Rhinoplasty recovery: What to expect?

Look, if you just had surgery, it’s totally normal for your nose to look bigger; the swelling around the bridge makes your whole face feel closer to it. Give it a year and that size will likely drop by a full number... the main thing is that you got the shape you actually wanted, because honestly, even I wasn't blown away by my results immediately.

I remember my surgeon thought I had a hematom too, so I know he was mentioning something about maybe having to drain that clotted blood to get things moving along.

And those tiny little bumps that you can feel if you touch them but can't really see? That's standard stuff—I know even Ciganović deals with those. 😁

Brenda Reed3 said:Since you just had surgery, it’s perfectly normal for your nose to look larger—the swelling naturally makes the face feel more centered around the nose. It should probably shrink by about a full size over the next year. The main thing is that you achieved the shape you were aiming for; even for me, the results weren't "wow" immediately after the procedure.

I recall my doctor mentioning I also had a hematoma—he actually suggested he might need to drain the clotted blood to resolve it.

As for those tiny, invisible bumps you can feel when touching the area—that's standard. I know even Ciganović deals with something similar.😁

So, did you go to see Džepina? How does your nose look now? And is he practicing at a major hospital or in a private clinic?

Wait, there are actually two guys with the last name Ivo Džepina 😉 the one who handled my case was working at the hospital back then, but now he’s teamed up with Glumičić—though I’m not entirely sure if he’s still at that same medical center

My nose feels totally fine now, breathing is easy, and honestly, it feels like my nasal passages are almost hyper-sensitive, like I can catch a scent from a mile away 😁 It looks great too; my profile is way softer now, and even though the change wasn't some massive, dramatic overhaul that everyone would notice, it's definitely there 😁 But I can see it clearly, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out

Which Džepina is actually worth seeing right now? And is he running a private practice or just working at the hospital?

I’ve already mentioned this 😁

I worked with Ivo personally, though I can't really speak to how he handles anyone else. When I had my surgery about five years ago, he was stationed over at Rebro, but nowadays he’s almost certainly working alongside Glumičić—though I haven't a clue if he's actually based out of the hospital right now 🙂

How long does it usually take before those tiny stitches in the nose start falling out?

It’s been a month and a few weeks since my surgery, and the tip of my nose still looks a bit swollen—the right side has settled down, but the left side just won't budge! In person, it actually looks okay, but man, in front of the camera? It looks terrible... like my nose is literally sliding off to one side. Is anyone else dealing with this?
Do you think it would be a smart move to use a little cold compress on the tip once I'm back home, just to try and "speed up" the swelling on that side???

Yeah, and honestly—from what I've been able to see so far—there isn't even a single loose thread poking out yet...

Kimberly Robinson55 said:It's been a month and some change since my surgery, and the tip of my nose is still pretty swollen. The right side has gone down, but the left side is just hanging out there. In person, it looks okay, but man, in photos from the front? It’s a disaster. It looks like my nose is literally sliding off my face. Anyone else dealing with this?
Would it be a smart move to just throw a little cold compress on the tip while I'm chilling at home to try and "speed up" the swelling going down???

I'm at 4 weeks minus 2 days post-op, and honestly, the tip is still super swollen and everything looks just... weird. Like, totally disproportionate. But hey, it's already way better than when I first started... and what you said about the photos—yeah, in person it's fine, but in pictures it looks seriously funky😁 and like it's veering to the left, plus it's all bumpy😁

Yeah, I'm wondering about that cold compress thing too, but I haven't tried anything yet... maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to go for a little walk now while it's actually chilly outside...

Only one stitch popped out on me, and I basically ended up digging it out myself...

jadecrane3 said:It’s been 4 weeks minus 2 days since my surgery—the tip is still pretty swollen and everything looks weirdly out of proportion... but definitely way better than at first... and just like you said, it looks kind of odd in person, but in photos it actually looks really strange😁 and leans to the left, and just looks all bumpy😁

yeah, I'm curious about that compress too, but I'm not putting anything on it yet... maybe a little walk wouldn't hurt now, even with this cold weather...

only one stitch came out for me, which I basically just dug out myself...

