Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Can someone please tell me who here has actually gone under the knife for a rhinoplasty? I need to know... does the nasal mucosa just constantly itch? :O

Kate Taylor59 said:Can anyone who's had nose surgery tell me if the mucous membrane starts stinging? :O

Look, I didn't get any stinging in my nose, and even a month and a half later, I'm fine. But for about five days right after the surgery, your whole nose feels wrapped up and you're stuck breathing through your mouth. Once those tampons came out after five days and I finally breathed through my nose again, my throat started killing me. Everything in my mouth felt like it was burning. It got so bad I couldn't eat anything for a few days because of the pain. My nurse told me there wasn't much to do about it other than chugging warm tea...☕ eventually it passed, but honestly, that part sucked even more than the actual surgery and the day immediately following it.😢

quietwolf182 said:Look, I can tell you from experience—I haven't had any stinging sensations since my surgery about six weeks ago—but those first few days? Total nightmare. You’ve got your whole nose wrapped up, and you're forced to breathe exclusively through your mouth. Once they finally pulled the packing out after five days and I could actually use my nose again, my throat just went into full revolt. Everything in my mouth felt like it was on fire. It was so painful I couldn't even swallow food for a couple of days. My nurse basically told me there isn't much for it other than sipping warm tea constantly...☕ but honestly, that part ended up being more miserable than the actual surgery and the day immediately following it.😢

Thanks so much for the heads-up 🙂 That’s exactly what I’m worried about... I have an incredibly sensitive throat, so I'm a bit nervous about how this is going to play out. 😢

Kate Taylor59 said:Can someone who’s actually gone through nose surgery please tell me—does the lining ever get that weird, itchy sensation? Like, is it just me or is it totally normal? :O

Honestly, I didn't feel a single itch. Nothing at all.

So, quick question... is it actually possible to breathe normally tomorrow, the day after taking out a tampon?

Kate Taylor59 said:So, is it actually possible to breathe the day after getting those tampons removed?

Look, once they pull those things out, you’ll spend the first few seconds gasping for air like you’re trying to inhale through your eyeballs instead of your nose 🙂 but honestly... it just gets all stuffed up again within a couple of hours. You don't really start breathing normally again for about 7 days. It’s nothing life-threatening, though—you just get used to mouth-breathing like you have a nasty head cold. The only gross part is that weirdly sticky, crusty feeling in your mouth when you wake up in the morning.😂

Kate Taylor59 said:Could someone who has actually had nasal surgery please reply? I'm wondering if you experienced any stinging or burning in the mucous membrane? :O

Honestly, I didn't experience any stinging at all, though I did find myself drinking massive amounts of tea—probably closer to two liters every single day—mixed with plenty of honey and lemon. My throat felt a little scratchy right after the procedure, too, but I managed to soothe that pretty easily using some throat spray from Angal.

So, I guess before the surgery, I really need to stock up on all the essentials—herbal teas, honey, soothing sprays, drops... is there anything else I should be looking into? 😁

Carol Diaz31 said:So, basically, I need to gear up with herbal teas, honey, soothing sprays, eye drops... is there anything else I should be stocking up on before the surgery? 😁

If you smoke, please just try to quit; you really need to prep your body for this. Focus on eating well—load up on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables—and whatever you do, stay away from things like Advil or aspirin for now. Also, make sure you're getting some good exercise leading up to the procedure.😁

The same goes for your recovery afterward, though you'll want to take it easy on the workouts for a while.

Any experiences? Has anyone actually sat in his chair? Was the rhinoplasty result actually decent? Any major complaints?☕

jadedriver0 said:Anyone have actual experience with him? Has anyone actually gone to him? Did he do a decent job on your nose, or were there any issues?☕

I'm curious too. 😁
Check back around pages 70, 80, or 90... "Fatty" laid out the whole story regarding her experience with Zambelli over there.

rapiddriver14 said:So, nine months post-op, and I finally had my follow-up with Zambelli yesterday. Honestly, I went because while my nose is basically what it should be, there was this narrowing issue—essentially a gap on one side that he had to fill with cartilage. Well, he might have overfilled it just a hair, so now I have to go back in to get it "trimmed." There’s also the matter of it not being perfectly straight. Even though everyone tells me it looks fine—and even he suggested I wait until the one-year mark to fix anything
(since you really need a full year for everything to settle and for the final result to actually show up)
so we can correct it.
I am really crossing my fingers that I won't have to pay extra for this, considering I already dropped $2,400 on the initial surgery.

