose, regardless of how certain you feel about the opposite.
Cheers!

Jamie Fowler26 said:Regarding that hole left behind from my septoplasty... my doctor says it's totally normal, but if it ends up being annoying, I might have to get it patched up with some kind of button or plastic insert.🙄

Has anyone else ended up with a hole after their septum surgery??

I have to disagree that it's "normal"—it really disrupts your airflow.
A plastic implant is necessary.

Betty Edwards22 said:Usually, you keep a tampon in for five days or use a "splint," but I guess you need something to actually hold that septum in place.

You’re just not thinking this through. Your nose is part of your face—your one-of-a-kind face—and the structure underneath is unique to you. Anything that tries to just copy and paste someone else's look always ends up looking terrible.

I totally agree that the copy/paste approach is a disaster. Honestly, I think people just need to have realistic expectations; let's face it, we're always going to find some flaw in everything.

rustygardener172 said:You actually have nasal turbinates in there... and here's the thing... if you have a deviation, say, blocking your right nostril, you aren't going to breathe properly through the left one either. The body is pretty smart about these things—it tries to balance the airflow between both sides, so those turbinates swell up on the left side to compensate, and suddenly, you're struggling to breathe out of both.
My doctor ended up reducing my turbinates at the same time he fixed my deviation during surgery.

So, did you actually go through with the deviation surgery? If you could, I’d love for you to share your experience... was the recovery process painful? Does it hurt when they pull the tampons out? How was the anesthesia and everything else? Honestly, I feel like I hear 90% negative feedback regarding this procedure—people saying it didn't even help—so I'm really on the fence about it...

It’s been about six months since the surgery... and honestly? I’m dealing with a ton of bumps, and the lines are just... incredibly visible. One side of my nose looks all swollen, while the other feels completely tight. And yeah... because I deal with a lot of blackheads, I've ended up with these two massive pits on my nose. Yup. 🙂)

Hey everyone,😉
I’ve been lurking here for over a year now. I'm dealing with a deviated septum from an old break,
and honestly, it looks pretty rough. In photos, my face just looks off—my nose pulls to one side and the tip looks all bulbous and weird. It's frustrating.
Plus, I can't breathe through my left nostril at all.
I have a question regarding surgeons. I recently went in for consultations with Dr. Miller and Dr. Davis. For those of you who have had rhinoplasty done by either of them, what were your results? Are you actually happy with how things turned out?
Regarding the actual consultation process: Dr. Davis felt pretty skeptical about the outcome. He kept harping on the risks, but at the same time, I didn't feel heard. He was practically pushing me to put down a deposit right then and there, which felt wrong. To make matters worse, he wouldn't even look me in the eye during our talk; he just stared out the window the whole time. Total WTF moment.
On the other hand, Dr. Miller gave off a much better vibe. He felt like a classic, old-school professional—warm, straightforward, and a true gentleman. He explained everything clearly and gave me a much more optimistic outlook on the procedure.
So, I'm looking for feedback on their surgical results—did they give you a nose you actually like?

😉
Has anyone here had a bad experience with either Dr. Miller or Dr. Davis?
Thanks in advance.

lancyl weren't you seeing with Dr. Miller if I remember right?

When I went to see Dr. Miller, he seemed even more skeptical about actually learning anything than I was. It’s clearly just his way of playing it safe—he builds up those walls so he can hedge against any potential failures. At the end of the day, it's on us to decide what we really want. For me, the choice was easy: I don't just want a "pretty" nose, I want that specific, subtle profile I've always wanted.🙂

Does anyone happen to know the office hours for the actor's clinic?
And is it possible to book a consultation with him via email?

Rachel Martinez94 said:lancyl wasn't it you who had a consultation with Dr. Miller?

Dr. Miller was actually less convinced about his own ability to teach me than I was during our consultation. It’s clearly just his way of playing it safe—building up a buffer against potential failure. Ultimately, the ball is in our court to decide what we actually want. Personally, I've made my choice: I don't just want a "nice nose," I want a small, perfectly shaped one. 🙂

Does anyone happen to know the office hours for the actor?
And is it possible to book a consultation via email?

