Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

wanderingmason86 said:I can only say that I’m dealing with essentially the same issue—structural insufficiency where that "supportive" part of the pyramid collapses and blocks breathing. I need stabilization using cartilage from my septum or ear... So, that's why I'm here, trying to figure out who can actually pull this off, but it's been an uphill battle.

From what I gather, the procedure itself isn't anything extraordinary for the patient, but it’s a massive headache for the surgeon because it's basically like threading a needle (something these female "patients" should probably understand better 😁). My advice? Dig deep into who is performing the surgery and check their reputation. This kind of work demands a seasoned pro. Most ENT specialists can handle the septum part, but the structural stuff requires real skill.

One question for Bryan Reed4:

I'm not following you on that first "pre-medication" you mentioned. Was it just something to take the edge off? And then they "bulk it up" further right there on the operating table?
During my last septum job, they gave me an opioid via injection (I wasn't just relaxed; I was straight-up drugged), and they didn't even need to give me more because I was being a nuisance—actually telling the doctor exactly where to "cut" and things like that 🤣.

It looks like everyone here knows the drill. Just like you guys mentioned, my surgeon said he'll harvest cartilage from my ear to reinforce the nasal wings. He seems pretty confident, talking about the whole thing like it's just routine. He says I'll be in the hospital for two days and that's it. I feel like I can trust him. I'm heading to my appointment today, so I'll update you all on how it goes. Cheers.

Scott Allen10 said:I'm no expert, but I'll give you the quick rundown...

Think of premedication as when they administer a specific medication—usually via an injection into the muscle—about thirty minutes to an hour before the actual surgery starts.
The goal here is two-fold. First, we want to help ease the patient's anxiety and get them feeling a bit more relaxed... and second, we're essentially prepping the body for induction, which is the official start of the anesthesia process...
Typically, doctors use a mix of sedatives or narcotic analgesics (like Midazolam, Dormicum, or Fentanyl) along with Atropine. Most anesthesiologists actually have their own "go-to" cocktail they prefer, provided there aren't any medical reasons why they shouldn't use it.

Thanks for the explanation!

To be honest, I was mainly asking because Bryan Reed4 mentioned getting that premedication, and then (maybe half an hour or so later?) she was already on the operating table feeling "really good." So, I wasn't quite sure if those were two different things, but it sounds like they are just different parts of the anesthesiologist's favorite combo being given at different times.🙂

Zachary Thompson21 said:It looks like you guys know this stuff pretty well. Just like you mentioned, my surgeon told me he’s going to take some cartilage from my ear to reinforce my nasal wings. He seems really confident about it, talking about the surgery like it's just a routine procedure and saying I'll only need to stay at the hospital for two days—nothing crazy. I feel like I can really trust him. I'm heading in for my appointment today, so I'll let you all know how it goes. Best regards.

Well, definitely let us know—if it's not too late—what the doctor actually said. Like, what's the specific plan? What kind of anesthesia will they use? How long is the procedure expected to take, and what are the actual success rates? Keep us posted!

wanderingmason86 said:Thanks for the reply!

Actually, I was just wondering about that because Bryan Reed4 mentioned getting that pre-medication, and then later—maybe half an hour or an hour after—she felt "really good" once she was actually on the operating table. It’s a bit confusing why those feel different, but it’s clearly just different components of the anesthesiologist's favorite cocktail being administered at different stages. 🙂>

Anyway, let me know if you hear anything more specific from the doctor once it's not too late (like how they actually perform it, what kind of anesthesia they use, how long the surgery lasts, or what the success rate looks like...).

I saw the anesthesiologist today. He spent about half an hour going through my charts, listening to my lungs and heart with a stethoscope, asking all the standard questions—smoking, drinking, etc. He was patient, explaining how they prepare me and how they'll look out for me. General anesthesia. After that, I went to see the ENT, and the nurse gave me a date for next week. Not sooner, not later. Pretty fast, honestly. I only saw the surgeon through the door. That’s all for now.

If you're planning on having surgery, I’d strongly advise staying far away from Dubrava Medical Center. Seriously, do yourselves a favor and look elsewhere. 😉

I couldn't even get onto the forums yesterday—pretty sure the servers were acting up or something—but honestly, that was basically my only headache...
So, regarding my nose... everything is looking good. I have to admit, I’m actually pleasantly surprised by how much this doesn't hurt at all. I did notice some darker circles under my eyes pop up yesterday, but that's totally normal stuff, right? All in all, the whole experience has been way smoother and easier than what I was bracing myself for. To anyone out there who still hasn't worked up the nerve to get their nose fixed (even though you know you want to)—seriously, don't sweat it... Once Dr. Tončić gets those tampons pulled out of my nostrils, the only annoying thing left—this constant dry mouth—should finally clear up too.

I couldn't even get my laptop to behave, and then the forum decided to stop working on me too..

I finally downloaded the template—it looks absolutely stunning now!! Bryan Reed4, I'll email it to you, and I'll post it here on the forum later; I honestly can't be bothered to edit the photo right this second. 😁 😍

I’m still feeling a little lightheaded, and I've got these purple and green bruises everywhere, but hey, luck is always on my side—plus, my dog is coming over today, so life is good!! 🙂

🙂

Laura Booth6 said:I couldn't even get my laptop working, and then the forum went down on me too..

Got the mold downloaded—the print looks incredible now!! Bryan Reed4, I'll email it to you, might post it here later once I actually feel like editing the photo. 😁 😍

Still feeling a little buzzed and rocking some purple-green bruises, but honestly, I'm on cloud nine. Plus, my dog is coming over today, life is good!! 🙂

🙂

Really glad everything worked out fine.👍
After all that hassle, it was worth it. Good luck and enjoy the pup. 😉

Glad to hear you're doing alright, seriously. 🙂

Laura Booth6 said:I couldn't even get my laptop to behave, and then the forum decided to quit on me too...

