Rhinoplasty and Sliding Genioplasty Adelaide - Adelaide, South Australia

I also forgot that one of the major things that Professor David insists is done is cleaning of the nose. This freaked me out initially because it involves putting a cotton tip up that has been moistened with saline solution and hydrogen peroxide up there one day post op. This is because if the blood hardens it can make it difficult to remove as it is like concrete.

After I got my cast off I had to start pressing against the sides of my nose as hard as I could for 1 minute, 4 times a day. This is done because during the healing process without the cast to hold the nose in place it can heal crooked. Some surgeons don't recommend it but Professor D does. I can tell you though, pressing against a nose that has just been broken is no fun at all! The first time I did it I thought I would faint or throw up.... or faint then throw up.

I wasn't going to write a review but as there is little information out there for Rhinoplasty in Adelaide I thought I owed it to my fellow Adelaideians.

I'm now 5 weeks from what can only be described as an emotional rollercoaster. I wanted to write this review to give everyone an idea of what an emotional journey plastic surgery is and also to cover some of the things that maybe aren't told to you before the surgery.

First of all I would like to say how freaking grateful I am for surgeons like Professor David David. He is a genius and a gentleman all in one and I couldn't have asked for a better surgeon. I will be forever grateful to him for changing my life.

Like a lot of people who choose to get plastic surgery, I was severely bullied at school for what can only be described as one huge nose. Despite trying for 15 years to get over the emotional scars that the bullying caused me I couldn't so decided it was time to do something about it.

I did my research and came up with a list of the best 3 surgeons. My final consult was with Prof David and I knew immediately that I would go with him because of how professional and experienced he was. He did throw a massive spanner in the works though when he suggested that I not only get Rhino but Sliding Genioplasty as well to correct my recessive chin. Despite being nervous about the prospect of having two surgeries at once, I knew that Professor David knew best as he is a craniofacial surgeon and looks at the face in its entirety. I booked my surgery for the 16th of June.

Now the first very important thing that I would suggest is to make sure you have a support person for the surgery. Not just for picking you up at the hospital etc but someone to talk to and who will be there for you when things are tough. I was lucky enough to have my mum and also my bestie or 'rhino buddy' as we call each other because we were there for each other through the whole journey, from consults to actually having our surgeries done on the same day! I was really lucky.

On surgery day I was really nervous. The surgery was done on the Monday morning with an overnight stay in the North Adelaide Memorial Hospital overnight. The surgery took about an hour and a half. The Rhinoplasty involved the surgeon removing cartilage to remove my huge dorsal hump, breaking the nasal bones and moving them inwards and raising the tip slighty. Basically the sliding genioplasty involved the surgeon sawing my chin off, moving it forward 7mm and using a plate and screws to fasten it in place. Easy!

When I woke up I was in a bit of pain with my nose and they gave me painkillers in recovery. When I got back to the ward my nose was bleeding slightly. Be prepared for this one - at the first sign of blood I panicked and thought I was going to have to have it packed. Slight bleeding is normal and nothing to worry about.

When I first looked at myself in the mirror the realisation of what I had put myself through sunk in. I had a massive black eye, my chin was bigger than Jay Lenos and I had a massive cast on my nose. All totally normal but upsetting nonetheless.

Professor D was fantastic post op. He came and saw me both after the surgery and the next day before I was discharged and definitely put my mind at ease.

The night in hospital was hell. My nose stopped hurting but the pain from my chin was about 5/10, I had the driest throat because I had to keep my mouth open because my nose was blocked. This made my jaw hurt because my chin was so heavy and swollen. In addition to this, you must sit upright for the swelling. This caused my back to ache.

The next day when I was discharged I saw my reflection in the car window and was so shocked at how horrible I looked. People stared at me as I left the hospital and everytime I looked in the mirror I got upset. It's really hard coming to terms with the fact that you chose to let someone do this to you!

For the next few days I slept. I only aye soft foods like mashed potato but even that was a struggle. I didn't have a lot of pain at all after the first 2 days. The most uncomfortable thing was not being able to breathe out of my nose and having to sleep upright. My back absolutely killed. I kept in touch with my rhino buddy everyday and this definitely made me feel better. My mum was so supportive.

On day 9 I got the cast off. Now, everyone says that you have to prepare yourself for this and being shocked but I can tell you now, NOTHING will prepare you for this. I knew I would be shocked and possibly hate my new face when I first saw it but it is totally different when you actually see it. I cried and had a full blown panic attack. Yes I was swollen and bruised when I first looked in the mirror but I looked nothing like myself. Not even a bit. I was so shocked and upset and immediately regretted my decision. Luckily my mum and rhino buddy were there to support me.

For the next few days I was depressed and sad wondering why I had done it to myself. Despite everyone reassuring me it looked good I couldn't get used to my new face. Professor D was so understanding and caring and told me he wouldn't abandon me. He made a follow up appointment the following week.

By the time the follow up appointment arrived I was feeling a bit better. I had returned to work and the swelling had improved. What hadn't improved was one stubborn bruise under my eye and my skin was terrible, due to an allergic reaction to the tape and also acne from not being able to clean my face when the cast was on. Also my nose was dehydrated and peeling. No one tells you about these extra things that make you feel even worse about how you look. Even 5 weeks post op my skin still isn't back to normal.

5 weeks post op and I'm feeling better about how I look. One thing to be aware of is that everyone is different and healing time is different. I was told there was going to be a drastic reduction in swelling on day 10 but it never came. In fact, front on my nose is still really swollen and this changes every day and not always for the better. Some days I love the way I look front on and others I can't stand it! It's been a long, emotional journey and will continue to be for months to come. Be aware that everyone's healing is different and be patient with your own.

I'm happy with my results, especially my side profile. I'm so glad I took Professor D's advice and got my chin done as well as my nose. My face is so balanced now. My chin is still swollen and I can't smile properly yet but I guess my time will come....slowly. My face is also thinner and longer but I don't mind it because it's in proportion.

If anyone has any questions please ask, I'm happy to help :)