Rhinoplasty: Stories

My surgery is scheduled for November 16th, 2011 - exactly six weeks from today. I'm very nervous, but have recently told my family about my decision and they have been overwhelmingly supportive!

My nose is just big. It's got a bulbous tip and it just doesn't fit my face. I'm 28 years old and I feel like my face should be a lot softer.. a lot prettier. My nose throws everything off.

I liked my plastic surgeon, but has has recommended closed rhinoplasty (predicting 1.5 hours in surgery). The more I'm reading on it, I'm starting to get nervous and wondering if this is the right procedure for me (vs. open). Sure, I hear 'closed' is less invasive and you can heal faster, which is great, but I think my biggest fear is to go through all of this, pay all this money, take all of this time off of work.. and not be happy with my results. I've got a call into the office to address some of my questions... But I would to hear from anyone who has had a closed procedure done and their opinion!

Beyond that, I'm afraid of what my co-workers will think. I work for a very conservative school district. That fear is slightly diminishing as I'm reading more and more that usually, people can tell something is different about you, but can't quite put your finger on it.

In the end, I'm anticipating natural results with loads of new confidence! Will post pictures of me now (before) soon!

Surgery is 3 weeks away and I had another consultation last week with my surgeon to help ease my mind and answer loads of new questions I came up with.

Not sure how, but I heard "closed" during my first consult, but I will actually be having open surgery. My doctor showed me my charts and that was the plan all along.. I don't know how 'closed' got stuck in my head. This actually makes me happy... after lots of research and knowing that my tip needs some work, I was glad to hear his reasoning behind the open surgery.

I'm still very nervous. I really hope I'm making the right decision and that I'll be happy with the results. I'm starting to question if I should have consulted with more surgeons, but I think I'm just getting cold feet because I really do like and trust the surgeon I chose.

I'm having a hard time kicking my 3-5 cigarettes a day.. Doc told me to stop at least 4 weeks before surgery.. and here we are, less than 3 weeks away, and I can't seem to kick the horrible habit. I need to get serious.. I don't want anything to delay my healing.

I appreciate this forum and all the support. Next update will probably be after my surgery!

Looking for any input on those who have had surgery and caring for children afterward. I have a son who is almost two and worried about recovery and caring for a energy-filled little boy. Luckily, I will have help for five days - just wondering if the 6th day after surgery would be safe timing to be active with my little one, again. Of course, I know to watch for accidental nose-bops! Doctor said I should be ok to lift him (30 lbs) in and out of the car, etc.. I'm just wondering if anyone has input on what they did in this case? Also, I'm worried about scaring him (by face being bandaged/casted) after surgery... but I can't just lock myself in a room for a week and not see my sweet little boy! Any suggestions? Thanks for all the support and advice!

It's been 12 days since my surgery. I think I had high expectations when it came to healing and results.. I can't say I'm disappointed... but I am reserved, at this point, with my final opinion about the entire surgery.

Surgery... Went great. Only odd thing is I woke up from surgery crying and thrashing about - but was calmed quickly. I think I just had a funny reaction to being put under. I woke up from surgery VERY bruised and battered - my husband and grandmother both had a hard time looking at me!

Recovery - Went fine. Third day was the worst - I felt like I had the flu. Bruising and swelling was horrific, but my pain level was never too bad at all. I have pictures, but am afraid to post them - they are stomach turning. As the days went on, my swelling moved down from under my eyes, down my cheeks, to under my jawline! My jawline is still yellow from healing bruises.

I had my cast removed on Day 6 - and the doctor immediately taped my nose before I could see it unmasked. He told me to keep tape on it for an additional 3 days - and said that my bruising/swelling was about at a level six from a 1-10 scale. When I un-taped it 3 days later, I really didn't see much of a difference.

Today is Day 12 and I have returned to work - NO ONE at work knew about the surgery - and I wasn't expecting to still have two black eyes at Day 12 - so I've told everyone that I had nasal surgery/deviated septum (a lie) just to explain the bruising. At Day 12, I'm starting to see tiny differences (a more narrow bridge, mostly). My tip is still numb, and bulbous looking - I'm really hoping that changes with time. Like I said, my nose hasn't change much at all - no one at work has noticed anything but my black eyes. I have a follow-up doctor appointment tomorrow, and am curious to see what he thinks. From what I've read, two weeks into recovery is too soon to judge your results - but so many seem so happy by this time - at least they're SEEING results by this time. I'll attach some pictures I took today (pink tank top). I have some better before pictures, I'll just need to upload them from my camera.

