Within my review of the doctor, you will see that I had functional concerns pertaining to a deviated septum, along with aesthetic reasons for seeking a second surgery. Unfortunately, I had a visible scar on the inside of my nose from my first surgery and the bridge of my nose was showing the signs of the "work" due to thinning skin as I age.
A deep sigh of relief… I am finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Close to seventeen years ago, I underwent a primary rhinoplasty in NYC for cosmetic reasons. I came out of that surgery with a broken blood vessel in my right eye that remained for the next two months and so much nasal packing that made it unbearable to sleep for more than two hours at a time, even with medication. Despite possessing a high pain threshold, I spent a miserable ten days waking my own self up with loud snoring and had a constant sore throat. Breathing was impossible and there was much discomfort with eating and drinking. I made a pact to myself then and there to never do something like that again.
Thirteen years later, and now a resident of California, I could no longer endure the sneezing/allergies/mucous issues I was having. Upon visiting an ENT, I discovered that I had a deviated septum… WHAT?! I had no idea that after enduring what I endured and spending what I spent to have my nose fixed, the surgeon I employed didn't concern himself with the issue of functionality… having read a little online, I sometimes wonder if the surgery created or exaggerated my septal deviation. Either way, I became extremely depressed by the quality of my respiration and the thought of ever trusting another surgeon to touch my face.
And then I met Dr. Robert Kotler, who immediately gained my confidence during our consultation. He is self-assured but humble. Mostly, though, Dr. Kotler is kind. He listened to all my concerns and I felt sincerely heard. It was impossible not to believe him when he told me how different the recovery would be this time around thanks to the Kotler tubes he created to avoid all that crapola packing that I so abhorred from the first procedure.
My surgery took place on a Monday morning around 8:30 and I was home by noon with a care package/plastic bag full of post-op products to keep me healthy and comfy. I took a two hour nap, then joined my husband for a small but tasty lunch. After that, I stationed myself on the couch for a late afternoon/early evening of reading, cat-napping, and a little tv-watching. I was asleep by 11pm and, at doctor's orders, got up around 3 a.m. to squirt water through each of the Kotler tubes to keep them clean. Otherwise, I slept through the night and awoke at 8 a.m. refreshed. I even had a friend over the next night for movie-viewing and a girlie hang, that's how comfortable I felt. I was able to speak to people on the phone and be understood. I had tons of energy because I could actually breathe during my recovery. And when it came time on Friday to have the tubes removed, it was a complete non-issue. I went home afterwards and got on with my life. This experience was worlds apart from my first due to both Dr. Kotler's abilities and to his brilliant tubes. I'm not sure if it's the standard yet for these kinds of procedures but, for the sake of future patients, I wish for them the kind of comfort I had. Did I mention that there was no bruising? None. Dr. Kotler and his amazing staff of ladies recommended strong iced black tea for throat soreness but I experienced not one sore throat the entire five days I had the tubes in.
Dr. Kotler not only fixed my deviated septum, but he pulled up the columella slightly to improve my profile and to get rid of a visible scar on the inside of my nose due to the first surgery. He assured me that by post-op Day 6 or 7, no one would be able to tell I had had anything done. I am both a fitness instructor and a performer and on Sunday, Day 7, I taught a semi-private fitness session and took a 3-hour acting class… not one person noticed anything different about my face. My parents (who knew nothing about the surgery) saw me on day 12 and they, too, noticed absolutely nothing. Because of the thinning skin across the bridge of my nose, we've made a plan to go the silicon filler route to correct the last of the bummer experience I had the first time around. Whew! Another deep sigh of relief.
