Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Karen Ross84 said:Of course it bothers me, because I can barely breathe out of one side—honestly, I feel like I’m not breathing at all.
Now I'm left wondering, since I went in for my appointment today, but he didn't mention surgery at all, just told me to come back in a month once we get some imaging done... so does he eventually bring it up himself, or am I going to have to be the one to ask him?

Who exactly were you seeing, an ENT or a plastic surgeon? I'm assuming it was the first one?

That doctor is both an ENT and a plastic surgeon.

I finally finished reading this entire thread from start to finish, and honestly, I’m just shocked and a little spooked by how much negativity is in here. It seems like half the women paid a fortune for rhinoplasty results that look nothing like them... I don't want to be one of those people crying over old photos because I don't have a massive nose, just some minor things I'd like fixed. I'm not really sure what to make of any of this.🤷

Khally, I’m thinking along the exact same lines—honestly, the thought of actually going in for a consultation scares the hell out of me. 😳 I sent some photos over to Glušac, and he did get back to me regarding my questions.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't rush into surgery. Don't hurry this... just take a second to really ask yourself if a different tip or a slightly different bridge—stuff that nobody else even notices, mind you, despite how much you paid for it—is actually going to make you feel better or look any different. 🤷

Well, it's pretty much decided now; I'm headed in for surgery in three days.
I suppose all I can do is hope for the best and stay off that list of unfortunate cases.
And yes—they all follow this forum, so they definitely know what's being said about them.

Look, you can always back out of the surgery right now. Honestly, nobody is forcing your hand here, especially since you're paying for this yourself. You get to decide when and with which surgeon you want to go through with it. I really think it’s better to just call it off if you're feeling unsure, particularly since this isn't an immediate life-or-death situation for you. You could just tell them simply that you've decided against it, or maybe say you're nervous about the procedure itself. Or, if you're too embarrassed to be honest, you could just claim you caught a fever, a stomach bug, or some other virus. I mean, I think it's much better to skip the surgery entirely—why take the risk? I don't usually chime in on this thread because, frankly, these surgeries aren't really my thing, but I felt like I had to respond to your post this time.

Yeah... but I really want nose surgery. It’s something I’ve wanted forever, and I think I’ve given myself plenty of time to sit with the idea. I’ve been talking about doing this since I was just a kid.

It feels like there isn't a perfect doctor out there; everyone makes mistakes in their field, but since we're talking about surgery, nobody really wants to be one of those mistakes.

I totally get where you're coming from, but I don't think there's any rule saying you absolutely have to rush into surgery in just three days—especially not with that specific doctor, especially since you mentioned even his previous patients weren't really happy with the results. Maybe it might be worth looking into someone else just to get a second opinion? I mean, it’s not like this is some kind of emergency procedure, right?

mistyjackal842 said:I get where you're coming from, but there’s really nothing saying you have to rush into surgery in three days—especially not with this specific doctor you found reviews for where people weren't even happy... You should probably look into getting a second opinion from someone else. Especially since this isn't some emergency situation.

Signed. 🤷

I’ve been scrolling through these posts and I honestly don't get the obsession with "first" versus "second" surgeries. I had my nose done eight months ago by Dr. Smith and he gave me exactly what I asked for. People only need follow-up work if they end up with a bump, crooked healing, or breathing issues. As for aesthetics, you just hammer out the details—narrower bridge, upturned tip, whatever—with your surgeon before you even go under. You can settle it all in one shot.☕

That’s kind of the point—some women on here mentioned they worked everything out directly with their doctors, only for it to turn into a total disaster...

Personally, I think this doctor is great when we talk; he actually listens and understands me. But reading all these horror stories gives me a bit of anxiety. I guess maybe this forum isn't always the best guide, who knows? Another doctor I spoke with—Alexander Milenović—actually told me, "If you spend too much time reading forums, you're heading for trouble."

Look, I don't think it’s easy to put this into WORDS. It’s all subjective—what one person considers a tiny or bumpy nose might look totally different to someone else. To me, the surgeon isn't really the issue here... unless they actually botched the symmetry or messed up your breathing, then yeah, you've got a real problem.

I’m thinking about just bringing a photo to the doctor showing exactly what I want. It's not some unrealistic celebrity look or anything crazy—I just used Adobe Photoshop to tweak a photo of myself (don't laugh)—to create a version of my own nose that shows exactly what I'm after, keeping the bridge looking natural. 😁 I'll just show him and ask if it's even possible to get close to that size and shape... it doesn't have to be a carbon copy.

Nancy Perez74 said:But that’s the whole point—some girls on here claimed they coordinated everything with their surgeon, and then it turned into an absolute disaster....

Honestly, when I talk to my guy, he seems great. He actually listens and gets where I'm coming from... but reading all this stuff? Total panic mode. Maybe this forum isn't the ultimate truth—who knows? Another doctor I spoke with (Alexander Milenović) straight up told me, "If you're spending too much time reading forums, you're asking for trouble."

That other doctor was telling you the gospel truth. Don't take every single post on this board so seriously. 😲 Sure, maybe three girls posted because their rhinoplasty went south, but that doesn't mean the surgeon is incompetent across the board. What about all the other women who had perfect results and didn't feel the need to jump on a forum to brag?! This isn't some scientific study or a representative sample group that gives us a perfectly objective view of reality.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... just breathe. You picked this doctor yourself, so there's probably a damn good reason why you did. Trust your gut a little more and try to stop spiraling into the negative.
Check out what Zachary Nguyen29 has been saying... she seems incredibly happy with how her nose turned out. 😍 Just skim through some of her posts...
Anyway...
Good luck tomorrow!!!!!! We're all crossing our fingers for you!!!! 👍 And please, let us know how it goes!!!! Kisses! :*

rustygardener172, thanks, I hope everything turns out alright 🙂
I'll let you know how it goes, don't worry—as soon as I'm up for it, haha
Everyone seems to be hovering around me and they're already picturing me on that operating table, but for some reason, it all feels surreal, like it's happening to someone else. I guess I just hope the reality finally hits once I actually get there.

Good luck!😳

Nancy Perez74 said:yeah... but I want nose surgery. Always wanted it. I’ve given myself plenty of time to think it over; I've been saying I'd do this since I was a kid.

Look, there's no such thing as a perfect doctor. Everyone screws up sometimes. But this is surgery, and nobody wants to be the one making a mistake here.

The key is being crystal clear with the surgeon about what you actually want. If they can do it, get them to agree to it first. That's how it worked for me—I got exactly what I asked for. Don't sweat it.🙂
Good luck.👍

Hey ladies... thanks for all the support. I'm up and ready to go... heading in for my surgery now!
Hopefully everything goes smoothly today. That's all for now... hugs to everyone!!

Nancy Perez74 said:hey girls ....thanks for the support....well, I'm up and ready to go...heading in for surgery now!
hoping everything goes smoothly today, that's all for now....kisses everyone!!

I'll take your place any day. Let us know how it goes!👍

Nancy Perez74 said:hey ladies ....thanks for all the love....anyway, I'm up and ready to roll...heading into surgery now!
fingers crossed everything goes smooth today, that's all I've got for now....love you guys!!

It’s gonna be just fine!! You better check back in and let us know how it went 👍

I just got home from surgery to start my recovery. Honestly, I look a bit rough right now—kind of like I stepped out of a boxing ring with all these bruises—but surprisingly, I’m not in any pain. I have to change my dressings in the morning, and the nurses were taking good care of me while I was still at the hospital today... I guess it's hard to say how the whole thing will go, but I should know more in about seven days. If anyone has questions about anything specific, feel free to ask. 🙂