POSTED UNDER Rhinoplasty REVIEWS
Rhinoplasty, almost 4 years later!
ORIGINAL POST
I had rhinoplasty, septoplasty, and turbinate...
WORTH IT$4,000
I had rhinoplasty, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction with Dr. Anil Shah in April 2011.
I am not completely recovered yet, so this isn't a complete review, but an almost complete review.
Breathing:
It is amazing. I used to be able to breath through my nose no more than 15% of the time before surgery and after surgery, I can breath through my nose close to 100% of the time. I know it may sound funny, but I love breathing through my nose every day. It is such a radical, life changing thing!
Recovery:
My recovery has been slower than I had hoped. I do not think this is a reflection of Dr. Shah's skills, but my own body.
The tip has had the most swelling, which I expected and was informed would take the longest, but is still requiring Kenalog injections to help the swelling resolve more quickly.
I also had an in-office procedure for rasping part of the bridge and a bump on the side of the bridge recently. My face and nose swelled so much after this, one of my eyes swell shut, looking a little bit like a boxer. I guess I underestimated the swelling that would happen this time. I see the doctor this week and am anxious to find out how long he expects everything to fully resolve this time.
I completely trust Dr. Shah's skills.
Appearance:
This is still pending since my face is still not where it should be, but what I have now is a major improvement over what I was born with. Dr. Shah is not just a skilled surgeon, but an artist.
Staff:
His entire staff is very friendly. I have never had a bad experience with them. There have been a couple of late appointments, but nothing too bad or something I would consider unusual for a doctor's office.
Fillers:
In January, I had Radiesse injections under the eyes, over the cheekbones, and in the laugh lines. I consider the results to be very natural and everyone I know has complimented me about how much more refreshed I look.
Conclusion:
I will continue providing updates as my recovery moves forward. I am overall happy with everything, just slightly anxious about what the next few months may bring.
There is another procedure I am considering (lip lift), but money does not permit it at the moment. For now, I'm just going to enjoy my amazing breathing and watching my nose change as much as I can. Thank you, Dr. Shah!
1V's provider
Replies (6)
May 15, 2012
Nice to see a realistic review...not to put down anyone else of course!! I would agree though, that photos where people are wearing makeup and different expressions etc make it hard to assess their results and it can be discouraging - esp when some people look so good right away. I am glad you are happy. I am also going back to my dermatologist (who referred me to PS) to get some injections - as these can help even though you are not old!! (nor am I :) I am glad to see that Dr. Shah went back to do a touch up on the bridge for you as I am worried I might need that although I am very early postop. Wow, you are right though, it is SO hard to be patient, esp when it doesn't look like I wanted yet....I think you look great! Oh and I agree, I think he is excellent.
May 15, 2012
I hate taking pictures without makeup on, but I think it is the best way to see everything, even though I know it's not very flattering. I always go to Dr. Shah's office without makeup, too. It's kind of gross in my case, but I'd rather do it that way, I guess.
I think fillers totally help. Not all of us were born with amazing genes (I wasn't) and age much more quickly than other people. I have had laugh lines and lost a lot of volume under my eyes right around my 21st birthday.
Definitely keep being patient as much as you can. You may just have a lot swelling on your bridge/around the location of the bone breaks. I don't know how long ago you had surgery, but the swelling on the bridge of my nose went down significantly after about 1.5 months, but not until I was around 8 months post-op that the doctor said with confidence tell the bumps were not just swelling.
I think fillers totally help. Not all of us were born with amazing genes (I wasn't) and age much more quickly than other people. I have had laugh lines and lost a lot of volume under my eyes right around my 21st birthday.
Definitely keep being patient as much as you can. You may just have a lot swelling on your bridge/around the location of the bone breaks. I don't know how long ago you had surgery, but the swelling on the bridge of my nose went down significantly after about 1.5 months, but not until I was around 8 months post-op that the doctor said with confidence tell the bumps were not just swelling.
May 17, 2012
Hey 1V,
Thanks so much for your review! Did Dr. Shah have to break your nose for the primary surgery? I'm also curious as to whether you think that your results pretty closely matched the computer images he made for you. I hope that you like the outcome of the in-office procedure. It'll be nice to read up on how the rest of recovery goes for you. :)
Thanks so much for your review! Did Dr. Shah have to break your nose for the primary surgery? I'm also curious as to whether you think that your results pretty closely matched the computer images he made for you. I hope that you like the outcome of the in-office procedure. It'll be nice to read up on how the rest of recovery goes for you. :)
May 17, 2012
Yes, my nose was broken and yes, the computer "after" images pretty closely match my real "after nose. :)
My case comes off on Friday so I will give a full update then. I'm having some of the same experiences I had with the initial rhinoplasty, like over-oily and peeling skin, plus the swelling and bruising, but it is not to the same extent as when I had the surgery.
