Can I Walk by Myself Right After Rhinoplasty?

       Please have someone help you after the surgery.  You really need someone with you for the first night following the surgery.

 

 

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

We advise our patients to have a family member, friend, or nurse with them for the first 24 hours after surgery. If this is not an option, then an aftercare facility would be necessary. I would recommend discussing this with your surgeon prior to your procedure to ensure you obtain the best possible care after surgery. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck.

Hello Dylan,

Most surgical centres or hospitals would like you to be accompanied home the day of your surgery. Sometimes the anesthetic medications can be sedating and you may not feel perfectly well that first afternoon/evening after a rhinoplasty. 

If you have a friend of family member that could accompany you, it would definitely be safer. Otherwise, a nurse might be able to accompany you home.

Best wishes,

-Dr. Asaria

It is definitely not safe to be discharged from a surgery center without being placed in the care of a responsible adult.  Most policies will not allow this practice.  You may feel fine but it takes many hours if not a day for the effects of your medications to be gone.  It is very easy to fall or hurt yourself in this situation. 

At a minimum, you need a responsible adult to care for you for the first 24hours after general anesthesia / deep sedation.  Personally, I require my patients to have a caregiver for the duration of time that they are taking sedative / pain medications, which typically lasts 3-4 days after a rhinoplasty.  So no, it is not safe (or allowed) for you to take a taxi home after surgery.

Dr.B

 The national standard of care after outpatient  Rhinoplasty surgery under general anesthesia  is to have a responsible adult take you home, and be  with you for the first 24 hours after the surgery. This is important for patient comfort and safety.

You will be fully able to walk after rhinoplasty. However, the medication can impair your movements and your memory, temporarily. For that reason, I require all of my patients to travel home either with a friend/ family member or with a licensed, professional medical transport company. In many cases, we arrange for a medical concierge service to pick up our patients at the surgery center and take them to their hotel and provide overnight care. I hope this information is helpful.

Stephen Weber MD, FACS