Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Dana Cruz44 Hey, if you don't mind me asking, did you end up having that surgery?

Dana Cruz44 said:I went through with a septoplasty and honestly, never again. It wasn't about looks—it was purely functional—but the whole thing was a bust. I don't want to scare anyone, but I wouldn't touch that procedure with a ten-foot pole ever again. To make matters worse, they did it under local anesthesia. They were just chatting away while I sat there, unable to move, and it was incredibly awkward. In the end, it turns out the surgery wasn't even necessary because it was just a massive allergic reaction. They actually suggested a turbinate reduction next! After a heavy dose of corticosteroids, the issue is finally sorted. I’m sleeping like a baby now and the last thing I want is to go back under the knife. Life's already cut me deep enough as it is...

Hmm, that's weird. How does someone even get operated on if there isn't an actual deviation? What was the basis for that? And if you don't mind me asking, where did you have this done?
I am completely satisfied with my septum correction. I really don't have any issues at all.

After thinking about it for several years, I’ve finally decided to go through with the surgery... now, of course, the real challenge is finding a surgeon I can actually trust.
Reading through all these posts, you guys have somehow managed to both encourage me and freak me out just a little bit at the same time 🙂
Most of the discussion seems to center around Dr. Johnson, and from what I can tell, the feedback there is mostly positive...
I was wondering if anyone here has had surgery recently with Dr. Glumicic or perhaps any other surgeon working in the Washington, D.C. area?
I know exactly what I want to do—it's just that making this final call on who to trust with everything is proving to be much harder than I expected. :/

Hey everyone, listen up—if you’re even thinking about getting surgery, please, do yourself a massive favor and stay far, far away from Dr. Boric over on Petrov Street!! Seriously, stay clear of him. I only went in to get a little fix-up on a bump I had from a broken nose, but man, did things go south. Instead of just smoothing it out, he basically widened my nose from every single angle—it looks totally asymmetrical, you wouldn't believe it. Plus, there's this weird ridge where the cartilage or whatever is still sticking out. Honestly, I'm so shaken up by this whole mess and these "aesthetic artists" that I'm having to think really hard about who I can actually trust to do a revision. Right now, I'm torn between Johnson and Zambelli. The catch is that Zambelli is based out in San Francisco, which isn't exactly convenient for me, but oh my god, a nose is a nose... if I have to fly across the country or even head abroad to get this fixed, I will. Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have. Just once more:Avoid Boric at Petrov Street!

I can't help but notice that the same two or three ENT specialists always seem to dominate the conversation here—even though there are at least four or five other incredible surgeons out there who deserve a mention, and I've personally heard nothing but glowing reviews about their work. Besides, since how happy you feel with your surgical outcome is such a deeply personal thing, why don't the patients who are thrilled (or even those who aren't quite satisfied) just post their before-and-after photos? That way, this community could actually see for itself who is truly delivering great results.👍

I decided on Dr. Ostojic.😉
Not sure why, but I'm going. Did some digging into his work and it seems legit.🙂

Ronald Cook17 said:I can't help but notice that the same two or three rhinoplasty surgeons always get cycled through here—even though there are at least four or five other top-tier specialists who barely even get a mention, despite me hearing multiple times how incredible their work actually is. Besides, since being happy with the final look is such a deeply personal thing, why don't the patients—both the ones thrilled with their results and the ones who aren't—just post their before and after photos? Let the community decide for themselves who's actually delivering the goods.👍

So, could you maybe drop at least two names from those four or five "great" surgeons who aren't part of the usual rotation?

Alex Moore62 said:Look, you’re totally free to reply to my comment and voice your own opinion—that's how this works, right? And just like I stated in my original post, I'm sticking to my guns. Why would I go around claiming someone else's business anyway? It's as simple as that. 🙂
I shared my own surgical experience on this forum ages ago—purely for the benefit and information of everyone here.
By the way, it’s pretty hilarious watching all you "satisfied customers" somehow always manage to forget—or better yet, completely ignore—the experiences of those clients who *weren't* so thrilled. I post those stories here too.

I'm not about to sit here and write about bad experiences if I haven't lived through them myself... that would just be lying and slander, wouldn't it?
And to anyone out there who actually had a rough time, I've already said I'm sorry for that, and honestly, anything beyond that is just unnecessary noise.

