Rhinoplasty: Q&A

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Recovery Time After Rhinoplasty w/ Rib Cartilage Graft?

I had rhinoplasty 6 days ago with rib cartilage graft involved. In the middle of my stomach pretty large area is pink and numb (size of my palm). It is not around the scar,it's close to the middle of my stomach.I'm guessing it's above th area where cartilage been removed.I do have numbness around the scar area too,but not as much.I'm wondering if it's normal recovery process, or not. How long is recovery time after rib cartilage graft rhinoplasty?I mean when I'll be able to work out normally?

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by NN35 in Los Angeles, Ca

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Rib cartiglage recovery

The recovery from rib harvesting definitely adds some discomfort and prolongs the recovery time from a rhinoplasty. It may take a few weeks for the rib discomfort to improve.

Steven Wallach, MD

13 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Recovery after rhinoplasty with a rib graft

Recovery from rhinoplasty is typically about a week, though the rib graft will change things quite a bit. The ribs have multiple muscular attachments and the soreness may linger for many weeks. Full exercise may be delayed for four to six weeks without tremendous resolve. The pinkness surrounding the graft site deserves your doctors attention. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Recovery After Rib Graft Rhinoplasty Will Be About 6 Weeks

It sounds like the observations you are seeing on your stomach are normal, numbness and some bruising. Keep an eye on the pink area to make sure it does not get bigger and more red, signs that it could be an infection. Otherwise, I doubt if you will feel very confortable working out for at least a month and perhaps as long as 6 weeks after your rib graft rhinoplasty. The rib graft donor site may feel fine earlier than that by it may be a different story when you start twisting your torso and... more

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Recovery after rhinoplasty with rib graft.

At 6 days post-op, the things you describe sound normal. You should be seeing your surgeon in a day or two; if not, keep an eye on the area of pinkness near your rib graft donor site. This sounds like normal bruising, but if it enlarges, becomes tender or warm to touch. or you develop fever or chills, it might signify infection. I assume you are on antibiotics, but this does not guarantee "no infection," it just diminishes the risk of this. If you are concerned, see your surgeon... more

Numbness after surgery

Only six days after surgery, you should expect temporary chances such as numbness, tingling, ext. If you have any specific concerns, you should address these with your surgeon. I would assume that you have a post op visit scheduled soon as you are only six days after surgery. As long as you do not have fever, trouble breathing or pain out of proportion to the surgery that you had, you likely do not have any immediate need for concern. Good Luck. more

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