Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Does anyone happen to know what the typical cost is for this surgery at a private clinic? I'm also curious about how long the waiting list usually is if I decide to go through one of the public hospitals rather than paying out of pocket.

mellowowl83 said:What’s the damage if I go private? And how long am I looking at if I try to get this done through the public hospital system?

You're probably looking at around $2,200 to $14,000... $6000...it really just depends on which clinic you pick and what kind of surgery we're talking about. If it's purely cosmetic, it’s cheaper. If you need it for function *plus* aesthetics, the price jumps. And don't even get me started on revision surgeries—those will cost you a premium too.
Plus, the experience varies wildly depending on where you go. Let me give you my own horror story: I spent an entire morning stuck in a massive line just to get scheduled for a consultation... they finally gave me an appointment for a month later. When I finally showed up for that consult (after more waiting, obviously), the whole thing lasted maybe five minutes. All I walked away with was being told I have a deviated septum—which, newsflash, I already knew—and that I needed surgery. They scheduled the actual procedure for two months after that little chat. Total waste of time if you ask me.
On the flip side, I tried a private specialist: I showed up for my scheduled appointment, we actually had a real conversation about everything, and I had the surgery booked within two weeks. The results? Totally worth it! 😁

I have... a question. Actually, more of a problem.
(I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this—I didn't have the energy to slog through 223 pages)

I had nose surgery almost 6 months ago, and everything is mostly fine now, except for one thing—the mucus! It’s driving me insane. My nose is constantly stuffed up with mucus that I can't blow out normally; the only way it works is if I irrigate my nose with a saline spray, otherwise, I practically have to pull it out with a Q-tip (with a bit of tissue on the end, obviously... standard Q-tips are too thick to use for cleaning). I can't even describe it properly. It's weird; it wasn't like this before. It's... unusually sticky. The best comparison would be white meat—you know how chicken feels under your fingers, that strange stickiness? Well, imagine cutting that white meat into thin, tiny strips—that is exactly what my mucus is like.
When I was last in for a checkup 3 months ago, the doctor said everything looked great and that I didn't need to come back anymore (unless I felt like it, and I think I'll definitely be showing up soon).
A friend of mine, who happens to be a veterinarian, asked me how long I was on antibiotics after the surgery when I told her about this mucus situation—they didn't give me any antibiotics at all. She lost her mind; she couldn't believe they would operate on me and not prescribe antibiotics afterward (when they operate on animals, they always follow up with antibiotics). Is this because of some weird bacteria that are adding "ingredient X" to my mucus, or is the membrane just not fully healed yet, or what the hell? :/
I don't know, does anyone have any suggestions, advice, or similar experiences?

btw, @rustygardener172/">@@rustygardener172, you really are a princess!
Imagine being scheduled for surgery in 2 months—.-' I waited a year and a half for my surgery at the VA, and that's including the first 3 months just waiting for an initial exam.
That's probably why my nose is in this state now, since I went through the public health system! woohoo 😁

silverharbor18 said:I have.... a question. Actually, more like a massive headache
(Not sure if anyone else has brought this up yet; I honestly couldn't be bothered to scroll through 223 pages)

I had nose surgery almost 6 months ago, and for the most part, everything seems fine, except for one thing—the mucus! It’s driving me absolutely insane. My nose is constantly stuffed up with this gunk, but I can't blow it out normally. The only way I get any relief is if I blast my nose with some saline spray like NeilMed, otherwise, I feel like I have to physically fish it out with a Q-tip (with a little tissue wrapped around the end, obviously... a standard Q-tip is just too thick to work with). I can't even describe it properly; it's weird. It wasn't like this before. It's just... unusually sticky.
........

I'm not really sure what to tell you... "Strange mucus," huh? Hahaha. So, what exactly did they operate on? Did they do laser surgery on your turbinates? Maybe they just need more time to heal. Or maybe you damaged the lining before and now it's slowly trying to clear itself out. Or, honestly, maybe they just totally screwed it up. 😁
If I were you, I'd just hang in there a bit longer. It can take a year or two for the mucous membranes to fully recover. Personally, I bought some saline solution (the 0.5L bottle is only about $3.25 at the CVS) and I've been rinsing my nose with it every single morning for two months now. You'll need a syringe and a needle for it. You just fill the syringe up a bit and spray it into one nostril, then the other... then blow your nose. I've been doing this for two months and I can breathe so much better. Give it a shot, you've got nothing to lose.

