Rhinoplasty recovery: What to expect?

Maria Diaz79 said:For those of you who had surgery—were any of you actually there while it was happening, or did you just call someone once everything was wrapped up and they showed up to pick you up?

Nobody was there during the actual procedure... my dad just dropped me off and left. When I finally came to, I texted my husband, and he was already waiting outside, but his sister wouldn't let him in... and they didn't let me go home right away either, so he ended up stuck waiting out there for two hours...

Maria Diaz79 said:For those of you who had surgery—did anyone have someone with them during the actual procedure, or did you just call them once everything was finished and they came to pick you up?

My boyfriend was there with me. He just hung out in the waiting room while I was under, and as soon as the surgery wrapped up—literally while I was still groggily waking up from the anesthesia—they let him right into my room.

Don't stress!! Everything is going to be totally fine! It’s honestly not nearly as scary as it seems. I'm crossing my fingers for you, stay brave!! You are going to be so incredibly happy with your new nose once it's all healed! 😍

Hi everyone!
Since my inbox is getting flooded and I can't possibly reply to every single DM individually: things are still the same on my end, and they'll stay that way because I don't have the cash for a revision surgery yet (for now). According to the doctor, what we're seeing is just some leftover cartilage; apparently, this happens in about 50% of cases, though it doesn't show up for everyone since healing is such an individual process. The main reason given—and if he's lying to me, then I'm lying to you—is that if the nose is packed too tightly with instruments during the procedure, it's hard to spot the issue, plus there's that immediate swelling from the initial tissue incision. Anyway, to actually fix this, a revision is required, which obviously comes at full price.🙂

So, I went in for my follow-up today... it’s been about a month since the surgery passed... they told me my nose is still pretty swollen and you can definitely see how it’s slightly pulling at my upper lip, but apparently, that’ll all settle down eventually... and yeah, my nose is veering off to the left, but they said that's totally normal too. Like, they told me I could literally wake up tomorrow and find out it's suddenly veering to the right instead. 😁

Laura Castillo7 said:Jesse Taylor7, how old are you? And how did your parents react when you told them you were going to Palm Springs for surgery? I’m bracing for war here, so do you have any advice?

In my case, I was the biggest obstacle. Regarding cosmetic procedures, I used to think they were strictly reserved for someone like Madonna. Then I met an "ordinary" girl who had nose surgery, and that was my turning point. I honestly wish I had met her sooner. Try getting your mother to read this forum; let her see just how many women undergo these operations. Maybe that will make it easier for her to wrap her head around it. Talk to her about why this matters to you—how much more confident and secure you’ll feel. Every parent goes through this internal struggle because they worry about their child. It’s completely normal.

@ jadecrane3

Honestly, that sounds pretty standard. I went through the exact same thing. You wake up one morning with this crazy swollen nose, then by the evening it’s totally gone, followed by a few days of feeling fine, and then—bam—out of nowhere, the swelling is back again! It was the same deal with my lips, too; for the first month, I couldn't even laugh properly because everything felt so tight and weird. But eventually, it all settles down 👍

Hey everyone, I could really use some quick, straightforward advice here =🤣>
It’s not the surgery itself that’s making me nervous—it’s more about the total cost and whether it actually works.
So, if anyone here has had this procedure done at a standard hospital, I’d love to hear about your experience... 🙏🙏🙏Also, if you happen to know anything about pricing or have heard what different surgeons are charging...🙏🙏🙏Thanks in advance.☕

Amanda Ramirez42 said:Hey there, what's up?
Look, I’m getting absolutely buried in DMs right now, and honestly, I don't have the energy to keep repeating myself to everyone individually. So here it is: my situation hasn't changed one bit, and it probably won't for a while because, frankly, I don't have the cash for a revision surgery yet—at least not right now. According to the doctor, what we're looking at is just some leftover cartilage issues. It’s actually pretty common, happening in about 50% of cases, it's just that it doesn't show up the same way for everyone since the healing process is such a personal thing for every single patient. The main reason he gave is that when the nasal cavity is already packed tight with instruments during the procedure, it’s incredibly hard to spot any immediate swelling caused by the initial tissue incisions. And hey, if he’s lying to me, then I guess I’m lying to you all, right? Anyway, the only real fix is a revision, which, of course, comes with the full price tag.🙂