Samuel Reyes26 said:So, would you mind listing at least two of those four or five top-tier surgeons who aren't part of this initial group of two or three?

Honestly, I’d be pretty grateful if they could list them too... 🙂
I'm actually thinking about heading over to see Johnson soon, but I really feel like I should visit a few more specialists first—just to get a better sense of things and see for myself where the best option truly lies.

Samuel Reyes26 said:Listen, everyone, if you're even considering surgery, please stay far away from Dr. Boric at the clinic on Petrov Street!! I just wanted to fix up a little bump from an old broken nose, but instead, he basically widened my nose from every angle. It’s completely asymmetrical—you wouldn't believe it. Plus, I can see where the cartilage or whatever it is is poking through. Honestly, I'm so shaken up by this whole experience with "aesthetic artists" that I need to be incredibly careful about who I trust to fix this mess. I'm currently torn between choosing either Johnson or Zambelli. The catch is that Zambelli is based out in San Francisco, which isn't ideal for me, but my goodness, a nose is a nose. If I have to fly across the country or even head abroad to get this right, I will. In any case, I am wide open to your advice. Just a final warning: Avoid Boric on Petrov Street at all costs!

I would highly recommend scheduling a visit to Dr. Bastaic's office.🙂

Ashley Young34 said:I've decided to go with Dr. Ostojic 😉
I'm not entirely sure what led me to that conclusion, but I think I'll stick with him; I spent some time looking over his research and publications, and everything seems reasonably solid enough, I suppose.🙂

I actually made the same choice and settled on Dr. Ostojic myself. I'm heading in for my consultation tomorrow. 🎉 So, when are you planning to have the actual surgery? Have you already gotten on the schedule?

😉

rowdyrider21 said:I decided on Ostojic too. I've got my consultation tomorrow. 🎉 When's your surgery? You already on the schedule?

😉
Not scheduled yet. Planning on next month.😁
Glad you're going to him too😉. Let me know how it goes and what the waitlist looks like.😁

After a lot of back and forth with people close to me, I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on septoplasty. It’s been a massive issue for me. I’ve never actually fallen or broken my nose—it looks perfectly fine from the outside—so there was no trauma involved. The problem is just crooked nasal passages that make breathing nearly impossible. I end up mouth-breathing all night, and when I’m working out, I feel like I’m literally going to suffocate.
To make matters worse, I’m dealing with a cold right now, so everything feels like a total mess.😢😢
I was at a specialist's office for something else entirely, and they took one look at my nose and told me straight up that I need surgery and shouldn't wait. I used to think doctors just said that to everyone to get more business, but then life happened—college, work, etc.—and suddenly everything else felt more important than this. One thing to note: I sleep terribly. It's restless, and I deal with constant nightmares; I recently found out that could be due to oxygen deprivation.
Anyway, I’m going through with it, so I need your input. How was your experience? Was the pain manageable, how long did recovery take, and did you actually feel better afterward?🙄
Also, I need advice on costs and where I can go in NYC to see a private specialist for this kind of procedure. Any recommendations?
I’d rather avoid the public hospitals unless it's an absolute emergency.🙂 🙂
Thanks in advance.

Samuel Reyes26 said:Could you maybe list at least two of those four or five top-tier surgeons who aren't part of that initial group of two or three?

Alphabetically speaking, we have Bedekovic, Dzepina, Gulic, Mladina, and Uglies. What sets them all apart—besides their general practice—is their highly specific sub-specialization in head and neck plastic surgery; in my opinion, that provides an extra layer of confidence that they can handle any nasal issue thrown their way. Personally, I’m looking at revision surgery because my first experience was quite frankly a disaster—it was absolutely harrowing, something I wouldn't wish on anyone. This time around, I am going to be incredibly deliberate about choosing my surgeon. My plan is to schedule consultations with all of them, and I'll ultimately decide based on whoever makes the best impression during the appointment...

