Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Roughly what's the price range at Dr. Dzepina's office?

rustygardener172 said:I kept my tampons in for 4 or 5 days after my first surgery, and the results were just terrible... so... I wouldn't really bank on how long you should hold them in based on that.

I'm with you there. Honestly, imagining how much more painful it would've been if someone had held those tampons in for 4 or 5 days... good grief. 😱

stormyharbor2 said:I'm with you there. Honestly, I can only imagine how painful it would have been if he’d been holding my tampon for four or five days straight. Good grief. 😱

I have my doubts that tampons actually have any impact on how someone looks...
The price over at Ivo Dzepina's is sitting somewhere between 10 and 15. $0.00... honestly, I just always end up replying to those emails...
He’s basically tearing the whole thing apart—stripping it down to the bone. Honestly, though, everything just depends on how that specific case plays out. 😉

So, I finally talked my dad into calling this contact of his in Los Angeles—someone who actually knows the inner workings of the surgical community—and asked him which surgeon is currently considered top-tier...
His verdict? He said Dzepina is the one. I'm just crossing my fingers that everything falls into place once we arrive there. 🙂

It’s been 12 days since my surgery, and I’m still dealing with those pesky fluid pockets—though they seem a bit smaller now—and my nose brace feels slightly less restrictive every single day 😍
The one thing that’s really getting under my skin, though, is how wide the nasal area looks right where the bone was reset... it just feels so broad on both sides. My doctor mentioned that this should settle down and that it’s perfectly normal, provided I just give it enough time 😢 Has anyone else dealt with this? When does that width actually start to fade...? stormyharbor2?? Maybe you might know, since you mentioned your nose went through something similar to mine??? Please let me know!!!!

I underwent nasal surgery about two years ago (septoplasty combined with a rhinoplasty to fix the nasal bridge)

For a short while after the procedure, breathing felt perfectly normal. However, after just a few months, the congestion returned, specifically affecting one side. Before the surgery, I struggled to breathe through my right nostril; now, that right side feels like an open tunnel, while my left nostril is significantly blocked, making breathing quite difficult there.

Well, at least I don't deal with the constant sinus issues and throat infections I used to suffer from...

I've read that some people have to undergo multiple nasal surgeries before they actually notice any improvement. My old man had this exact operation done, and honestly, his breathing wasn't any better afterward than it was before.

But there is absolutely no way I am going back under the knife for this again. The recovery process was nothing short of catastrophic. Between the nasal packing and having to wear a cast on my nose to correct the bridge, it was brutal. They didn't even remove the packing until I had spent a full week bedridden in the hospital. During that time, I dealt with relentless headaches, couldn't sleep, and had zero appetite because of the immense pressure caused by that packing—they stuffed nearly six inches of gauze into each nostril.

On top of that, my sense of smell has become incredibly weak. It might be a side effect of the medicated drops they prescribe post-op.

I would only recommend this surgery to people dealing with severe sinus complications. Or, perhaps, to those seeking purely aesthetic changes—since I assume they don't use heavy packing for cosmetic tweaks, or if they do, it’s only for a much shorter duration.

Linda Wilson82 said:Well, I’m twelve days out from surgery myself... still dealing with some swelling, though it's finally starting to subside, and the nasal congestion seems to be easing up every single day 😍.
The one thing that’s really getting to me, though... the area where they had to break the bridge feels so wide on both sides of my nose... My doctor mentioned it'll smooth out and that it's perfectly normal, just that it needs time to settle 😢... has anyone else dealt with this? When does it actually go away? >?? Maybe you would know, since you mentioned yours looked similar to mine after your procedure??? please????

Linda Wilson82, what kind of nose did you have exactly that required a bridge break?

Emily Martinez12 said:Linda Wilson82, I mean—what kind of nose were you actually working with that it just had to be broken?

Tall, with a massive hunchback... honestly, looks more like a parrot.🙂

Kate Taylor59 said:So, I actually talked my dad into calling a contact up in Los Angeles—this guy who really knows his way around top surgeons—and he asked who's currently considered the absolute best...
And he said it's Ivo Dzepina. Fingers crossed that's our guy once we finally get out there! 🙂

Does anyone know where I can actually see some of his work? It looks like nothing is posted on his official site, if I'm seeing that right.🤷

Kimberly Baker13 said:Is there actually anywhere to see his work? From what I can tell, there’s nothing on his own website.🤷

It’s nowhere to be found. Honestly, if you actually go in for a consultation, they'll show you everything right there. They aren't about to just blast photos online—they have to respect patient privacy and all that.🤷

Kate Taylor59 said:It’s nowhere to be found—if you actually go in for a consultation, they'll show you everything. They just won't put any photos online because of patient privacy laws.🤷

I seem to remember about a year ago, some girl was posting here saying she had surgery with Dr. Dzepina—but over at Vinogradski instead—and she was totally unhappy with the results. From what I recall, she had a septoplasty along with a little corrective work.
Maybe in his private practice, he'll actually focus more on the shape of the nose. 🤷

Kate Taylor59 said:It’s just not available anywhere—if you go in for a consultation, they'll show you everything then. They won't put photos out in public because of patient privacy... simple as that.🤷

Me? Honestly—what do you guys think? What kind of impression did those before-and-after photos leave on you?

