25 year old rhinoplasty

I’ve been wanting a nose job for about 10 years and I finally took the plunge with Dr. Grigoryants. I am 14 days post op tomorrow and am already so happy with my results. This review is for him and for anyone who wants to see my rhinoplasty journey. I am still very swollen just FYI, but I will post more pics every month so you can see the long term results as well. If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)

First off, research as much as you can before deciding on a doctor. This is your face and you don’t want to go cheap, go to the best. I did about 2 years of research and consultations before I decided on Dr. Grigoryants. When you book your pre-op and surgery appt. expect to wait about a month or 2 before the appt. They’re busy and that is a good thing! Secondly, make sure the doc you choose is board certified and specializes in rhinoplasty. This is important because you want your doc to routinely do the surgery they will be performing on you. Dr. G does a couple rhinoplasty surgeries every day so he is very comfortable with the procedure and knows what he’s doing.
The pre-op appt. is where you ask all your questions and bring pics to show the doc what you like and the look you’re trying to achieve. Dr. G does not use any morphing software but I think it’s so that you are not disappointed if it doesn’t look exactly like the image created. Just screenshot noses you like and ask if it’s something you could expect. He will be forthcoming and let you know if it will flatter you or not, which I love because he actually cares about his patients outcome and wants them to look good. You also pay in full for the surgery the day of the pre-op appt, although I believe they do have a payment plan as well. Doctor will also give you your prescriptions paper that day so you can fill it at your pharmacy and have them ready to go before surgery. Finally, gotta get blood work done but it’s free since you already paid for it :)
At home research: when you are looking at noses online, look for the size of their nose. How long is from the top to the bottom? Does that size look similar to yours? How long is their face? Is it wide? Are their eyes close together? Do they have a short nose or long nose? This is how you will find pics of results you can expect. Also look at doctor’s before and after they post. Find a before nose that looks like yours and see if you like the results! That is what I did when picking mine. Before I knew there were so many nuances to noses I picked a really sloped look and thought it was pretty, but when I showed the doctor he said the slope would be too much for me and my face. After doing more research, it turns out he was right! I’m so glad I told him and he was honest with me about it. That nose would not have fit my face because I have a short nose.
Surgery day: the day of surgery is easy. You show up to the surgery center (after you’ve been fasting for 10 or so hours) in your button up pajama shirt and loose sweats. You fill out some paperwork then wait in the waiting room until your name is called. When they call you to the back, they weigh you, make you pee in a cup, and take your vitals. Then you change into a gorgeous gown (but you can keep your pants on, score! Just no shirt) You relax on a bed and a kind gentle nurse talks to you and you feel calm. You see the doc and talk to him for a couple minutes about the plan and if you have any last minute questions. Then you meet the fabulous anesthesiologist who will give you calming drugs. Yay! The IV is actually the worst part. It goes in your hand and feels like someone is nailing you to a cross but hey that’s how you get the happy drugs so it’s worth it. They hook up an IV bag and you start to really chill out. I said bye to my mom and they wheeled me into the OR (operating room). I don’t remember much, just that they asked what kind of music I liked. My last words were “Frank Sinatra” and I passed out. Next thing I know I wake up in the post op recovery room and feel fine except for a a little dry sore throat feeling. But not to worry, I have a nurse who stays by my side and gives me ice chips and apple juice. My mom is also in the room with me holding my hand (not the IV hand because ouch). I am there for awhile until they clear me to leave. I’m wheeled out of the building and my mom is there waiting for me out front. We drive home and I go right to bed. I start my pain pills and antibiotics 6 hours after I am home. Sleeping is my new norm and I go into hibernation.
Day 2 post op: still pretty easy. I’m staying on top of my pain meds and have a diet that consists of pudding, apple sauce, pineapple juice, apple juice and tons of water: my preschool self is jumping with joy over this new diet. I’m bruised and my eyes are puffy but I don’t care because I’m on pain meds.
Day 3: Similar to day 2 except the last propofol dose they gave me at the surgery center is no longer in my system, so I am feeling the pain today. Also waking up every 4 hours is annoying but I had to eat a little something so I could take my pill and fall back asleep.
Day 4: Wow I am really swollen (normal). Feeling tired because I am not sleeping well due to having to breathe out of my mouth only. But I have to keep telling myself that it’s all temporary.
Day 5: Bruising is getting a little better. I change out the gauze on the bottom of my nose and there’s less blood every day. Still taking the pain pills because they’re very necessary at this point.
Day 6: I’ve made it. I get my cast off today! TIP FOR CAST REMOVAL DAY: save your last dosage of pain pills for this. Although my doc doesn’t use packing, it still is pretty uncomfortable to feel the innards come out. Also removing the stitches hurts a little...But that part isn’t as bad as when he puts the tape on because he has to put pressure down on the nose to keep the swelling down. Not fun but doable thanks to hydrocodone. Now the fun part! He hands me the mirror and I can see my new nose. I’m in shock. I get a little emotional and tear up a bit because I am so happy and I say I love my nose ( a sentence I never thought would come out of my mouth). I am over the moon now! Cute nose yay!
Every day after this it’s all uphill from here. Breathing will improve every day and by 2-ish weeks you’ll be breathing out of your nose again and have your sleep back. This is the second best part to having a new nose you love! Take it easy. Don’t do too much. It will take a while for your energy to fully come back. Stay out of the sun, don’t bend over and don’t lift anything heavy. Follow your post op instructions (saline spray and Vaseline to keep your nose moist so everything can pass through) and just enjoy your new nose. But be gentle! :)