Ronald Cook17 said:Alphabetically speaking: Bedekovic, Dzepina, Gulic, Mladina, and Uglies. They all share the same core focus—specializing in head and neck plastic surgery—which, if you ask me, provides that extra layer of confidence that they can actually handle any nose issue thrown their way. I’m looking at a revision surgery because my first attempt went poorly, and this time, I am going to be incredibly careful about who I trust. Honestly, the aftermath of that first procedure was just... awful. It's not something anyone would want to go through again. My plan is to schedule consultations with each of them, and I'll just see who makes the best impression...

Thanks so much—please let me know once you've had your appointment and what your impressions were!

Ronald Cook17 said:Alphabetically speaking: Bedekovic, Dzepina, Gulic, Mladina, and Uglies. They all share the same core specialty along with a sub-specialization in head and neck plastic surgery—which, if you ask me, provides that extra layer of confidence that they can handle any nose issue thrown their way. I actually need a revision surgery because my first procedure went pretty poorly, and this time around, I’m going to be incredibly careful about who I choose. Honestly, the aftermath of that first surgery was just awful—something nobody would ever wish on themselves. My plan is to go in for consultations with everyone, and then just see who makes the best impression...

By the way, who did you go to for your first procedure?

Ashley Young34 said:😉

😉
I haven't actually booked my appointment yet, though I am planning to get everything sorted next month.😁
I’m honestly so glad to hear you’re seeing him too😉. If you don't mind, would you mind sharing a little bit about how it went? I'd love to know what the wait time for the actual surgery was like.😁

As for me, I actually have my consultation scheduled for this coming Monday. He managed to squeeze me in a bit earlier since I mentioned I was hoping to move things along quickly for a few personal reasons, if that makes sense. But from what I gather, the wait isn't too bad—maybe just a week or two, at least. I’ve been quite happy with the doctor so far; he’s genuinely kind, and his nurse was lovely as well. He spent quite a bit of time asking exactly what I wanted to change about my nose, and then walked me through all the possibilities, the potential risks, how the procedure itself works, and even the recovery process. He really covered everything in such meticulous detail. I think I was in the office for a little over half an hour. 😕 Now, I suppose I just have to make it through until Monday.
☕ 🙂 🙂

Olivia Reed94 said:After a lot of back-and-forth with people in my life, I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on septoplasty to fix my deviated septum. It’s been causing me serious issues.

On top of that, I could really use some advice regarding costs—where in Washington, D.C. can I get this done through a private specialist? Does anyone have recommendations?

I went through the exact same thing with a deviated septum and ended up having the surgery at the Mayo Clinic under Dr. Jurlin, whom I can’t recommend highly enough. You can be more than 100% certain that he’ll do the best possible job. Since the procedure, breathing has become so much easier. 😉

There’s honestly no reason to seek out a private surgeon who seems more interested in cosmetic enhancements than actual functional repairs. Everything at the Mayo Clinic can be handled without any out-of-pocket expenses if you have supplemental insurance; you won't be paying a single cent, not even for the hospital stay. Their department is modern, offering single or double rooms equipped with private bathrooms and TVs, so you’ll have full comfort.

There are actually several of us from this forum who chose Dr. Jurlin, and we are all beyond satisfied with the results.

For those of you who have gone through a private surgical procedure before, I was wondering how you handled the clothing situation when you showed up for your appointment? It might sound like a bit of a silly question, I suppose 😵, but I’m genuinely curious. I was thinking about just showing up in some sweats, because, well, I imagine I'll probably be stuck lying around the recovery room for about five hours after everything is done, and I figured being comfortable would be the best way to go.

rowdyrider21 said:I’m scheduled for Monday. They pushed me forward a bit because I told them I wanted it ASAP for certain reasons. Won't be waiting long though—maybe a week or two at most. 😕 I’m happy with my doctor. He’s super polite, and the nurse is great too. He asked what I wanted to change about my nose, then walked me through exactly what he could do, the risks, the surgery itself, and the recovery process. He covered everything in detail. The consultation took just over half an hour.
And I guess we just have to sit around and wait for Monday to roll around, too. ☕ 🙂 🙂

Sweet.😉
Glad to hear it. Now I'm wondering about the research part—you planning on doing those searches with him or somewhere else?😁
Keep me posted on everything. I’m definitely heading over to see him. Fingers crossed for Monday.😉