Recovery after rhinoplasty: The changes you mentioned are a standard part of most routine rhinoplasties. Most people overestimate the difficulty of recovery. The majority of patients I have done over the past several years have indicated that if they knew what the recovery was like after rhinoplasty they would have worry less about it prior to the surgery. If you read patient reviews you will see that nine out of 10 patients also say that they did not even use the pain medication that was prescribed but took either nothing or just Tylenol. There’s not a lot of magic beyond common sense. Take it easy for a few weeks stay elevated for the first week or so, cold compresses for the first 48 hours on and off, take an antibiotic if prescribed, avoid leaning forward and lifting heavy objects, and don’t begin working out or contact sports for approximately a month. Major contributors to a smooth recovery include the intravenous injection of Decadron at the beginning of surgery, gentle handling of tissue by the surgeon, and an experienced surgeon who gets things done expeditiously without doing undoing and redoing them. Minor additional things that may help include taking some vitamin C complex with bioflavonoids to promote healing. Some people believe in taking arnica before surgery to reduce bruising. It may help a little, but is not a major factor. people who get cold sores should consider taking Valtrex or another antiviral for a few days before and a few days after to avoid a break out. Some people get nauseated from narcotics so some sublingual Zofran should be available which is very effective at eliminating nausea. Another possible effect of narcotic pain meds if taken, is constipation so A stool softener such as Colace should be considered if one is taking more than just a few doses of the narcotic pain med. Some surgeons believe in taping the nose after removal of the cast while others believe that it has no long-term benefit . This can be discussed with your surgeon. There are different regimens prescribed by different surgeons. None has any magic and nothing beats good common sense in avoiding stressing, straining, and trauma in the early postop. Period. keeping follow up appointments is also helpful in obtaining the best final outcome and avoiding difficulties. I have found over the years that too many patients never return for follow up after removal of the cast. In some cases this is because they have traveled a great distance and are satisfied with the result, and therefore see no need to return. but, when possible, follow up appointments are very important, and should be kept.