I have a quick question—I'm scheduled for nose surgery soon, so I was wondering how long I need to stay out of the sun afterward, and whether I'll be able to go snorkeling in the ocean again anytime soon.?

Donna Watson80 said:I've got a quick question for you guys. I'm heading in for nose surgery pretty soon, and I was wondering how long I need to stay out of the sun once I'm on the mend? Also, am I going to be able to get back to scuba diving in the ocean anytime soon?

Look, I’m pretty sure you shouldn't just be out there exposing your nose to the direct sun for an entire month straight. That's a recipe for disaster. Honestly, just grab a baseball cap or some kind of sun hat and call it a day—problem solved. 😁
Of course you can go diving! Honestly, if you're looking to bounce back quickly, you really can't beat the ocean. There's something about that saltwater that just hits different when you're trying to recover. It’s basically nature's way of helping you reset.
Look, at the end of the day... your doctor is going to give you the actual lowdown way better than I ever could. It’s just common sense, really—you ask three different specialists in this country the same question, and you'll get three different answers. It's practically a rule. 😁
So, who are you heading to see? Sry if you already posted this somewhere else...
Anyway, sending you all the good vibes for the surgery! You've got this. 👍

Donna Watson80....I just had my consultation, and the doctor told me I can't dive deeper than about 6 feet... apparently because of the pressure issues. 🙂
Has anyone here actually dealt with Dr. Miller? Any experiences to share?

silverharbor18 said:I have... a question. Actually, more of a problem.
(Not sure if anyone’s brought this up yet; I didn't feel like scrolling through 223 pages)

I had nose surgery almost six months ago. For the most part, everything is fine, except for one thing—the mucus. It’s driving me insane. My nose is constantly congested, but I can't blow it out normally. The only way it works is if I flush my nose with a saline rinse; otherwise, I practically have to fish it out with a Q-tip (wrapped in toilet paper, obviously... standard cotton swabs are just too thick to use effectively). I can't even describe it properly. It’s different than before; it's weirdly sticky. The best comparison would be raw white meat—you know that tacky feeling you get from chicken? Imagine slicing that white meat into tiny, thin strips. That's what my mucus feels like.
At my last checkup three months ago, the doctor told me everything looked good and that I didn't need to come back unless necessary (though I think I'll be seeing him again soon).
A friend of mine, who’s a veterinarian, heard my story about the mucus and asked how long I was on antibiotics after the surgery. They didn't give me any antibiotics at all. She lost her mind, wondering how they could perform surgery and not follow up with antibiotics (when they treat animals, they always blast them with antibiotics post-op). Is this some consequence of strange bacteria adding "ingredient X" to my mucus, or is the membrane just not fully healed yet, or what the hell? :/
Anyone have suggestions, advice, or similar experiences?

By the way, @rustygardener172/">@@rustygardener172, you really are royalty!
Imagine being scheduled for surgery two months out. -.-' I waited a year and a half for my surgery, and that’s after waiting three months just for the initial consultation.
That's probably why my nose is in this state now, since I went through the public healthcare system! Woohoo. 😁

...regarding the antibiotics after surgery... you don't just hand those out after a procedure like this unless there's a specific medical reason. You definitely don't do it routinely. There's no sense in just throwing antibiotics at people for no reason...

So, I’m also here with a question regarding nasal surgery.😁
I have a deviated septum and am scheduled for surgery with Dr. Miller at Mercy Hospital in six months. During my consultation, he mentioned that he would need to break some bone and that my nose will undergo a complete change in shape. Now, I can accept that part, but I’m feeling quite confused by a specific note he made in my medical records.
It reads: "Valve reconstruction is recommended in ETA (S+P)."
After doing a bit of searching online, the only thing I could find was that this refers to an internal procedure that wouldn't affect the external appearance of the nose.
Does anyone with medical expertise—or perhaps someone who understands this terminology—know exactly what this means?

So, they went under the knife... is this surgery actually that brutal? I mean, would you ever even consider doing it a second time? Honestly, you’d need some serious nerves of steel to deal with something like that...