I finally downloaded the template—it looks absolutely gorgeous now!! Bryan Reed4, I'll email it to you, then I'll post it here later; honestly, I just can't be bothered with editing photos right now. 😁 😍

I’m still feeling a little buzzed, and I've got these purple-green bruises everywhere, but hey, luck is clearly on my side because my pup is coming to visit today. Can't complain! 🙂

🙂

Bravo!! Enjoy yourself 😍 I know exactly how you feel 😉
p.s. Sorry for the typos in my DM. 🤷

Susan Watson31 said:I couldn't even get the forum to load yesterday. Probably just some server issues, nothing else went wrong...
So my nose is fine. Honestly, I'm shocked by how little pain there is. Yesterday some darker circles showed up under my eyes, but that's totally normal. All in all, this was way easier and better than I expected. For anyone still stalling on getting their nose fixed (even though you want to), don't sweat it. Once Dr. Tončić pulls the packing out of my nose, the only annoying thing left—dry mouth—should finally clear up.

Glad things are going well for you too, especially the zero pain part🙂,speedy recovery😉
ladies, post pics😍

Here are the photos, I couldn't get them any clearer:



Thanks, everyone!!!! : 😊

@vividfox—I actually had a couple of those too! 😬

Laura Booth6 said:Here’s the photo. Did the best I could:



Thanks everyone!!!! :cerek:

vividfox—I had a couple too! 😬

How much can I see? It looks great.🙂
Come on, take a bigger picture. I can't tell. Without seeing your full face, I can't judge the nose-to-face ratio. I see there's no bump, which is great, but I still can't get a good look at the actual size.🙂
Still, I think it's great. Honestly, I'm pretty stoked about it.😉

Suzi, seriously though, your nose looks incredible—major props to the surgeon who pulled that off 🙂

Can someone please, just for once, upload a photo at a size the human eye can actually make out? I mean... wtf is this? Use Imgur or whatever, post it there, and just send the link. This image is brutally tiny. If I were trying to take a high-quality shot of my own nose, I’d go for something the size of a massive billboard on a highway, yet these people drop $2,000 just to post something the size of a damn fingernail. LAME!

magnifying glass 😉 ?

George Ramos11 said:Can someone please, just for once, upload an image that's actually large enough for the human eye to decipher? I mean, seriously, what is this? Use Imgur or whatever service exists and just drop the link. This thumbnail is absolutely brutal. If I were trying to showcase a high-quality photo of my own nose, I’d be posting something the size of a massive billboard on a highway. Instead, these people are dropping $2,000 just to post something the size of a fingernail. LAME!

Just come on over whenever you get back! 😉

Ashley Young34 said:How much can I see? It looks great.🙂
Come on, take a photo from a bit further away. I can't really tell what's going on here. Since I can't see your full face, I have no idea how big your nose actually looks in proportion to everything else. I can see there aren't any bumps, which is great, but I still can't get a good sense of the actual size.🙂
I still think it’s great, honestly. I'm really happy about it.😉

I'm not going to post a photo right now. I’m still pretty swollen and dealing with some bruising, plus my nose is still visibly puffy. It needs to go down by at least another 30% before it looks normal—I only just had the cast removed yesterday.

I didn't go in to shorten my nose—just the hump and the tip. Honestly, the bump was the main issue for me, and now that it's gone, I'm incredibly happy with the results. That was the only thing that actually mattered to me! 😁

You'll be getting the best full-face photos in just a few months! 🙂

Laura Booth6 said:Here’s the photo—I couldn't get a better shot than this:



Thanks everyone!!!! :smile:

@vividfox—I had a few myself! 😬

I think the picture is clear enough to show how great and flat it looks. 😁
Bravo!! 🙂 It was worth it!! 😍

vividfox said:I think the photo is decent enough to show it looks great and perfectly straight 😁
bravo!! 🙂 It was worth it!! 😍

The nose is totally straight. The photo isn't great for seeing how everything fits into her profile and all that, but I get why Laura Booth6 can't take a perfect shot yet since she's still swollen. For now, we're happy with the result, even if the picture could be better.😛

So, being "swollen"... or whatever you guys want to call it... we can get past that. I mean, if you wake up with a massive hangover after ten beers, you’re gonna look swollen too. It doesn't matter—you can still take a photo and digest it. I'm with the previous commenters on this one: we need to see how the nose actually fits with the rest of your face. Like, how does the whole thing vibe together? Personally, I always say I have great eyes, so if someone took a picture of just those, they'd be like, "Wow..." even if everything else isn't quite hitting the mark. We want the full impression—that "Oh, there she is" feeling—not just some random nose sitting at the bottom of the screen. So many people have a cute little nose but then deal with a cleft lip or something. We want the big picture, and that's what we're focusing on here. We want to see—and seriously, IGNORE any bruising or swelling—what you actually look like RIGHT NOW. Or, as the kids say, *at the moment*... or a translation of a translation... basically, right this second. What did Dr. Nozic actually do? Did he actually harmonize the nose with your face, or is the whole thing just a total disaster?!

So, I’ve been breathing through my nose for two whole days now—honestly, feels freaking amazing... and look, I don't feel the need to dump my photos here since I know how much everyone loves being poked in the eye with stuff they didn't ask for... I figure the sheer level of satisfaction radiating from the posts by 🙂 is more than enough proof of how killer these results actually are.