Concern about the recovery period after rhinoplasty - Could you please explain what I should realistically expect? (Photos)

Hello, I can summarise the recovery process for you:Your rhinoplasty will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. When you wake up from surgery, you will still be able to breathe through your nose, but expect it to feel similar to having a severe cold or congestion. For about a week, you may experience fluctuating nasal blockage — sometimes more open, sometimes more closed.You will have swelling around the eyes and nose, which is completely normal. Bruising varies from person to person; some have very little, others have more, but it is never severe enough to close your eyes.In terms of pain, this surgery is not typically painful. We usually recommend a simple painkiller such as paracetamol for the first week, though most patients stop taking it after 4–5 days.A plastic splint stays on the nose for six days. On day six, we remove the splint and clean the inside of the nose, and patients usually feel a significant sense of relief. Your nose will still look swollen, of course. We then apply tapes to the nose, and you can fly with these tapes on. The tapes can be removed one week later.Overall, after two weeks, your nose will look better than it does now. Someone who doesn’t know you may not be able to tell you’ve had surgery, although the sides of the nose and the tip will still have some swelling. The final shape continues to refine over 1 to 1.5 years.You may shower the day after surgery, and in fact, we encourage it. Some patients feel well enough to go out, walk around, or shop as early as two days after the operation. Others prefer to rest at home — this depends entirely on how you feel.After two weeks, light activities such as swimming, jogging, and simple workouts are allowed.

Thank you for your photos. From your photos, it appears a slight lowering of your dorsum and refinement of your nasal tip by narrowing it slightly and giving it a slight elevation would give you a beautiful result. These are routine steps in a rhinoplasty and typically do not result in much swelling or bruising. There is always some bruising that occurs simply from the injections that are put into the nose prior to the rhinoplasty being done. However, this should be minimal, and cool compresses to your nose in the days after your surgery will certainly help and within one or two weeks you should look essentially normal.

People tend to experience swelling and bruising days 1 to 3 after rhinoplasty surgery. From day 4 to 7, the bruising and swelling rapidly diminishes. Some people bruise easier than others, and if somebody's bruising is dark purple, that can be difficult to conceal with makeup. I just advised the patient who consulted us for rhinoplasty to do it during a time where she can take time away from work, and not be missed, and not be under stress. I hope this helps, and thank you for your question! Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Bruising and swelling are common after rhinoplasty, and this is considered normal. They usually resolve within 1-2 weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the body, but the surgeon will prescribe medications and creams to help with them.If you have vision problems, you must definitely warn the surgeon so that the fracture in the bone area is subtle.