Rhinoplasty: Stories

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Post Op Rhinoplasty - Swelling after Splint Removed (Manila, Philippines)

I'm from the US and I had rhinoplasty with...

  • 21 Feb 2013

I'm from the US and I had rhinoplasty with Gore-tex procedure done 8 days ago in Manila with a well-known and pretty successful group of plastic surgeons. I just had my splint removed earlier today and I was horrified at the swelling. My original nose had bulbous round tip and the sides were very wide (fat-looking when I smiled). After the splint came off, the sides of my nose looked great because it looks smaller and they maintained a similar shape from my original nose. Quarter view, side view and top view is the worst. They fractured my bone because they said it was very wide and also said that my bridge started too low below my eyes. They implanted Gore-tex and raised my bridge by 2-4mm.

Doctor notes before surgery:
Focus of the surgery will be on the nasal tip, to defat as much as surrounding soft tissues and increase nasal tip projection using strong cartilage harvested from the nasal septum and part of the ear cartilage. Narrowing of the nasal bone is also advised. The height of the nose should be increased by around 2-4mm using soft gore-tex. I don’t recommend on foregoing the implant as this will cause disproportion and misdraping of the nasal skin. Lastly correction of the hanging alae will be complimentary to the new nasal tip.

When my nose was revealed today, it looked longer and the tip looks really round. I look like a witch right now. My doctor says swelling should subside within 2-3 weeks, but I wonder if there is anything I can do to help it heal faster? It looks really bad.

It's been 13 days after surgery and it seems like...

  • 26 Feb 2013
It's been 13 days after surgery and it seems like it's swelling is going down a bit. It still looks awful from the side views, but I have hope!

It's been 5 weeks post op and I'm starting to love...

  • 23 Mar 2013
It's been 5 weeks post op and I'm starting to love my new nose. It's still a bit swollen and numb at the tip, but I was told that I might have to wait 6-12 months for it to take its true shape. My upper lip is still stiff and I'm scared to open my mouth to wide. I posted more pics.

15 weeks post op

  • 20 May 2013
It's been almost 15 weeks now and my nose is SLOWLY getting softer. Still swollen and hard at the tip, but slowly becoming more flexible over time. Upper lip isn't as stiff anymore and I'm able to smile as wide as I want. :D

No one notices in person unless I point it out, but my nose is still a little bit crooked from when they took the cast off. I don't think that's going to go away even after the swelling (but who knows, we will see over time).

Great review?

My Doctor: Shimmian Manila: Dr. Levi Lansangan + Dr. Mark Fernandez

My rating:

Doctor's Bedside Manner
Answered My Questions
After Care Follow-Up
Time Spent With Me
Phone or Email Responsiveness
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Family referred me.

Comments (40)

