Rhinoplasty Recovery

Rhinoplasty has become popular enough, it’s not unusual to see people walking around shopping centers and malls with a splint over their noses.

But, at the same time, some of these people do not have black eyes or purple bruising on their faces.

The amount of bruising actually all depends on the type of nose surgery a patient has undergone.

The rule of thumb: If your nasal bones were not broken during surgery, you will probably see a clearing of whatever bruising exists within three days to a week.

Ditto if your plastic surgeon only shaved or filed down a bump on your nose,

Breaking the nose bones, though, causes more bruising which could require one to two weeks to heal.

Ask if your surgeon uses open or closed rhinoplasty.

Closed rhinoplasty creates swelling that takes anywhere from one to six weeks to subside.

But in an open rhinoplasty — the procedure in which the skin of the nose is peeled back from the bony framework of the nose – swelling takes longer to go down. It could be from one to six months.

(Nobody can give you a more exact answer because every nose job is unique.)

At first, you’ll probably feel like your whole face is swollen and that you have a minor headache.

But the prescription pain medications prescribed by your doctor should help; it’s a good idea to just chill out and stay in bed the day after surgery, with your head elevated. Keep some ice on hand to better control swelling and bruising.

Schedule at least a week off from work just for recovery. Continue sleeping with your head elevated for the first few nights after surgery. The idea is to prevent swelling that fluid accumulation brings.

And consider keeping some camouflage make up on hand in case you still have some bruising when you return to work.

Depending on the procedure, you may have a lot of nasal stuffiness, too. Nonetheless, your surgeon will probably tell you not to blow your nose.

Nasal packing usually comes out after two days while dressings, splints and bandages will be gone in about two weeks.

Things you want to avoid on and to your nose for one to three weeks include:

• Sunburns
• Any blow or strike
• Caution when face washing
• Anything that increases your blood pressure

Rhinoplasty’s Most Common Questions

Most patients ask common questions. The first is usually, “Will my nose be broken?”

Well, yes and no.

It’s not so much a brutal breaking or fracturing of bones as it is a controlled repositioning of the nasal bones. About 90 percent of nose job patients undergo a repositioning of the nasal bones.

How Every Rhinoplasty Patient Sees Her Own Nose

At least 90 percent of patients ask what can be done about a hump on the nose. The old way was using  a hammer and chisel during surgery to remove some cartilage and bone in one piece. But a better way, known to physicians as the component technique, prevents a common undesirable side effect in rhinoplasty.

Think of the nasal bones from a point between the eyes to the tip of the nose as a covered bridge. If a surgeon just removes the hump with a hammer and chisel, he or she may create more problems in the three-dimensional structure of the nose. The effect would be the covered bridge losing the peak of its roof line.

Working under the skin of course, the component technique separates – not cuts – that length of nose cartilage and bone and gently folds one side over the other so that the patient still has a nose that is like a covered bridge. But the bridge now has a straighter roof line, with no hump.

Other common questions to plastic surgeons from potential rhinoplasty patients include:

I can’t breathe through my nose!

Actually, part of the rhinoplasty surgeon’s mandate is creating an attractive nose that fits the rest of the face and is functional so you can breathe well through it.

Must I stay in the hospital and be put to sleep?

Rhinoplasty is usually done on an outpatient basis, most often in a certified surgical center with a board-certified anesthesiologist. Rhinoplasty is very, very exacting with tolerances measured in millimeters. So it’s best for the results if the patient lies still like a statute under general anesthesia.

How much time is lost from the job?

You should take a week off work. Some bruising is usually still visible by day 10 but can be covered by camouflage makeup. You should be presentable in about two weeks.

Will insurance pay for it?

For breathing woes, most insurance companies will cover the functional part. But they may not cover the cosmetic aspect.

Rhinoplasty – What Happens Just After the Operation?

One person interested in plastic surgery watched an episode about rhinoplasty on Dr. 90210 and later wanted to know the meaning of a “nasal package”.

Actually, she was referring to nasal packing, which is the cotton inserted inside the nose after some rhinoplasty procedures. Nasal packing can be a little uncomfortable so plastic surgeons try to use as little as possible and remove it as soon as possible. The packing is used to stop bleeding while encouraging good healing and is usually removed 24 to 48 hours later.

But a few other things can be expected just after nose surgery. Of course, your surgery is unique, so be sure and have your surgeon spell everything out for you.

Your post surgical appearance: your surgeon may want you to stay in bed just after the surgery with your head elevated. You may see one or two black eyes and some other localized puffiness in your face during the first 24 hours after the procedure.

Usually, cold compresses help the swelling while your surgeon will probably have sent you home with some pain medications to lessen any discomfort. You may even be cautioned not to blow your nose.

Depending on the type of nose surgery – there are many — your nose may also have a narrow splint applied to the outside. Likewise, depending on the procedure, you may have another soft splint inside your nose to stabilize and protect the septum, the cartilage wall that separates the nostrils. But not to worry, those splints, if any, will be removed soon.

Some drainage and bleeding from your nose may be normal.

Contacts lens are O.K. but it may be some weeks before your glasses can be worn again. The weight of the glasses on the bridge of your nose may undo some of your surgeon’s exacting work.

It almost goes without saying, but surgeons will also caution you not to bump your nose in the days just after surgery.

Most patents can go back to work a week to 10 days after surgery.

Some results are apparent soon although it can take a year for full and complete healing.