How long should it take to recover after septorhinoplasty?

Question

I have a deviated septum. I am going to get surgery for it. I am also thinking about getting my dorsel hump removed. How long should the recovery be? How soon will most of the swelling go away?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

If the surgery is performed closed with minimal dissection, most of the swelling will be gone in a few weeks but one year for complete resolution. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Evan Ransom, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for the great question. If you just straighten the septum, recovery is generally about a week. If the septum is severely deviated, then supportive stents may be placed in the nose during this time. In my practice, I remove these at one week. Some minimal residual swelling may persist for a few days afterward, but overall, this is generally very mild. If you add removal of a dorsal hump ("bump") from the bridge, recovery is a bit longer. More swelling will be present on the outside of the nose, and in most cases, you would be wearing a plastic cast on the nose in the first week. Best of luck!

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

The immediate recovery for a septorhinoplasty procedure would be about a week or two, but it can take 6-12 months for the swelling to resolve completely. A large portion of the swelling should subside after a few weeks though.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Usually the splint and stitches come out within one week.  A lot of swelling will go down within 6-8 weeks but there will be residual swelling that will persist for a year.

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Most people return to work/ social activities at one week. The splint over the bridge of the nose is usually removed between 5-7 days. You can have undereye bruising but this can be treated with laser at the time of your post-operative visit to speed its resolution. Final results are typically evident between 3-12 months but most people are able to get back to their activities at 7 days. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSWeber Facial Plastic Surgery

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The recovery process for a septo-rhinoplasty usually takes approximately 2 weeks. Patients do not breathe very well out of their nose due to the swelling from septoplasty the first 10-14 days. There is usually no packing placed inside the nose. Expect to cast placed across the outside of the nose for one week and visible bruising and swelling for 2 weeks.

Andrew B. Denton, MD · Answer

The splint/cast is generally removed after one week. Normal physical activities can be reintroduced beginning two weeks following surgery. Most patients will return to work/school after seven to ten days. Complete healing will require several months. Many patients who have septal surgery will be quite "stuffy" in the immediate post operative period, however, this should improve fairly quickly as swelling subsides.

Douglas Hargrave, MD · Answer

Recovering form this operation always takes a little longer than most people expect. There will be swelling inside the nose if you have a septoplasty performed and also on the outside. This swelling subsides at first quickly then gradually. For example, in two weeks you will see improvement, then as the months go by, your final result will become more and more apparent.

Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO · Answer

You should look fine after a week but healing may take several months to complete and is gradual.Good luck

How long should it take to recover after septorhinoplasty?

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