Nick.. that's a great question, though your answer is even better...🙂 Dealing with those two specifically helped me reach the exact conclusion I was looking for...

I’m just going to pay the actor and then I can finally sleep peacefully both before and after the surgery without stressing out... So what if he's difficult? The man is simply the BEST!

I’ve honestly never heard a single complaint about him... whereas I have definitely heard them regarding others.

Does anyone know the exact price for the actor's services?

rapidseal16 said:Nick.. great question, and an even better answer...🙂 looking at those two, I’ve finally reached the conclusion I was aiming for...

I’ll just pay the actor whatever he wants so I can actually get some sleep before and after surgery without losing my mind... who cares if he's pricey? He's top-tier!

I've honestly never heard anyone complain about him... though I definitely have with the others at least once..

Does anyone know what the actual price tag is for this guy?

The surgery is 13,200, consultations are 150, and then there's about 600 for various tests. (At least, that's what one of the older posts mentioned.)

Rachel Martinez94 said:13,200 surgeries, 150 consultations, and about 600 various tests. (At least, that's what one of her previous posts mentioned)

Well, damn... at that rate, I’ll actually be making money...🙂 and might even have some left over... wiiiiiiiiii

If I had to go see anyone else, I'd be absolutely livid.

But with those Hollywood types? I feel like I'll just be popping down to the corner bodega for a loaf of bread.

That's all there is to it.😉

Rachel Martinez94 said:Kate Taylor59 you went to see Dr. Miller, didn't you??

No, I saw Dr. Miller... Davor... though he told me everything was totally standard. It was a pretty intense surgery—lots of bone resetting, grinding, and God knows what else 😂 I’m still telling anyone who will listen that there isn't a better doctor out there. Honestly, it felt less like a medical appointment and more like visiting family... that’s how they welcomed me... just perfect...

rapidseal16 said:Nick... that’s such a great question, and honestly, an even better answer...🙂 dealing with those two actually brought me right to the conclusion I was looking for...

I’m just gonna pay Glumičić—then at least I can sleep easy both before and after the surgery without stressing out about anything... I mean, yeah, he's pricey, but man, the guy is TOP TIER!

I’ve seriously never heard anyone complain about him... though I have definitely heard people vent about the others at least once...

Does anyone happen to know what Glumičić's exact rates are?

My experience was actually the total opposite—I haven't been sleeping well at all since my surgery with Glumičić. The guy didn't even fix the deviation (I went in for a septorhinoplasty), and then, after we agreed on just a tiny bit of cosmetic work, he went rogue and did way too much on his own! Now the shape of my nose looks way worse than it did before. Plus, it just doesn't suit my face at all. So, definitely proceed with caution.
He does consultations on Mondays and Wednesdays; the consultation fee is $50, and the surgery itself usually runs anywhere from $1,800 to $2,000.

rapidseal16 said:I’ll just pay Glumičić so I can actually get some sleep before and after the surgery without losing my mind... who cares about the cost? He is simply the BEST!

I have honestly never heard anyone complain about him... though I’ve certainly heard grievances regarding other doctors at least once or twice.

Does anyone happen to know what Glumičić actually charges?

You really ought to think long and hard about whether you want someone who isn't even a local specialist handling your nose.

The nose serves an incredibly vital function; it’s not purely about aesthetics... and because of that, I wouldn't even consider letting Glumičić touch me, even if he were doing it for free.

As for the tampons, both I and rustygardener172 only had them in for one day. I had my deviated septum repaired two years ago, and so far, everything is fantastic—my breathing is perfect. 🙏

rapidseal16 said:And with Glumičić, I have this nagging feeling that it’s going to feel like a quick trip to the corner store for a loaf of bread...

That’s just how it is. 😉

🤦

Are you even aware that this is a legitimate surgical procedure involving full anesthesia, which carries significant risks??? And there are absolutely no guarantees!

Good grief, nose surgery isn't the same thing as going out to buy a new pair of shoes. This is terrifying.