When Can One Drink After a Rhinoplasty?

There should not be any problem with moderate drinking a few weeks post-op as long as you are no longer taking narcotic pain medication

Usual guidelines are for patients to cease alcohol intake for 1 week before and 1 week after surgery, because alcohol acts as a blood thinner and can cause bleeding and swelling. From one week after your surgery many surgeons allow up to one standard glass per day. Alcohol can also cause the nose to swell more and patients should be mindful that excessive alcohol can cause increasing swelling in the nose.

It should be quite okay to have a few beers on your birthday which will be around your 5 months post-op. Alcohol can increase swelling and slow down healing but a moderate amount a few months after your surgery should not do any harm. Hope this helps,Ali Rıza Öreroğlu, MD FEBOPRASEuropean and Turkish Board Certified Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeonIstanbul, Turkey

Thanks for the question. I advise my patients to stop drinking alcohol three days before their rhinoplasty surgery also you should stop taking any medications such as  Aspirin and Vitamins. Therefore you should consult with your surgeon for a reminder form before surgery. I wish you all the best.

Since you are three weeks out, you should be fine now. But I always tell my patients - everything in moderation. Do it some, if it is not causing a problem you can do it a little more.

Once you are no longer taking narcotic pain medication, it is ok to consume some alcohol. I would advise light alcohol use in the early (after at least 7 full days) post operative stage (a glass of wine for example) for those who want to drink. Keep in mind that some people get "puffy" with alcohol, in which case you may want to avoid it. By 4 months you should be fine to enjoy a couple celebratory birthday drinks. Avoid bumping your nose! Salud!