Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

It’s been two weeks since my surgery and one of the stitches came loose today😁, is that actually okay?

Donna Wells90 said:It’s been two weeks since my surgery and one of the stitches came loose today😁. Is that actually okay?

Let them fall out😉—that's actually a good sign!!😁

Honestly, they all turned out completely useless—the last batch was just at the end of last week... I feel like I was practically born wearing this thing 🙂

So, here I am, two days post-op...
Everything went smoothly—general anesthesia, waking up, the whole deal. They really took good care of me, treated me like royalty...
Right now, my head is pounding, and my nose is killing me too. There's this constant drainage from my nose down my throat that’s just incredibly irritating, but I'm hoping it clears up soon.
Anyway, I'm popping Voltaren because the pain is actually pretty intense.😢
They didn't have to break any side bones or anything; they just smoothed out the cartilage where that bump was. Because of that, I don't have much bruising, and I'm not stuck in a massive cast or anything—just some "special" medical tape holding everything in place. Tomorrow I go in to get the packing removed, and honestly, I'm looking forward to finally being able to breathe through my nose, even if it's just a little bit.
Best regards,😉

vividfox said:let them fall 😉it's actually good!!😁

Fine then😁, thanks

Hey there.
A week ago, I had nose surgery at a clinic in NYC. It was supposed to be a septoplasty because my breathing was a mess, so I asked the doctor if he could also tweak the look of it while he was at it. He agreed and actually called in a colleague—a "plastic surgeon"—to handle the cosmetic side. Look, regarding the septoplasty and my main doctor, everything went perfectly. They pulled the tampons out yesterday and I can already feel myself breathing way more normally. However, the part about fixing my nose's appearance? Not so much. From what my doctor explained, this second surgeon didn't exactly break my nose or anything; he just "sanded down" the bone to straighten it since my nose wasn't even that big to begin with. Well, I took the bandages off today and wow... I have a hump on my nose. A hump!! I never had one in my entire life, and instead of a straight nose, I’m stuck with a bump. I broke down crying. I am honestly devastated.

I have a follow-up with my doctor this Tuesday, and I fully intend to ask him how on earth a hump appeared after this surgery. I feel awkward because I don't want it to seem like I'm attacking him personally—I really have no complaints about his work, and he actually went out of his way to do me a favor—but I think I have every right to ask why my nose looks worse now than it did before the operation. I'm wondering if anyone knows what my next steps should be, and whether I actually have the right to demand they fix this.

Good God!!!
Is this even possible?? I’d always heard that Dr. Dzepina and Dr. Bedekovic were absolutely top-tier... especially when it comes to plastic surgery...
She needs to fight for what she's owed... I honestly don't get how something like this can actually happen.
Back when I had Boduen work on my sinus issues—polyps, basically—my nose ended up looking way worse aesthetically. But at least I knew I wasn't seeing a plastic surgeon there, so they weren't trying to "fix" my looks... they just went way too aggressive on the septum to reach those sinuses, which left me with this bruise under the skin and a little bump, plus my tip looked shortened...
Well, I just went back under the knife again. It’s been three days, and I think they actually fixed the look of it—though I can't really tell yet since it's still covered by bandages...
Fight for yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

driftingsurfer96 said:Hey there.
A week ago, I had nose surgery at the hospital in NYC. It was supposed to be a septoplasty because I couldn't breathe properly, but while I was there, I asked the doctor if he could also touch up the appearance a bit. He agreed to help and brought in a colleague—a plastic surgeon—to handle the aesthetic side of things. Now, regarding the septoplasty and my primary doctor, everything went perfectly. They pulled the tampons out yesterday and I can already feel myself breathing much more normally. However, the part about fixing how my nose looks? That did not go well at all. My doctor explained that since my nose wasn't huge, the other surgeon didn't break anything; he basically just "sanded down" the bone to straighten it. Well, I took the bandages off today, and let me tell you, there's plenty to see. I have a hump on my nose. A hump! I've never had a bump on my nose in my entire life, and instead of it being straighter, I now have a literal hump. I broke down crying. I am honestly devastated.

