Does Recovering from a Rhinoplasty Feel Like Having a Cold?

Immediately after the rhinoplasty procedure you will experience stuffiness of the nose. Yes, patients often compare  this  to having a bad cold. It is hard to breath through you nose due to swelling and clotting. Usually, patients have to breathe through the mouth for a while, which is something we are not used to on every day basis.  Please make sure to drink a lot of fluids to keep your mouth nice and moist.  After the surgery you will wake up with a splint on your nose. It will be removed after a week. You will notice  big difference after the splint gets removed. I do not pack nose inside (like most surgeons) AND THIS IS A GREAT HELP

Dear Jlbunny,

 

After the surgery, you will have swelling and felling of heaviness in the middle of your face as well as congestion.

 

With pain killers on board and good post-op ambulation, you will be feeling similar symptoms as a mild cold's.

 

I encourage you to follow your surgeon's advises, do's and don'ts.

 

Best of luck to you.

Dr. Sajjadian

Hi there,

Recovery from a rhinoplasty is pretty much like having a cold!  The good news is that usually, that's about as bad as it gets.  Bad news is that if you hate the feeling you get with a cold, you're not going to love the first post op week.

 

Good luck!

For 24hrs you will have cotton packing in each nostril and you will have to breath through your mouth. You will also have a cast which will then be removed 3-4 days after your procedure.

The analogy is an apt one. For the first week or so, you will have bad congestion similar to a bad cold. Discuss your concern with your surgeon as there may be steps he/she can take to relieve partially this congestion.