Rhinoplasty: Experiences and recovery tips?

Alright, here it is. Checking back in after scrolling through a ton of pages. Some of you probably already know my deal, but I gotta
say it again because I’m basically obsessed with this. So, I'm 14 and looking into nose surgery.
A few things are driving me crazy. Like, I have this nasal deformity involving part of my sinus. Because of that, every three months or so, I'm dealing with
some kind of lung issue, constant congestion, or something else entirely. Right now, my lymph nodes are swollen, supposedly because of the sinuses. On top of needing surgery for the health issues and the deformity, the way it looks is eating at me. Honestly, I don't care if my face stays swollen for a few months if it fixes my health or my look. Bottom line: is it possible to do one surgery that covers both medical and aesthetic stuff? Can I fix the health side and the looks all at once? If that makes sense. Also, any idea what the average cost is? Btw, my parents are totally down for whatever.
Thanks!

Susan Watson31 said:I wasn't ignoring you, I promise. My surgery is set for September 16th, so once I'm through the healing process, I'll actually have some real answers for you regarding what you asked about.🙂
I honestly really liked Dr. Rajko Tončić. He’s incredibly thorough and doesn't skip over the important details during an exam. It was actually a pleasure talking to him. I was pretty surprised to find out that my bone and cartilage sections were separated—it's causing swelling and redness, which is why I can't even wear glasses without using a wet cotton pad to soothe the area. That's why everything shifted toward the impact site. Anyway, I finally have some clarity and a plan to fix this. The result should be straight, smooth, and tapered perfectly to match my facial features and head shape. I can't wait to get it over with.

I wish he had been the one examining me too... 😢

Hey Laura Booth6, shoot those photos over to my email divided_by_zero_0@hotmail.com (copy/paste) so we can talk through next steps... I didn't think you were replying to me personally, I just figured you were responding to that earlier post... I’m looking at scheduling surgery for early October, so I wanted to see what you decided and how things are looking. Thanks!

George Ramos11 said:Hey Laura Booth6, shoot those photos over to my email at divided_by_zero_0@hotmail.com (copy/paste) so we can talk about what comes next. I didn't think you were replying to me personally; I thought you were just responding to an earlier post. I might be able to schedule the surgery for early October, so I'm curious to hear what you've decided on regarding how to proceed. Thanks.

I sent one photo over. I'm looking for the others now, but I don't have many on hand—and I'm sure everyone here knows why. 😬 😉

briskorca6 said:Here’s the deal. I’m jumping back into this conversation after scrolling through dozens of pages. Some of you probably already know my situation, but I have to
bring it up again because I can't stop thinking about it. I'm 14 years old, and I'm looking into nose surgery.
There are a few things eating at me. For one, I have a nasal deformity affecting part of my sinus. Because of that, I end up with
some kind of lung issue, constant congestion, or something else every three months or so. Right now, my lymph nodes are swollen, supposedly due to the sinuses. On top of needing surgery for the health issues and the deformity, I'm also worried about how it looks. I don't mind having a swollen face for a few months if it fixes my health or my appearance. Basically, my question is: is it possible to do a nose job that covers both medical and aesthetic needs? Can I fix the health stuff and the look in one single surgery? If you know what I mean. Also, I'm wondering about the average cost. By the way, my parents are totally on board with whatever I decide.
Thanks!

Just read through these 42 pages on the forum. I'm pretty sure you'll find all the info you need there.. 🙂

Laura Booth6 said:I just sent over one photo, still hunting for others... I don't have many on hand, and I'm sure you all know exactly why... 😬 😉

Well, I didn't have any profile pictures of my own brace either. 😉
Just crop it and post it so we can see... don't worry, we've all been there!😂

vividfox said:Ugh, I didn't have any photos of my own nose on my profile either😉
Just crop it and post it so we can see... don't worry, we've all been there!😂

That's a nose! 😁 Okay, I'll try now, just gotta figure out how.. 🙂

Edit: There, hope I got it right.. if not, I'll just post the whole picture..

I really wish wispher would check in... I'm dying to hear what she finally decided to do about her nose

Laura Booth6 said:That’s just the carrier! 😁 Let me try again, once I figure out how.. 🙂

edit: okay, there. Hopefully I nailed it.. if not, I'll just post the whole picture..