I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor this Tuesday, and I plan on asking him how on earth a hump could appear right after surgery. I feel awkward about it because I don't want it to seem like I'm attacking him. He actually went out of his way to do me a favor by arranging the extra work, and I really don't have any complaints about his performance specifically. But I think I have every right to ask why my nose looks worse now than it did before the operation. Does anyone know what my options are here? Am I entitled to demand they fix this?

It might just be really bad swelling..

Yeah, that’s why I went to see the Vinogradski Expert in the first place—I heard nothing but good things. And look, regarding my doctor and the septum correction, I don't have any complaints there. Of course, there's still a little swelling, obviously. But this? This is a literal bump. I don't even know how to describe it... I originally had a slightly larger nose that just needed smoothing out, basically just leveling the top part. But now I actually have this ugly hump, and my nose looks like something straight out of a witch movie. It feels hard to the touch, too. Like bone. It’s as if someone just glued a bump right there where there wasn't one before.
I spent the entire day yesterday in tears, just completely devastated. I’m going to talk to my doctor to see what can be done about this mess. I mean, if I paid for cosmetic work, I have every right to demand it be fixed if it wasn't done correctly. At least, that's how I see it. I wasn't asking for a nose like Angelina's, but if the plastic surgeon couldn't fix it, he should have just said no when my doctor asked him, instead of doing this to me.

driftingsurfer96 said:Yeah, that’s exactly why I went to see the Vinogradski Expert—I’d heard nothing but glowing reviews. And look, regarding my surgeon and the septum correction, I don't have any complaints there. Of course, there's still a bit of swelling, obviously. But this? This is a literal hump. I don't even know how to describe it... I started with a slightly larger nose that just needed smoothing out, basically just "leveling" the bridge. But now I actually have this hideous bump, and my nose looks like something straight out of a witch movie. It feels rock hard to the touch, too—like bone. It's like someone just glued a lump right where it wasn't before.
I spent all of yesterday in tears, just totally devastated. I'm going to talk to my doctor to see what can be done about it. I mean, if I paid for a cosmetic procedure, I have every right to demand it be fixed if it wasn't done correctly. At least, that's how I see it. I wasn't asking for an Angelina Jolie nose, but if the plastic surgeon couldn't fix it, he should have just said no when my doctor asked, instead of leaving me with this mess.

I nearly lost my mind five years ago when, after a month, I realized my nose looked worse than it did before surgery—not better, not even the same, just plain uglier!!! Back then, I was getting polyps cleared out, and there were tons of them. The surgery lasted three hours and I know it was complicated... After it was over, I was just happy to finally breathe through my nose and smell things again, and my headaches were gone, so I guess I forgave them for the aesthetic mistake.
But let's be real, your situation isn't quite the same thing as mine; you specifically wanted the plastic surgeon to make it look prettier.
Fast forward five years, and I just went to a private specialist to "smooth out the bump—it's minor," and I'm looking forward to taking the bandages off in five days.
It sounds like some kind of issue happened with the cartilage, though I don't get how you ended up with a hump. Usually, people end up with a dip—like they're missing a piece in that saddle area—because you're supposed to take cartilage from somewhere else to balance everything out... but having an extra lump? I haven't heard of that.
Don't give up, seriously!!!!!!
The thought of another surgery is probably terrifying, but you have to deal with this—they owe you a fix. If you don't mind me asking, which doctor are we talking about?
Stay strong, because you're going to live with this for the rest of your life—either with the hump or without it!!!🙏

I don't want to sound like I'm just trashing people, because let's be real, all the doctors at the Mayo Clinic are top-tier experts. It’s also possible this is still just some kind of swelling, but honestly, I highly doubt that’s what's going on. That "bump" on my nose feels hard, like bone. It’s like the whole thing was just poorly ironed out, if that makes sense.
That's why I'm waiting until Tuesday to talk to my doctor—he’s actually been great to me—so he can tell me what we're looking at and what my actual options are. But even I haven't heard of anyone walking away from cosmetic surgery with a literal hump on their nose. I get that things are swollen for a while, but you can't just spontaneously grow a hump after your nose has been leveled out.
In the meantime, I'm just depressed. I've been avoiding mirrors entirely because every time I catch a glimpse, I end up in tears.