I can't believe it—they didn't even smooth out your entire nose, they just left that little bump right there. I honestly thought I was the only one who went through this, since I've never heard of anyone else dealing with the exact same thing.
Look, since he’s the one who actually messed up, there is absolutely no way you should be footing the bill for this all over again. We aren't even talking about some trivial aesthetic tweak like asking for a slightly different nose shape; this is about him completely failing to deliver on the fundamental basics of the job he was hired to do. And honestly? Him offering an apology is basically useless—it's like trying to put out a forest fire with a water pistol. 🙄 That’s really not on you, man. Honestly, they should have had everything ready to go from the jump. 🙄

Man, you really nailed that pitch with the example you used; it was honestly a stroke of genius. 👎

rustygull7 said:Look, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, it's just part of being human. But if you ask me, it’d be only right for that surgeon to step up and fix their own mess on their own dime. I don't know how much of that actually happens in the real world, though. Is Smith operating on a girl you know, and is she actually happy with the results?

That's exactly my point... honestly, I didn't even hold it against my own doctor too much. I mean, sure, it still feels weird today thinking about how it all went down, but he didn't make any excuses—he just stepped up, did the whole thing over again, and now everything is exactly how it should be. It's so perfect that, even if I didn't want to admit it, 😁 I would go right back to him in a heartbeat regardless of anything else.

rustygull7 said:@ jadecrane3

That’s totally normal—it was the exact same thing for me! You wake up with a swollen nose, it goes down by the evening, then you feel fine for a couple of days, and then—bam!—suddenly it's swollen again. Same went for my lips, too. For the first month, I couldn't even smile properly because everything felt so tight. But it all passes 👍

It's the same for me... It’s been a month and a half since my surgery, and every morning I wake up swollen, then it shrinks down for 2 or 3 days, and then it's back again. It always hits the left side for me—now I can finally laugh, though if I laugh *really* hard, the tip still feels tight (maybe just from the stitches not dissolving yet)!

jadecrane3 said:So, I finally had my follow-up today—can you believe it’s already been a month since the surgery? Everything seems to be moving along! The doctors told me my nose is still looking a little swollen and that you can see it slightly pulling at my upper lip, but they promised that’ll all settle down eventually. They also mentioned my nose is tilting a bit to the left right now... but apparently, that's totally normal! They said it could literally shift to the right by the time I wake up tomorrow. Just part of the process, I guess!😁

Hey—have you noticed if the tip of your nose looks like it’s drooping a bit?

Kimberly Robinson55 said:Wait, have you noticed your nose tip dropping at all?

Yeah, it dropped, though I think there’s still more to go... but you can definitely see the difference, I don't look like a pig anymore😁 and apparently, surgeons are always terrified of the tip drooping too much, so they basically overcompensate by aiming it way too high... anyway, did yours drop??

How many days does it actually take before you can finally peel those nasal strips off?

Raymond Wells2, who did you have your surgery with?

Jesse Taylor7, when is your appointment scheduled?

I see everyone throwing around big names like Smith or Johnson... honestly, I don't care much for the celebrity talk. About five years ago, I had surgery at the Mayo Clinic in NYC—it was a hell of an experience—and they did a fantastic job. It was all covered by my insurance, too, which was a relief, especially since I’d broken that same rib three or four times before—total internal wreckage, if you want to call it that.
But, well, what can you do? I went and broke it again. It's a shame, really. Back when I was recovering at the Mayo Clinic, I actually had to kick the booze, the cigarettes, even some light drugs... things got pretty dark for a minute there.👍 ha ha ha ha

Hey ladies... just wanted to let you know my bandages came off after about three or four days.

Carol Lopez28 said:Hey ladies... just so you know, I had my bandages taken off after about 3 or 4 days.

Which surgeon did you go with? And more importantly—are you actually happy with the results?

I had my procedure done at Clinton’s clinic in Palm Springs, and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the results... I know people say it costs a bit more than the other places around here, but I don't regret a single cent since everything turned out so perfectly 🙂.. so, what about you? Are you already post-op, or are you still waiting?

I’m planning to go—likely to see Smith. I’ll be calling next week to set up a consultation, and if I’m satisfied with the initial impression, then the matter is settled.