Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Has anyone here actually gone to an ENT and had a RIST done? I’m honestly kind of lost on where to even start asking about this... if anyone has some insight, maybe you could help me out..😲🙏

Has anyone here actually had to get their blood type and Rh factor checked before going under for surgery???
Does anyone happen to know where I can go to get this done quickly?

I’m not entirely certain, but from what I gather, the local Mayo Clinic doesn't handle this specific thing.

Thanks in advance!

Adam Johnson said:Has anyone here actually had to get their blood type and Rh factor checked before going in for surgery???
Does anybody know where I can go to get that done?

I think there's a clinic over on 3rd Avenue, maybe around the 300 block or something like that.
The American Red Cross

Hey ladies, a huge shoutout to Jesse Taylor7 (from Carol Peterson71 👋)👋!
How have you been? My nose swelling has almost entirely subsided, though I’m still dealing with some puffiness and lingering bruising around my eyes and eyelids. My upper lip is still feeling pretty numb, along with my brand-new nose, 🙂but I can finally breathe properly, sleep through the night, and I am absolutely losing my mind with boredom at home 😵!
Get in touch—I need an update on how you're doing!!!!

Carol Peterson71 said:Hey ladies, sending a huge shoutout to Jesse Taylor7 (from Carol 👋👋)!
How are you doing? My nasal bump is almost completely gone, but I’m still dealing with some swelling and a bit of bruising under my eyes and on my eyelids! My upper lip is still numb, much like my new Mr. Nose 🙂—but at least I can breathe normally now and finally sleep through the night. And oh my god, I am just loooooooovvvvvvvvvvving being stuck at home 😵!
Get back to me, I need an update on how you're progressing!!!!

Hi Carol Peterson71!!!!! So glad you checked in 🙂. For me, there's yellowing under my eyes, my nose is still swollen, but I'm sleeping fine and breathing through my nose all night long. But here is the most important part: I am absolutely obsessed with Mr. Nose. I can't stop looking at him; it feels like I'm dreaming!! What about you? Are you happy with the new look?

To break up this little bit of perfection...

I could really use some recommendations for an audit.🙄

Anesthesia? Are we talking local or general?
What’s your take on the best way to go?
I mean, obviously, it all depends on what kind of procedure you're facing—that's just common sense—but it seems to me like most of the people on this forum (maybe even some of the guys, too) ended up opting for general anesthesia... and honestly, that whole idea just gives me the creeps.

I haven't quite adjusted to everything yet, though I am satisfied with the results 🙂 and I expect I'm only halfway through the process. Right now, I’m just waiting for all the swelling to subside, which is a struggle since I haven't been able to find anyone in my city to perform a facial drainage 😢
My area around the eyes is still bruised, but they say that color is actually 😁
When do you typically go in for drainage, and did you end up buying that nasal spray? I haven't picked it up yet; I'm still just using the ointment!

Adam Johnson said:has anyone ever had to get their blood type and Rh factor checked before surgery???
does anyone know where I can actually get this done?

I'm not totally sure, but I know the Mayo Clinic doesn't offer it

thanks in advance

ugh, yeah, true, they don't do that at the Mayo Clinic......and honestly, I doubt those private clinics even touch it, and if they do, you're looking at a massive wait and a huge bill.......so you're better off just hitting up the American Red Cross.......I had to do mine like 10 years ago and just brought the results with me, since your blood type isn't exactly going to change on you anyway

I can tell you that the swelling between my eyes has finally gone down. I’m hoping that’s a good sign—that I won't be stuck dealing with residual water retention—but regardless, I’m heading in for drainage starting Monday. It’s going to require five one-hour sessions. You should prepare yourself to use nasal wipes constantly once you have a baby; little ones need their noses cleared out non-stop. Honestly, I have them scattered all over my apartment right now. 🙂

Adam Johnson said:Anesthesia? Local or general?
What do you recommend?
Well, it depends on the procedure, but it feels like most people on this forum (guys included, maybe) went with general anesthesia... personally, that part creeps me out a bit.

I prefer local sedation. When I was deciding, I specifically requested no general anesthesia. With general, you have to deal with EKGs, seeing an internist, blood work, typing, and all that—it’s a whole process. Plus, you can't eat or drink for about 12 hours beforehand, you aren't breathing on your own during surgery, and there's a higher risk of complications compared to local... it really just depends on how your body handles being under, but some people get nauseous or dizzy afterward.

"Local sedation" basically means you get a sedative injection, then they numb the specific area and give you something mild to help you drift off. You're mobile almost immediately after the surgery, and the prep is minimal—just basic blood tests. For my procedure, I was able to have a coffee two hours before.

Of course, the type of anesthesia depends entirely on what's being done, as general is required in certain cases. I didn't mean to scare you if you've already decided on going under; the risk of complications for any surgery is statistically near zero.