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caught_in_the_rain 20 May 2013
I love it, it looks so good
Rayah7 20 May 2013
Wow! Beautiful results!
thisisd 20 May 2013
thank you so much !
iamAmanda 18 Apr 2013
I love your review. Thanks for sharing your experience. You inspired me to patiently wait for the "final look" of my new nose. I had surgery 3 weeks ago under the same doctor(s). It's funny how some people are quick to judge the outcome of the procedure when their new nose has not even healed completely. :-) Hope you'll continue to update us. And just so you know... You look absolutely beautiful! Your new nose suits you ;-)
thisisd 20 May 2013
Thank you so much!! It was a really scary experience for me when they took off my cast. I'm really glad I could help. It's been over 1.5 months now for you, right? I hope your healing process is going well! :)
Chase Lay, MD 20 May 2013
it's always so awesome when patients share their experiences. They can be very difficult to find meaningful or useful reviews or storylines as a patient when searching online. Your story illustrates the realities of what is still a successful procedure. It lets people know that while there is some downtime and concerning moments during your healing process things turn out well in the end. Thank you
View answers from Chase Lay, MD
thisisd 20 May 2013
when i first wrote my review i was in such a panic and desperately seeked for similar experiences. i didn't find much that followed up passed a few weeks or just stating what the doctor would tell them would happen. i was so emotional about it, so i promised myself that i would follow up with reviews until up to a year and answer anyone's questions as much as possible about my experience. not only is it for other people, but it's also for me to document my own experience. there were also not a lot of reviews about this particular group of plastic surgeons for Shimmian in the Philippines. it wasn't until i posted this was when people were messaging me about their experiences (bad and good). it would've been really useful to know ahead of time.
foxyboxy 13 Apr 2013
wow....wonderful result...
thisisd 20 May 2013
Thanks!!
gift2myself 12 Apr 2013
Your new nose really transformed you... from pretty to beautiful... Congratulations!
thisisd 20 May 2013
Haha, you're sweet. Thank you so much!! :)
Matilda24 12 Apr 2013
Wow! You're stunning! :O
thisisd 20 May 2013
Thanksss!! :D
vmumm4409 11 Apr 2013
Oh I LOVE your new nose!! I do not think it is too long or round at all!! You are a STUNNING woman!!! Congrats!!
thisisd 12 Apr 2013
Thanks! This made my day :)))
anon4404 10 Apr 2013
I think you look great! It's lovely that Dr Levi and Dr Mark managed to maintain a similar shape to your previous nose. I wish I could say the same about mine. Has your smile returned to normal? After my rhinoplasty at Shimmian Manila last week, I noticed that my upper teeth doesn't show when I smile due to the stiff upper lip. Dr Levi said that it's because of the alar base cinch suture that was put in place to narrow the nose. He told me to wait for a few months before my smile will return to how it was. However, I'm thinking of removing or cutting the alar base cinch sutures based on advice from other doctors that I've read on this forum.
thisisd 10 Apr 2013
thank you!! overall, i am pleased with my results with just a few minor things that bother me. i don't want to have an opinion until it's completely healed in 6-12 months though. it's been almost 3 months post op and so far... my nose is still a little swollen (feels hard on the tip and still very round). my upper lip is still stiff too and it's been almost 3 months since my surgery, but i am able to smile just not as big as i used to. i can imagine what you're saying about not being able to show your upper teeth. i'm hoping it will soften up within sometime this year. also in my review i mentioned that my nose bridge was crooked when they took off the cast... well it still is but gotten better since the swelling has gone down. only i am able to notice it unless I specifically point it out. also my sense of scent/smell does not work as well. i'm hearing a lot of bad reviews about Shimmian Manila so I feel pretty fortunate that my nose isn't messed up, but I always ask myself questions like: what if i can't smell the way I used to be able to? or if my bridge will remain crooked after it's fully healed?
thisisd 10 Apr 2013
oh! and it's only been a week? i cried when they took off the cast that day. my nose didn't look normal at all when i first saw it. you should give it a month. do you have pictures?
anon4404 12 Apr 2013
I shed a tear too when I first saw my nose after the cast was taken off! It just wasn't what I had expected. To me it looked unnatural. The change was so drastic that when I was at the airport the next day, I was asked to spell out my full name along with other details during the security check. It seems the person behind the security counter realised that I looked different compared to the picture in my passport. This has never happened to me before and it was upsetting. I have noticed slight improvements from day to day however. I'm hoping it will only get better. Anyway, I'm glad that your nose turned out beautiful! You honestly look stunning in your latest pics 4 months post op. Thanks for sharing your review. It gave me hope that perhaps my nose will eventually 'fit in' with the rest of my facial features. Do you have an email address where I can send you my pics?
thisisd 20 May 2013
Sorry for the late reply. Oh my gosh! That must have been such a scary/inconvenient experience. I'm so sorry. I hope your healing process is going well now and you're loving your new nose. Let me know. I'll send you a message right now with my email.
Rockingritu 26 Mar 2013
such a great difference..you look beautiful :)
thisisd 10 Apr 2013
thank you!!
Angiemcc (Community Manager) 25 Mar 2013

Thank you so much for sharing your photos. I think you look beautiful and I'm glad you're happier with your results.

thisisd 10 Apr 2013
Thanks Angie, i will post more updates in a few more months.
AnnaNoel 23 Mar 2013
You continue to look great. Enjoy your vaca. I'm so happy for you. And thanks for responding to me.

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