Kimberly Baker13 said:And? What's the verdict? What kind of impression did those before-and-after photos leave on you?

Honestly, I haven't been there yet... and look, if she wasn't happy with the results, then others might not be either—whether it's regarding Glusc or Toncic or whatever else... everything is subjective, really. It all just depends on what someone is actually looking for.

Oh man, I am absolutely losing it! 🤣
I’ve got my surgery scheduled for June 8th—dealing with a polyp at the opening of the Eustachian tube and a deviated septum.
It’s driving me insane! And honestly, it’s not even the fear of the pain or the surgery itself; it’s the claustrophobia from feeling like I can't breathe because of this damn tampon. I feel like I’m going to end up ripping everything out myself just to catch a breath.😍

Ashley Edwards57 said:Good grief, someone call an ambulance for my sanity! 🤣
I’ve got my surgery scheduled for June 8th—dealing with a polyp at the opening of the Eustachian tube and a deviated septum.
It is driving me absolutely insane! And I don't mean from the actual pain or the thought of the surgery itself, but the pure claustrophobia of feeling like I can't breathe because of that freaking tampon. I swear, I'm going to rip the whole thing out myself, God help me.😍

Where are you headed? Don't let it get to you too much... it'll all pass eventually. 😉

Hey everyone!
So, I'm at day 8 post-nose job. The bruising has cleared up, but now I’ve got these little clumps stuck inside my nose—they're basically fused to the stitches and won't budge. It's incredibly annoying because it makes breathing such a chore. I’ve already tried messing with Q-tips and even tweezers to get them out, but no luck... if anyone has figured out how to deal with this, please let me know. 🙂 As for the look of it—I originally had a bit of a fleshy tip and a wider cartilage structure, and right now, 8 days in, my nose looks pretty much the same as before, just slightly more rounded at the top. If anyone else has been through this, I’m wondering if that tip is actually going to shrink down and when? I know it takes time, obviously, but I've heard rumors that if you start with a fleshy tip, you can't really achieve much change in size, which has me feeling a bit anxious. 😢

Gary Ruiz88 said:I had nose surgery about two years ago (septum deviation plus a rhinoplasty for the nasal bridge)

Right after the surgery, there was a window where breathing felt totally fine. Then, a few months down the line, things started getting difficult again in one nostril. Before the procedure, I couldn't breathe through my right side properly; now, that right nostril feels like an open tunnel, while the left one is pretty much blocked, making breathing a struggle.

Well, at least I don't deal with constant sinus issues or throat infections like I used to..

I've been reading that some people actually have to undergo multiple surgeries before they see any real improvement.. My old man went through this exact operation and honestly, his breathing isn't any better than it was before he did it.

But there is absolutely no way I'm going back under the knife for that. The recovery process was nothing short of a nightmare (packing stuffed in my nose + having a cast on my nose itself to fix the bridge—they didn't even pull the packing out until I'd spent a week lying in the hospital bed. Between that, the headaches were brutal, sleep was impossible, and I had zero appetite because of the sheer pressure from that packing; they crammed about six inches of gauze into each nostril)

Plus, my sense of smell is incredibly dull now (could be the drops they make you use post-op)

I’d only recommend nose surgery to people dealing with severe sinus problems (or those just doing it for aesthetics, since I assume they don't pack the nose like that, or if they do, it's for a much shorter duration)..

So you don't have sinus issues or throat infections anymore?? Man, I need that! I've been struggling with this since I was a kid... I get feverish constantly and it's always a mess, everything just drains straight into my throat..👎

Greetings everyone,

I have a nose surgery scheduled for mid-June with Glumičić & Džepina, and I need to get blood work and an EKG done beforehand. Has anyone here handled this privately at a local clinic? What kind of costs are we looking at?

Jeremy Barrett7 said:Hi everyone,

I have a nose surgery scheduled for mid-June with Glumičić & Džepina, and I need to get my bloodwork done and an EKG. Has anyone here handled these tests privately at a local clinic? If so, what kind of pricing should I expect?

Hey, just curious—what made you choose Džepina over Glumicic? I’m actually planning to go through them as well, but I was leaning toward Glumicic. I wonder if there's much difference in the outcome since they work together?

Ever since I started digging through this forum and scouring every corner of the internet for info on plastic surgeons, Ivo Dzepina has been sitting firmly in my top five. After weighing all my options, I finally pulled the trigger and chose him. I’ve already finished my consultations, and honestly? So far, I couldn't be more satisfied.