Choosing to get a rhinoplasty is a big decision, but can also be a very rewarding one. Any cosmetic concerns and/or functional issues with your nose will play a role in how invasive the surgery will be and how extensive the healing process will be.
Rhinoplasty Recovery Process
The healing process does vary for each individual patient but everyone should expect tenderness and swelling with the nose for a period after surgery. We will see you a week after surgery to remove any stitches, splints or casts that you have. Your nose will be swollen at that point and will stay swollen over the next few months.You may experience bruising but that typically only happens when the surgeon needs to break the bones in the nose to straighten it out. Bruising is a risk with all rhinoplasty options (including a liquid rhinoplasty), so we recommend patients avoid NSAIDS, aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil and Vitamin E for up to a week before and after surgery.
We will see you for multiple follow up’s after your surgery for up to one year. Your nose will be noticeably swollen for the next few months and after about the 3 month mark, approximately 80% of swelling will be gone. The other 20% of swelling will mostly be on the inside and not noticeable to others. That swelling can take a full year to resolve completely.
You will have restrictions for a couple weeks after the surgery such as no strenuous activities, no lifting heavy objects, no running or jogging or any type of activity that will raise negatively increase your blood pressure. To do so can cause bleeding or prolonged swelling. We recommend sleeping on your back with your head elevated as much as possible and we’ll prescribe a steroid for you to help with the swelling as well. Pain also varies depending on how invasive your surgery is but most patients don’t complain much about it. A large majority of patients come in and say that they had more discomfort rather than pain, just with not being able to sleep flat or turn on their sides, or complain that their nose was stuffy and they had to breathe out of their mouth a lot.
If you are considering getting a rhinoplasty, come in for a consultation with one of our amazing surgeons at our Layton or Draper location in Utah. Online consultations are also available for out of town patients. Call (801) 776-2220 or contact us HERE to schedule.
Written by Brittney Charlesworth, Medical Assistant at UFP