Hi, ladies and gents. I see we already have a rustygardener172 in our midst. I’m just here to note that since I’ve been a registered member of this forum for quite some time, it seems we’ve ended up with two princesses on the exact same thread. By family lineage, I suppose I could claim a bit of royalty myself, though unfortunately, judging by my nose, one might say I take more after a rugged American 🤣. Just kidding. To be honest, I am quite dissatisfied with its appearance; it feels far too prominent for my small, delicate facial features. I had actually abandoned the idea of surgery because the thought of undergoing the entire procedure felt overwhelming—not to mention the cost, especially since I am looking into private clinics—but I’ve found myself circling back to the idea. I think I’ll eventually head out to finally resolve this within a year or so. Beyond the aesthetics, I deal with breathing issues due to a deviation from an old injury (it specifically affects my left nostril), leaving me constantly congested in the mornings and causing frequent sneezing, particularly when the weather shifts. I suppose as the years pass, things start to bother you that didn't even register when you were in your twenties... I have a bit of an aesthetic streak, so it would be lovely to fix that aspect as well. While I didn't struggle with massive complexes about it when I was younger, if I am going under the knife anyway, why not aim for the best possible outcome and finally close this chapter of my life?
I would love to see any before and after photos from those of you who had your procedures done by either Dr. Miller or Dr. Smith. If you don't mind sharing, please post some pictures. Based on your comments and my specific goals, those two seem to be the closest match to what I am looking for.

I have an upcoming surgery scheduled for tomorrow, and I was wondering if anyone here has gone through something similar. It turns out I have sinus polyps that need to be removed, so I'll be heading in to get that taken care of. If anyone has firsthand experience with this procedure, would you mind walking me through what to expect?

Kate Taylor59 said:after surgery... I mean, was it actually brutal? Like, would you ever go through with it again? Honestly, you’d need some serious nerves of steel to handle something like that...

For me, it wasn't bad at all. Not the first time, not the second. If I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. 👍

Steven Newman58 said:I’m heading in for surgery tomorrow, so I was wondering if anyone here has gone through this before. They found some polyps in my sinuses, and I’m getting them removed tomorrow—could someone give me a better idea of what to expect?

Let us know how it goes; I’m actually scheduled to get my septum deviated and my sinuses fixed pretty soon myself. 😕

Jamie Kern8 said:Donna Watson80... I was just at my consultation and the doctor told me I can't dive deeper than about 6 feet—due to pressure issues... 🙂
and anyone have experience with Dr. Miller's practice?

Fair enough, thanks. Even that little bit of info helps. 🙂

rustygardener172 said:I wouldn't recommend leaving your nose exposed to direct sunlight for a full month—just wear a baseball cap or some kind of hat and you'll be fine. 😁
As for diving, saltwater is actually great for recovery.
That said... your doctor will give you much better advice than I can. It’s common knowledge that different specialists often have differing opinions. 😁
Who are you seeing? Sry if you already mentioned that...
Anyway, good luck with the surgery!! 👍

Thanks—I'm really hoping everything gets sorted out quickly and the recovery is as short as possible. 🙂

Anybody? Does anyone have some photos? I promise I’ll share mine with you all once my surgery is over—I might even pull the trigger on it sooner than a year from now, though honestly, it all just depends on how my workload looks and when I can actually get some time off.

Angela Morales69 said:Anybody? Please send some photos. I promise I'll send some back to you guys after my surgery—I might even pull the trigger on it sooner than a year from now, depending on when things quiet down at work and I can actually get some time off.

Just sent them over.

rustygardener172 said:Look, I’m pretty sure you shouldn't just leave your nose out to bake in the direct sun for an entire month. That's a one-way ticket to a nasty burn. Honestly, just grab a baseball cap or some kind of sun hat and call it a day—problem solved. 😁
Of course you can go diving! Honestly, hitting the ocean is probably the best thing you could do right now—saltwater is legendary for helping you bounce back faster. It’s like nature's own recovery tool.
Look, at the end of the day, your doctor is going to give you the full rundown way better than I ever could. It’s just common sense—you know how it goes, different doctors always have different takes on the exact same thing. One guy says one thing, another specialist says the complete opposite, and suddenly you're stuck in the middle of it all. 😁
Who are you heading to see? Sry if you already posted that...
Anyway, good luck with the surgery!! Fingers crossed for you! 👍

Donna Watson80 said:Thanks, man. I’m really hoping things start moving along a bit faster and that the whole recovery process doesn't drag on forever. Fingers crossed. 🙂

Finally, I'm back in action. Recovery is officially complete. 😁

rustygardener172 said:I sent it over.

Thanks so much!
Honestly, you have such a cute nose—if I hadn't seen those older photos, I would have sworn it was completely natural. A total beauty, truly. Seeing this just gives me even more motivation to get my own procedure done as soon as I possibly can.