Honestly, just deal with it, it's no big deal! 😉A friend of mine has a very similar situation (from what I can tell) and she's getting it sorted soon. She has a toddler, so she hasn't been able to catch a quiet moment in weeks 😁

Thought I’d jump into this thread too 🙂—same exact issue here. A few years back, I took a tumble off a swing (or something similar, I can't quite recall) and landed right on my face... ever since, my breathing hasn't been great because of a bump that popped up—and honestly, I used to have such a cute nose before all this. I keep blaming myself for not getting it checked out immediately... just being foolish, I guess 😢—but hey, it’s never too late... 👍

I could always see Dr. Tončić privately...
—though it would be amazing if I could go through Medicare... which brings me to my questions
. I mean, I’m not worried about whether I’ll get a referral, because even a local doctor would see that this needs fixing. So, no issues there...
—but I have a different question
— what’s the actual process when you go through insurance???

Do I just head to my primary care physician to get a referral for an ENT, or what?

Okay, so I see the ENT... then what??? Which hospital do they send me to? Can I actually choose, or how does it work???? (By the way, I'm living in a major US city now, so I have a local GP here)

And how do these doctors usually handle things??? Is it even worth trying to go through insurance, or is it better to just pay out of pocket to ensure everything is handled correctly???

Thanks so much 🙂

Man, mine was looking great before the accident too... and yeah, I actually tried going through Medicare, but you can read about how that disaster played out just a few pages back... basically, you hit up your primary care doctor to get a referral for an ENT (you gotta specify which hospital, too), show up there with all your old medical records regarding the fall, explain everything that's been going on, and so on. I really hope you have better luck with the hospital doctors than I did.

briskorca6 said:Look, here's the deal. I'm checking back in after scrolling through way too many pages. Some of you probably already know what I'm dealing with, but I have to
say it again because I'm basically obsessed with this. So, I'm 14 and I'm asking about nose surgery.
I can't deal with a couple of things—for instance, I've got this nasal deformity involving part of my sinus. Because of that, every three months or so, I end up with
some kind of lung issue, constant congestion, or something else entirely. Right now, my lymph nodes are swollen, supposedly because of the sinuses. On top of needing surgery for the health issues and the deformity, the looks of it are eating at me. Honestly, I don't mind having a swollen face for a few months if it fixes my health or my appearance. Basically, my question is: is it possible to do one surgery that covers both the medical and aesthetic stuff? Like, hit two birds with one stone? If you get what I mean. Also, I was wondering about the average cost. Btw, my parents are totally on board with whatever.
Thanks!

Yeah, that's exactly how it works—you go in once and they fix both the medical issues and the aesthetics in one shot.
As for the price, it's at least $3333

Laura Booth6 said:I wish he’d at least given me an exam... 😢

Doesn't even matter—you're gonna have a sit-down with R. Tončić right before the surgery anyway, and honestly, he's the one calling the shots on the operation regardless...

vividfox said:Just deal with it. It’s really not that big of a deal. 😉A close friend of mine has a situation that looks almost identical to this, and she’s planning to get it sorted out soon. She has a toddler running around, though, so finding even a two-week window of peace and quiet feels like mission impossible right now. 😁

From your mouth straight into God's ear! 😁

So, I've got a few dumb questions... 🤣

For those of you who’ve already gone through surgery or are currently prepping for it: what did you wear when you arrived, and what were you wearing during the actual procedure? Also, what are you planning on bringing with you?

Do I actually need to bring anything with me, or is they going to provide everything there? My sister didn't mention a single thing to me about it. 🤷

Susan Watson31 said:Yeah, that’s how you do it—kill two birds with one stone by fixing the medical issue and the look at the same time.
the cost is barely even $3333

Thanks a ton. Honestly, I don't care if I drop $10k on this. I just want it over with.

Susan Watson31 said:Mine was looking great before the accident too... and yeah, I tried going through my insurance—you can read about how that disaster unfolded a few pages back. Basically, you grab a referral for an ENT from your primary care doctor (make sure to specify the hospital), show up, bring all your previous medical records regarding the fall, explain your symptoms, etc. I really hope you have better luck with the hospital staff than I did.

Thanks 🙂, but reading 42 pages is just too much right now—everything is fine, but my internet is acting up, so waiting for it to load is a nightmare. Can you just give me the short version?