So, I find myself wondering, which particular visionary was actually tasked with the aesthetic direction of the entire operation?

Honestly, I feel pretty awkward about this because I don't want to go bashing someone until things actually get cleared up and they tell me what the deal is... I had my aesthetic work done by Prof. Bedekovic.

driftingsurfer96... I think you need a little reality check here. We’re talking about this "bump" you say wasn't there before, and now, after surgery involving nothing but bone shaving, it suddenly appears. Let’s look at this from an anatomical perspective for a second. It’s not like the surgeon found some random scrap of bone on the floor during the procedure and accidentally shoved it back in. Here’s my take: there’s a chance that while they were grinding or smoothing out one part, a tiny fragment broke off and didn't get fully cleared out—it might still be sitting in there. From what I’ve heard, that's usually not a huge deal to fix. But there's a much more likely explanation. Think about when you're playing soccer and you take a hard hit, bone-on-bone, right where the structure is thickest. You know how you can end up with a bump several centimeters wide? Now, imagine someone actually *breaking* your bones! We are literally talking about bone fractures here. Honestly, expecting zero swelling or bumps after a procedure that involves breaking bone is pretty unrealistic. Plus, you have to trust the pro. While the surgeon is operating, they have a direct line of sight to exactly what's happening. While you're out under anesthesia, they are sculpting your nose and can clearly see the shape they're creating. Once you wake up, your body is going to react with inflammation and swelling during the recovery phase. Do you really think someone performing surgery on your nose wouldn't notice if there was a massive, glaring bump right where they were working? If you went around breaking someone's nose while they were in a coma, you'd definitely be able to tell if it ended up smoother or bumpier, right? I really don't think it was a mistake in the process itself. I know it’s tough because you’re the one actually going through it, but I think you can lean on my logic quite a bit. Plastic surgery isn't some supernatural, superhuman mystery. Good luck... personally, I’m getting my cast removed on Tuesday, and I’m dying to see how great the work turned out.

George Ramos11 said:driftingsurfer96.. I think you need a reality check here... we're talking about this 'bump' that you claim wasn't there before, but suddenly appears right after surgery—specifically after they did some bone 'shaving.' Look at it from an anatomical perspective for a second. It's not like the surgeon dropped a random piece of bone on the floor during the procedure and accidentally stuffed it in there. Here’s my take: there's a chance that while they were shaving down one area, a tiny fragment broke off and stayed tucked inside, which isn't a huge deal to fix later. But there's a more realistic possibility... think about when you're playing soccer and you take a hard hit, bone-on-bone, in an area where the bone is already thick. You know how a bump can grow out there? Now imagine if someone actually BREAKS the bone. We're talking about fractures here. It's pretty unrealistic to expect zero swelling or bumps after bones have been broken or manipulated. Plus, you have to trust the process. While the doctor is operating, they have a direct view of what they're doing. While you're under anesthesia, they are shaping your nose and can see exactly how it looks. Once you wake up, your body reacts with swelling and inflammation during the recovery phase. Do you really think a surgeon wouldn't notice a massive bump while they are literally working on your nose? If you went around breaking people's noses while they were in a coma, you'd definitely be able to tell if it ended up straight or crooked. It's unlikely to be a procedural error. I get that it's tough because you're the one going through it, but my points are solid. Cosmetic surgery isn't some supernatural, impossible feat. Good luck... I'm getting my cast removed on Tuesday, so I'll be interested to see how my results turned out.