The best thing, so far, is that I've quit smoking! Totally, and fully! I don't even crave it anymore. So yay me :)

Saw my doctor today - two week follow-up after my surgery. Doc admits my bruising and swelling is quite bad, but I'm doing all the right things to help it along. He expects the swelling on the tip of my nose will go down about 40% - I would be happy if this were to be the case! He suggests that I wear tape on my nose at night, and around the house if I can. I will do so. He also has advised me to put pressure on my nose, from the bridge all the way to the tip, in small increments of time with a pinching sort of style. (Imagine someone stressed out, elbow on table, leaning their head on their hand with their thumb and forefinger on each side of the nose - that's the best way I can describe it!) He suggests I do this just about anytime I think about it. Even on the bulbous tip area. Has anyone else's surgeon mentioned this? He says it will help the swelling go down and also help push bones in place.

Doc says a lot will change in the next month, and had me schedule another appointment as a 3-month follow-up. I guess now I just follow his instructions and enjoy the changes as they come! Will update pics in a week or two :)

Day 17 - Adding a picture (holding my son - titled Day 17). My husband snapped this photo at a birthday party and I was shocked that I didn't HATE my profile! My nose/profile isn't quite where I want it to be just yet, but I am seeing progress! Yay! Still dealing with swelling and soreness, and still have bruising under my eyes, but each day is better and better.

I'm approaching one full-year post-op and thought I'd throw an update up. I am pretty unhappy with my results so far. I don't feel like my nose has changed much at all. My two main concerns, the nose being large and too bulbous, are still very present. Beyond that, I had bruised terribly with surgery - beyond normal, according to my doctor, and have been left with these dark, baggy circle under each eye. No amount of concealer, expensive under-eye cream, or experimental treatment issued by my doc has helped thus far. Instead of looking better and feeling better, I'm feeling more down on my appearance than ever. No one has noticed any change in me, not even family who knew about the procedure... the only thing I hear from others now is how tired I look.

At my nine-month follow up, I expressed my concerns to my doctor. After having to explain to him what I was unhappy about, I was told of two options we could start with. First, the bulbous tip... My doctor explained that the cartilage under my skin should be perfect.. that he has created beautiful framework, but that I have thick skin and it's not "hanging" or "shink-wrapping" the framework. He said we could start steroid injections (Kenalog) to thin the skin, but this, of course, has risks of it's own (i.e. in an extreme case, a Michael Jackson nose). He also stated we could "rasp" my nose... shaving down the bridge to it isn't so over projected. He suggested that we do both of these procedures on the same day, same time. The rasping can be done in his office, under local anesthetic, but I may hear everything that is going on during the procedure (this makes my stomach turn just thinking about it). He has offered to cover the costs of the steroid injections and rasping procedure, so long as they are done in his office and not at a surgery center where an anesthesiologist and operating room nurse is needed. I have done a ton of research on both the steroid injections and the rasping procedure, but have not had a strong feeling either way that it's the right or wrong thing to move forward with. I'm incredibly nervous about it all. I have the procedure scheduled, but am having a few appointments with other local facial plastic surgeons for second opinions... of course, which I cannot afford should they offer a different or better route in fixing things.

If anyone has had rasping or steroid injections, I'd love to hear about your experience.

After my surgeon discussed his revision plans for me, I decided to get some second opinions as I just felt uneasy about it all. After visiting numerous facial plastic surgeons - all of whom knew I wasn't there to book surgery, but rather JUST to get second opinions (I cannot afford another surgery as I'm going to be paying off my surgery with Dr. Horowitz for years to come) - I have decided to completely cancel all future appointments with my original surgeon and will not step foot into his office again. The first surgeon pointed out that I have a severely deviated septum - something that was never brought to my attention and could have been fixed during my original surgery! Not only that, it may have alleviated some of the expense as my insurance would have covered that correction.
Secondly, all surgeons cringed at the idea of injecting steroids into my nose AND doubly cringed at the idea of doing the rasping procedure without anesthetic. I've been told that obviously, my surgeon isn't a "nose guy".. that the dark circles and scar under my eyes as a result from the surgery are likely permanent and there's not much I will be able to do about them, that he "didn't do totally wrong by you, but he definitely didn't do right by you.." And, by all surgeons I have visited, that I would need another open rhinoplasty to fix things and get desired results. This is so disheartening and I got emotional about it every time. And to top it off, I have had ZERO follow-up from my original surgeon's office on why I've cancelled or if I'm planning on rescheduling, etc, etc. I feel like he got my money, permanently damaged me, and that's it for me.
To everyone considering surgery... you MUST MUST MUST visit many doctors.. get a lot of consultations. I, unfortunately, trusted the first surgeon I visited and am paying for it now.