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What Foods Should One Eat After Rhinoplasty?

asked 2 years ago by calicorey in San Diego
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 8,716 times
Tags: nose, aftercare, diet

Whatfoods should be eaten after Rhinoplasty, and for how long in terms of weeks before returning to a normal diet? Would weight gain shakes be good substitutes for food? Because I would imagine that having to pass stool with solid foods would cause the same strain as lifting heavy items.

13 answers to What Foods Should One Eat After Rhinoplasty?

Light soft foods recommended after rhinoplasty

For the first day after surgery, keep it to a minimum with Jell-o, pudding and soups such as chicken noodle. The day of the surgery it is not advised to eat or drink anything for fear of nausea and vomiting after the anesthetic. If you are taking prescription pain medicine consider using a stool softener to prevent constipation. Within a week after the procedure it is acceptable to return to a normal diet.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Keep things cool and no spicy foods after Rhinoplasty

Keeping things cool and not spicy will only help. This will cool the area and keep things from oozing. Hot liquids and spicy foods will tend to dilate your blood vessels and lead to more bruising and swelling. Keeping your head elevated will also be beneficial. Afrin nasal sprays or nasal constrictors can help too. Nasal irrigation will clean the nose as well. Icing immediately after the surgery and for 48 hours can keep things cool and less swollen. Sometimes your doctor will think about... more

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

What to eat after a rhinoplasty

I would suggest light foods for several days. After this, you should be fine to eat anything you want. Light foods right after your procedure should include protein shakes (as you suggested,) soups, ice cream, bananas, and gatorade for electrolytes. Good luck!

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Eat whatever appeals to you.

After rhinoplasty, like any other cosmetic surgery, you will probably "graze", taking smaller bites of whatever tastes good. I don't generally ask patients to avoid specific foods, although some ethnic groups will refrain from shellfish and pork. I think it's better to encourage small frequent meals so that patients don't get nauseated with pain meds and antibiotics, etc. We ask patients to try to get "regular" BMs by about the 3rd day, post-op and recommend warm... more

Lavinia Chong, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Foods to eat after rhinoplasty

There really are no specific food restrictions after a rhinoplasty. I would say get foods that you enjoy that do not cause pain when you chew on them. Sometimes patients have an uncomfortable feeling when they open their mouth widely after surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Foods to eat after rhinoplasty

In general, I recommend that patients eat light foods and drink plenty of fluids the first two days after surgery. This includes soups, yogurt, crackers, mashed potatoes, etc. The reason is that many people will have nausea the first day after surgery. Also, foods which are hard to chew might be uncomfortable the first day or two after surgery. After that, most patients feel comfortable eating any kind of foods. The pain pills can cause constipation. It's a good idea to have a stool... more

John Diaz, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Foods to eat after Rhinoplasty

In general, I don't have any specific dietary restrictions after Rhinoplasty. Foods high in fiber may be good if you have concerns about constipation. Stool softners may be helpful if you are taking a lot of narcotic pain medications.

Amir M. Karam, MD
San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drkaram.com

Post Rhinoplasty Diet

You start with liquids for the first few hours, then soft food for the first evening. Starting the next day start your regular diet. Using protein shakes can cause lack of fiber and then constipation. Straining from that can lead to a nosebleed after a rhinoplasty. So, fiber in the diet should be resumed as soon as possible. Regards

Tanveer Janjua, MD
Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

No special diet for rhinoplaty

Except for the first 24 - 48 hours after Rhinoplasty, no special diet is required. For the first 24 -48 hours after the surgery, I advise my patients to eat a cool, soft, light diet. The goals are 1 avoid postop nausea and vomiting 2 hot foods dilate blood vessels and can increase the chance of bleeding. Constipation is caused by narcotic pain medications. My Rhinoplasty patients do not experience significant discomfort and we avoid pain meds that cause constipation.

Richard L. Dolsky, MD
Philadelphia Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty and Diet

In particular, the first few days I ask my patients to stay with a soft diet for comfort reasons. After that, they can gradually increase their chewing with their comfort. As far as constipation goes, pain medications increase your chances and it is a good idea to keep on a high fiber diet with plenty of fluids. That is all that is really important. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Special Diet after surgery or nose job.

There are some general recommendations with any surgery. The possibility of straining with constipation is aggravated by the sue of narcotic analgesics which have a tendency for slowing down transport time and increasing the chances of constipation. Stay with a fiber diet and possibly stool softeners during this time as well as avoiding foods that can cause an increase tendency for cosntripation. Generally you should avoid vigorous chewing during this time as well so a soft diet (not ... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty does not usually require a special diet.

Hello My Santa Rosa rhinoplasty patients report some difficulty breathing through their nose for the first 10 days after surgery, so eating has do be done slowly. Also, very hot or very cold foods are best avoided during this time, but there is no special diet that needs to be followed.

Francisco Canales, MD
Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon

There are really no food restrictions after a Rhinoplasty

I don't have any food restrictions for my patients after a rhinoplasty. Most patients have some nausea immediately afterwards so a light diet is suggested for the first day. Pain my be more pronounced with hard chewing for a day or two. But beyond these points, feast away.