Like I've already said about five times, I'll admit it could be bruising or swelling. But a bruise isn't hard like bone. My bone was NOT broken, so I didn't even have any swelling under my eyes or facial edema. My nose was "jagged." There was no reason to break it; the surgeon was supposed to smooth it out. But looking at what I have on my nose right now, it looks like nothing was smoothed at all. On top of that, I've got this hump right in the middle where everything should have been perfectly aligned.
The doctor is checking it on Tuesday, so then I'll know if it's just a hematoma or if they actually botched the job.

Look, it’s not like you have a broken bone... it’s torn up. Same difference. The bone is swollen. Alright, now that you're acting all high and mighty, what exactly do you think is going on in there? Did he seriously shove a dog bone from the floor up your nose? Did he leave his tools inside your nostrils? Or did he just sell your nose to someone else and swap it out for a different one? I don't get how you can claim you DIDN'T have a bump before, but then turn around and say the swelling isn't hard. Total nonsense...

Clearly you missed those lessons on basic manners in school, and since it’s obvious you weren't raised with any discipline at home either, I'm going to give you exactly what you deserve and just keep ignoring you. Given how much nonsense you're spewing, you aren't even remotely intelligent. You're the only person here acting like an expert when you clearly have no clue what you're talking about. Go try commenting on someone else's post, because you don't have anything smart to say and nobody cares about your pseudo-medical opinions anyway.

So why even bother spamming this forum if you can't handle hearing someone else's take? You really think people here—some of whom have just as much medical background as you do—are going to sit around providing deep clinical analyses of your swelling and little bumps? Just call a doctor, go get an actual exam, and stop cluttering up the thread if you aren't ready to listen to feedback. Honestly, I’m telling you, it's 99% likely just swelling. Stop acting like you've got it all figured out; if you were actually that resourceful, you would've cleared up all those fears and uncertainties about the surgery a long time ago.

Hey there!

Back in June of last year, I finally went under the knife to fix my nose—it was something I actually broke when I was just a kid. Well, after the surgery, this little
bump popped up, looking like a tiny leftover piece of cartilage. When I brought it up to my surgeon, he told me I needed about ten sessions with some kind of specialized light therapy
just to shrink the lump down. He quoted me $33 around a hundred bucks per session—so, like, a thousand dollars total.
I ended up going to four of those appointments before I basically just threw in the towel. I haven't really reached back out to my surgeon since then, but the problem is, that little
bump is still right there, staring at me, and honestly, it's getting really annoying. I’m stuck.
I've been weighing the idea of just finding a different surgeon to clean things up, but then I start thinking... why on earth would I drop another $0.00
just because the first guy did such a mediocre job?
What do you guys think I should do?
Should I go find a new specialist, or should I show up at my current surgeon's office after a whole year and demand that he actually fixes what he started?

Honestly, I’m pretty shaken up right now—I have absolutely no clue what my nose is actually going to look like. Right now, it just looks wide, huge, and even kind of bumpy in profile. I’ve got all these little medical tapes plastered over my nose... I’m telling you this because, my god, my nose looks like a massive, wide slab at the moment. But the doctor—right after the surgery, during the checkup—described it in detail as a small, slightly upturned nose. So, that was what they actually saw and settled on toward the end of the procedure, specifically before they put the packing in...
He told me that both of them agreed that this shape fits my face, eyes, mouth, and beard perfectly.
Basically, they were looking at what I’ll obviously be seeing for myself in about 2-3 weeks. It feels weird to me that they finished your surgery while being fully aware that you had a bump. Still, these plastic surgeons—even the minor details don't slip past them. It’s really strange that you have a bump now when you didn't before.
Maybe it’s just massive swelling and you need some lymphatic drainage to get everything to settle down.