“My Septorhinoplasty Experience at 3 Weeks Post Op (32 Year Old Male)”

I'm a 32 year old male who had septorhinoplasty three weeks and 3 days ago and I'd like to share my experience so far as there were some things I didn't know or expect.

I had been in mixed martial arts and had broken my nose three times without ever getting it fixed. Due to this, I had a slight hump on the bridge and bumps on the corners of my bridge (at a 45 degree angle) that were noticeable. Also, the bridge had widened quite a bit and starting off as a good looking guy, this was detracting to my appearance.

I went to Dr. L in Ballentyne NC who is fantastic. The costs was $4016 and about half covered the facility an hald to the doctor.

The operation was painless. I mean truly painless. I took painkillers for three days and tossed the rest. My doctor gave me anti-nausea pills which was great and even a week's worth of anti-depressents. I didn't take the anti-depressents.

The first week is sore as I had open rhinoplasty. The bottom of my nose felt like a piece of wood a still does. After 6 days the splint came off and the results were drastic and amazing. I didn't epext that my nose would swell after the splint came off to worse than my nose looked prior to surgery. I freaked out but my dr kept me calm. After 2 weeks, I went in for my second appt and voiced my concern. Due to all the prior breaks, I was selling above normal. He put another splint on and that fell off four days later. My nose looked great again but swelled again. My dr said the bridge widened a bit in the healing but it still looked good without the swelling. Ice, pineapple juice, rest...all temporary help. The tip is very swollen but now at three weeks, the bridge is reducing a hair each day. My profile looks better than before and is pretty straight. The corners of the bridge are swollen still but I can press them down and see the actually bridge structure is lower. I can feel all three breaks the dr made with my fingers. All assure me the bone is lower than the swollen exterior.

I had a larger bump on my bridge after two weeks post op than before the surgery. This is slowly reducing and I had a steroid injection 3 days ago to prevent scar tissue build up. The shot was painless and didn't swell my nose at all. I feel like tha shot and the progression of time is working. The bump is more apparent to the feel than by eye as my bridge looks fairly straight.

My advice: Swelling is understated! It's just going to take time. I'm personally not going to make a judgement until 3 months out. Don't freak out. It changes and you will have good and bad days. Every morning, my nose is swollen and by the time I get out of the shower, it's reduced. When I'm working, it swells as I'm busy and reduces at night. I only took 7 days off from work. Two black eyes that were gone in 4 days.

The scarring under my nose is healing well. The tip of my nose is slighlty drooped but it's from the swelling for sure as I had no tip work. The bridge was my my concern and although, it's not near it was after the splint was removed either time, it very likely will get close to there once is reduces in swelling. I'm three weeks out and I'm impatient like all of us. I wish more people would talk about swelling. One more shot of steriods next week and I think I will be in good shape.

Not great yet but very hopeful this will have been worthwhile. My dr is great.

Again, very little pain if any at all.