A few days after surgery... everything is feeling much better. Still, the tip of my nose is a bit wide, but honestly, nobody would notice except me... and yeah, the right side is still a little swollen so it feels like my nostril is shifting to the right... but since it’s way less than last week, I guess it’s normal. Breathing is almost perfect... only one stitch has popped out so far...
nose feels a lot firmer than before... feels like things are slowly settling into place.🤷

Oh man, you guys really comforted me with all that talk about my nose "running away" 😁
Honestly, I’m feeling way better than before—I’ve been taking daily selfies with my phone since the surgery just to track progress. But then, one day I decide I finally want to compare how my nose looks now versus right after the cast came off, only to realize my boyfriend accidentally deleted every single photo! 😲 😠🙂🙂
...Anyway, I have no idea where the stitches went on my end. I can actually feel the bone on my nose with my fingers—the tip is still a tiny bit sunken, so when I touch it, it feels like ants are crawling under my skin 🤣 , and my nasal passages have definitely narrowed 🙏 BUT my smile makes me look like a total idiot 😂 it's so weird

Has anyone here undergone rhinoplasty at a major hospital like Johns Hopkins? Specifically, which surgeon would you recommend, and what was your overall experience? Also, is it necessary to see an ENT first to determine if there’s an actual septal deviation? My plan is to get that checked out—if a medical issue is found, I might be able to get the procedure covered by insurance... but if it's purely cosmetic, does anyone know the typical out-of-pocket cost at these hospitals? One more thing—is an overnight stay mandatory, or can you head home the same day?😕

For those of you who have actually visited Džepina—what kind of pricing are we looking at there? And more importantly, who is actually running the show now that things have shifted from Glumicic? Is it him, or is it Glumicic?

It feels like my levels have dropped—and quite a bit, too. Honestly, I’m kicking myself for not pushing for a higher target earlier😢 because I don't get it; things were looking pretty high right after, and now...

So, how does your nose look now? Is it actually an improvement over how it was before the surgery?

Yeah, true. But I’ll probably need to go back in to get everything fixed up properly. Right now, it feels like the job is only half done—nothing's quite right yet.🙄

I still have that bump on my left side (which actually makes my nose look like it's tilting downward when I'm seen from a right profile), and the tip has dropped quite a bit—even though my doctor wanted to lift it even higher, but I didn't let him because I was terrified it would end up looking... you know... off.
They aren't massive lumps or anything crazy, but since I've already been through the process and so much work has already been put in, it feels silly to just leave it if there's still a chance to fix it. Even if the tip stays as it is along with the bump, I really need to deal with that protrusion. I guess I'll see how things look by summer.

Who are you taking your car to for repairs? Does that mechanic Ostojić offer free adjustments?

I'm not sure, but I'd say no. Honestly, I have my doubts—he actually told me he wouldn't even consider operating on me again... so yeah.. 🙄

Regardless of whether I go back to him or not, I’m definitely going to get more opinions this time around. I want to see what other doctors have to say. I think making a decision is going to be much harder now than it was the first time.
But like I said, I'm not doing anything just yet; I'll wait a few months.

placidscout6 said:Has anyone here ever gone to Santa Barbara for surgery at a place like Cedars-Sinai? Like, which surgeon did you see and what was the whole experience actually like? Also, I was wondering if I need to see an ENT first to figure out if I even have a deviated septum. I’m thinking about doing it that way just in case, because if I do, maybe insurance might cover it... but if it’s strictly cosmetic, does anyone know how much hospitals usually charge for that? And would I be stuck staying in the hospital for a few days, or can I just head home?😕

I've been wondering about this too, honestly.
Thanks

steelangler88 said:I can't say for certain—though my gut tells me no. He actually told me he isn't even interested in performing another surgery on me... so, yeah... 🙄

Regardless of whether I return to his clinic or not, I am absolutely going to seek out more specialists this time around. I need a second, third, maybe even fourth opinion just to see what the consensus is. Honestly, making a decision now feels significantly more daunting than it did the first time.
But, as I mentioned, I'm not jumping into anything just yet; I plan to wait a few months before making any moves.

Did he perform that incision inside the mouth on you? Does that part actually hurt? That was my dealbreaker—I refused to go through with him because I won't deal with that. He tried telling me that almost everyone ends up needing it, but from what I've gathered, he's pretty much the only one who even suggests it.