Why on earth would anyone bother with lymphatic drainage? Doesn't it feel like nothing more than a blatant money grab orchestrated by surgeons and estheticians working in tandem? I have been massaging my own nose ever since I had the cast removed. My doctor actually showed me the technique, and I perform it several times a day. It isn't some complex art form, and more importantly, it's free. I also rinse my nose with saline solution, which was a lifesaver because my nasal passages felt constantly blocked in those early days.

It has been nearly two months now. The tip of my nose is still slightly swollen, but everything else seems fine. Thankfully, the nose is no longer soft to the touch. I can breathe almost normally. I am thoroughly satisfied with the results.

Thanks for getting back to me—I’ll probably just head down to the local clinic nearby, honestly, it's much less of a hassle for me...

Oh, and one more thing... my nose is constantly COLD... it loses heat incredibly fast and takes forever to warm back up :/
Has anyone else dealt with this? Like, did you find that after your surgery, things finally started to "warm up" a bit?

Honestly, I have no idea how it goes with general anesthesia. To be truthful, that was my biggest fear of all. It’s a good thing I found out right before the surgery that they were going to use general; there was simply no turning back at that point. Generally speaking, they rarely use general anesthesia for nose jobs. They told me there was no way they would do it, claiming I’d end up with far too much blood draining down my throat. Perhaps local anesthesia is reserved only for minor cosmetic procedures.🤷

placidmoose said:Gosh, I honestly don't know about the general anesthesia—that was my absolute biggest fear, to be honest. Luckily, right before my surgery, I found out they were giving me the general stuff, so there was no turning back at that point. Anyway, they rarely give local anesthesia for this kind of nose job. They told me there was zero chance of doing it locally because I'd just end up feeling all the blood draining down my throat... I guess local is only an option for really minor cosmetic tweaks...🤷

During my consultation, the doctor told me they didn't even need to touch my nasal bridge much since it's so narrow, so apparently, local anesthesia could work... whatever that actually means...
But I still have this tiny little bump... and I can already imagine—I can practically feel it right now—how they're going to scrape at it while I'm wide awake... oh man...

Oh well... everyone keeps saying it'll be worth it in the end...

placidmoose said:Why even bother with lymphatic drainage? Doesn't it feel like a total money grab—just a little backroom deal between the surgeon and the aesthetician? I've been massaging my own nose since I took the cast off. My doctor showed me exactly how to do it, and I follow those steps several times a day. It isn't exactly rocket science, and it's free. Plus, I rinse my nose with saline solution, which was a lifesaver because my nose felt constantly congested at the start.

It’s been nearly two months now. My tip is still a little puffy, but everything else looks fine. Thankfully, the nose isn't soft anymore. Breathing is almost completely back to normal. I'm thrilled with the results.

Maybe you have a point about it being unnecessary. I honestly can't tell. Which surgeon did you go to?

steelangler88 said:just to burst everyone's bubble for a second...

I’m actually looking for some solid recommendations for a revision surgery myself, so if anyone has leads, please let me know.🙄

I'm really curious about that too. I remember seeing a post on the septoplasty thread where yeya mentioned she had to go through two different procedures, and while she's happy with the results now, she didn't specify which surgeon she used. Anyway, definitely give me a shout if you manage to find out who she went to!

Just got back from the medical clinic—had to sort out some billing stuff—and I actually brought up the drainage question with the nurse. Turns out her sister had nose surgery, and she mentioned that drainage isn't strictly necessary; apparently, they mostly use it to help reduce lymph nodes, which isn't really needed for the nose itself. Her take was that it’s better to just let the tissue heal on its own. I guess every doctor has their own approach, but for now, I'm not planning on doing anything about it...

Grace Hernandez66 said:I just got back from the medical clinic—had to sort out some billing issues first—and I actually brought up that drainage thing with the nurse. By the way, her sister had nose surgery, and she mentioned that the drainage isn't even strictly necessary. Apparently, they usually use it to manage lymph nodes, which isn't really an issue for a nose job. She said it’s better to just let the tissue heal on its own. But hey, every doctor has their own opinion, right? For now, I'm not touching anything...

I'm not feeling up to it either right now. $417It feels pointless. Did they tell you that you're supposed to massage your nose yourself or something?

$417 ????
I'm definitely staying away from that, unless this thing actually stays settled for at least two months.

My sister told me not to touch anything, not even massage it... I mean, a massage might not be a bad idea, but you really have to know what you're doing. Just like anything else, if you handle it unprofessionally, you could end up making things worse. There’s a layer covering the nasal cartilage that gets disrupted during surgery—if that makes sense—and it needs time to regenerate. A massage should theoretically help by increasing blood flow to the area, which would help the tissue heal faster...