Look, I don't have any medical paperwork from the fall 👎 because it didn't feel that serious at the time—and as I've grown and changed since then... well, those issues have "grown" right along with me 😲
I've never been to a doctor in my life 👍 so... not even back then. Aside from getting blood work done (because of birth control) and seeing my OBGYN, that’s literally it 🙂
Thank God I don't need a doctor...

Which hospital is actually good? Maybe the one in downtown Chicago?

Laura Booth6 said:I hope you're right, God I hope so... 😁

Anyway, I have a few silly questions.. 🤣

For those of you who've already gone through it or are getting ready for surgery, what did you wear there? What were you wearing when they actually operated on you? Any ideas on what I should bring?

Do I need to pack anything specific? Or will they just provide everything? My nurse didn't really mention much about it... 🤷

Hmm, you mean clothes? I just showed up in some basic pants and a T-shirt under a button-down—mostly so it’d be easy to strip off and put back on later. They give you one of those green hospital gowns and some slippers, and you just stash all your personal stuff in a locker in your room. That's pretty much it. 😉

Susan Watson31 said:Hey everyone. Just checking in with another story about my nose being a total disaster instead of something I can actually be proud of...
Everything went downhill after that one accident. Nothing actually broke, but all the soft tissue just went haywire—over the last couple of years, the whole shape, function, and size have completely shifted... After bouncing around between endless specialists and getting a million different opinions, I finally decided to go to the Tončić Clinic to get it sorted. Why there? Honestly, because they were the only ones who weren't jerks and actually treated me with some decency...
So, Chuck with the ribs told me—and he was sure of it—that it’d work out fine, the swelling would just go down, and there was zero need for surgery. Even though, given my natural deviated septum, this new mess is basically a perfect storm waiting to cause even more issues...
Well, newsflash: the swelling didn't go down, and now the problems are just multiplying—I'm dealing with constant infections in my frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses...
Then there was Dr. Klapan, who some other doctor recommended. He did some kind of exam through some gadgetry, charged me a fortune, and of course, gave me absolutely nothing concrete to go on...
Over at Dubrava Medical Center, Dr. Vlašić told me my nose looked perfectly fine to her—totally ignoring the fact that it looks nothing like the nose I was born with... She just recommended some corticosteroid drops to "fix everything"...
Look, the issue isn't just how it works; it's how it looks too...
Then there's Dr. Bedeković. Not at his private practice (Orlando), but over at the Sisters of Mercy hospital. Our entire conversation lasted maybe four minutes before he basically said, "I can't fix this for you here." Yeah, right. I get it—the guy can't do it while working at the hospital, but suddenly he's all ears when you're at his private office...
Anyway, that's the situation so far.

Seriously, read this.🙂

Susan Watson31 said:You're totally wrong, and honestly, it's sad you can't see past your own nose...
By the last few sentences you wrote, I actually thought you might finally get it if someone just explained things clearly, but nope, it's just not happening...
There's so much bitterness coming off you that I can't help but think you have a serious reason for it... I feel bad for you, just like I feel bad for anyone who's miserable and angry because they lack the courage and grit to actually make a constructive change...
Change is the only constant, right? So why limit it to patterns that only make sense to you? Your whole world revolves around your own beliefs, and I think it must be incredibly hard to keep friends when you're like that—maybe that’s the secret behind why you're always "intruding" on us...
Take a hard look at yourself and clean up your own mess; only then will you be able to see what's actually on the other side of that pile...
Good luck!

Oh yeah, I'm sooooo bitter, I have zero frieeeends, I'm everything you want me to be... 😉

Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that you're deeply insecure and throwing yourself under the bus for everyone else instead of doing it "for yourself."😉

James Kelly said:Yeah, I'm just a big grouch, I have zero friends, I'm everything you want me to be...

Whatever. That doesn't change the fact that you're insecure and you're letting others dictate whether you go under the knife or not, instead of doing it "for yourself."

So what if she's insecure? And what if I am? Either way, you don't actually believe anyone when they claim they aren't doing things just to please other people...
Look, why don't you just go scurry off to your runaway mistress and leave us alone to enjoy ourselves? If you don't have anything intelligent to contribute, then don't bother typing at all.div>