He mentioned he’ll be doing the correction under local anesthesia, which absolutely terrifies me!!!
Look, Zambelli is the type of guy who won't sugarcoat it; if it’s going to hurt, he’ll tell you straight up. It’s just a little sting, he says, but I feel like I’m about to die from the agony...

All things considered, my nose is fine. I’m not 100% thrilled, but I’ll sort it out at the one-year mark. Most people don't even notice the flaw, but of course, I see it clearly.

Let me reiterate: removing the packing hurts. At least, in my experience. I literally passed out. The pain is momentary, sure, but it is absolutely brutal—like someone is trying to pull your brain out through your nostrils. Not trying to scare anyone, mind you; everyone's experience is different.
As for the general anesthesia, that part was fine for me. No nausea, no dizziness, I could even nap for a bit while watching TV.

The nurses at Zambelli’s clinic are wonderful. One of them actually held my hand while I was crying when I first woke up after surgery... I panicked a bit because my mom wasn't there. 🙂😍

Just a quick heads-up: I was torn between choosing Kinčl or Zambelli. When I went for a consultation with Kinčl and mentioned that the nasal bridge felt a bit too long, he told me it couldn't be shortened, blah blah blah...
But when I asked Zambelli the exact same thing, he said it was doable, and more importantly, he actually did it, and it looks great.

😛

😲 cried 😢(now I'm scared...
And what was that again? You can't breathe for seven days? Okay... I guess my surgery wasn't all bad after all... but thanks anyway...

Carol Diaz31 said:So, I’m looking at my pre-op game plan, and it looks like I need to basically turn my pantry into a high-end pharmacy. I'm talking teas, honey, herbal sprays, eye drops... what else am I missing? What's the secret toolkit for getting ready before they roll you under the anesthesia? 😁

Honestly, if you’re dealing with some nasty swelling or a pounding headache, don't even bother with those cheap, flimsy little gel packs you find at the drugstore. I learned that the hard way last summer when I tweaked my shoulder trying to move some old furniture around my garage in Chicago—total rookie mistake. If you want actual relief, you’ve got to go old school or get the heavy-duty stuff. A bag of frozen peas from the grocery store actually works wonders because it molds to your body, unlike those rigid plastic bricks that just hurt more. Or, if you're feeling fancy, grab one of those high-end cooling wraps from a place like CVS. Just a heads up though: don't go slapping ice directly on your skin unless you want a frostbite lesson you didn't ask for. Wrap it in a thin towel first. Trust me, your skin will thank you later. 😁

Kate Taylor59 said:😲 she was crying 😢(now I'm low-key terrified...
so what, you can't even breathe for seven days straight? okayyy... guess my surgery isn't going to be anything special after all... but thanks for the heads up, I guess...

weaklings 😂

rustygardener172 said:weaklings😂

:S

rustygardener172 said:cold compresses 😁

I went out and bought some at DM today.
Only 8 days left 😲
Kate Taylor59 and I am both absolutely terrified by the whole thing, but I already put down a deposit, so there's just no turning back now. 😂
I suppose I should remember that old saying: beauty requires sacrifice. 😍

Carol Diaz31 said:Picked some stuff up at DM today.
Only 8 days left 😲
Kate Taylor59 and I am absolutely terrified by the whole thing, but I already put down the deposit, so there's no backing out now. 😂
Reminds me of that old saying: beauty requires sacrifice 😍

True enough... though when your health starts acting up, it’s not exactly a trivial matter anymore...
Where exactly do you think you're headed?

Kate Taylor59 said:Yeah, true... but once your health starts going downhill, nothing else really matters much anymore...

Honestly, I put my health first and let everything else slide... beauty was always just a side note for me.😁

Kate Taylor59 said:Yeah, I mean... when your health starts failing you, it’s not exactly something you can just shrug off...
where exactly do you think you're headed?

But honestly, all of this eventually passes... though, I guess, hearing everyone else's stories doesn't exactly help. It actually makes things harder. You never really know if it's worse to be left in the dark or to be drowning in too much information.
It all depends, I suppose. Some people bounce back quickly without much trouble at all, while others go through absolute hell, and there's just no way to predict how you personally will react. Of course, there's a risk involved, but it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing will happen to you.

I'm going to see Tončić.

Quick apology to everyone else here. 😉

Hey, could Lana please clear out her inbox or outbox? I'm trying to send her a private message, but it just won't go through! 🙂
Otherwise, if she's allowed to, maybe she could let me know if there's another way I can get in touch with her! 😁