How Soon After Rhinoplasty Can I Fly or Exercise?

Hello and thank you for your great question.
Every surgeon is a little different with their postoperative restrictions. That said, most patients should be able to fly or exercise starting 2 weeks after surgery. At this time, the risks of bleeding are very low and air travel is safe. That said, at 2 weeks the nose is still very susceptible to swelling and fluid shifts. If you were to take a flight or have a vigorous workout, you should expect that some swelling of the nose could occur. This is normal and will resolve within hours.
I hope this helps!
Best,Dr. G Dominick J Gadaleta, MDFacial Plastic SurgeonDG Facial Plastic SurgeryPalo Alto, CA

You can fly a week after surgery after your splint is removed. Exercise is gradual. At 1 week you can start going for walks but nothing strenuous. At 2 weeks you can start doing stationary bike. At 4 weeks you can do strenuous exercise. If you exercise too early you can impede the recovery process by making the swelling worse, which can cause discomfort, etc. It's not worth jeopardizing your outcome for a week or two of exercise. You've already come this far. -David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group

Thank you for your question. After surgery, there will be some swelling. The swelling can take many months to resolve, although most people stop noticing it after a couple of months. People are usually back to performing most activities after a week and resuming all activities after two to four weeks. Flying varies from patient to patient since no two people heal the same way, but in general, most people can get on an airplane for a short flight a week after surgery. Be sure to discuss with your surgeon.