My case comes off on Friday so I will give a full update then. I'm having some of the same experiences I had with the initial rhinoplasty, like over-oily and peeling skin, plus the swelling and bruising, but it is not to the same extent as when I had the surgery.
UPDATED FROM 1V
1 year post
This is a follow up to the in-office procedure I...
This is a follow up to the in-office procedure I had last week plus after surgery advice. It is just my advice so always follow your doctor's advice first. I'm just sharing based on my personal experience:
The cast fell off in the shower this morning. This is 8 days past the in-office procedure (the one made me look like a boxer for a few days) so it wasn't a problem according to the office. I didn't get it wet, but I think the steam loosened it. I just really needed to take a shower.
The callouses are gone! So exciting! I will take some pictures probably in the next couple of weeks. My nose looks much smoother now.
Swelling:
I still have some moderate swelling around the bridge and the tip swelled. Dr. Shah called it compensatory swelling. My next appointment is in 2 months and if the tip is still really swollen, I will have another Kenalog injection.
He told me to stop icing because he said that too much icing may actually be counterproductive. I love the way the ice helps my face feel better, but he explained that the ice slows down blood flow to the area that needs to heal and while icing helps the first few days following a procedure, it doesn't really help long term.
I think icing helped my eye to stop swelling so much, but I'm going to be a compliant patient and stop icing my nose. :)
Dr. Shah said that the overall swelling should not last nearly as long following the rhinoplasty which is good.
Bruising:
I do not have any more bruising, even though my eye swelled shut.
Following the rhinoplasty, I had bruising for about 2 weeks and then it resolved.
I slept on elevated pillows for the first few days following the in-office procedure just like I did following the rhinoplasty. I know this is mostly for swelling, but I think it helped with overall healing and bruising, too. It is not the most comfortable, but it helps.
Day of and following surgery and pain management:
Do not let the anesthesia or local anesthetics fool you that you feel great and don't feel any pain. Rest, rest, rest. Rest is the best thing following surgery. Anesthesia or local anesthetics remain in your body for a few hours or more after surgery and it is not time to go out and party or continue training for a marathon or cook a big meal because you feel so great and pain-free. Just rest and enjoy the feeling of not having a lot of pain for a day or so. Once the anesthesia is "out of your system," you will probably wish it was still there.
Have multiple bags of peas or whatever you are going to use for ice so you can cycle the bags, rather than waiting for them to get cold again. I used pillow cases to wrap the peas in because I felt like the towels I had were a little bit too thick so I was not getting as much benefit using those. I hope that makes sense.
Vicodin:
Eat when you take this medication! Following my rhinoplasty, I was not hungry for days and I ended up vomiting from the nausea. Trust me, that was not a fun experience 3-4 days after having facial surgery.
I knew this time that I needed to eat something - even just a few crackers and not take it on an empty stomach. I didn't have any problems with nausea or vomiting this time.
Stay ahead of your pain for the first 24-48 hours following surgery. Don't wait until the pain is excruciating to take something.
Water:
Drink a lot of water and avoid other drinks. This is not a doctor's advice, it is just mine. I think that water helps a lot with overall healing. I didn't have any water retention following the in-office procedure, but I experienced this after surgery. Drinking a lot of water helped with this. If I had had anything with caffeine, alcohol, or soft drinks with sodium in them, I don't think I would have felt as good as I did.
Supplies:
Make sure you have all of the recommended supplies before your surgery. That probably seems like common sense, but don't wait until the day of surgery to do a rushed shopping trip in an anesthesia haze to get what you need. Open and set up all of your supplies or keep them in an easy location so you don't have to open all of them when you are in pain or go on a supply hunt later on.
Pictures:
Take a lot of pictures. I took pictures daily for the first week following surgery, then went to weekly pictures for 1-2 months. From 4-6 months, I took 1 once a month, then moved to every other month. This is the best way to track your progress. There will be some days where you may not feel progress, but when you look through your older pictures, you will see your amazing progress and it will hopefully give you some encouragement.
That is all I can think of for now. Dr. Shah thanked me for being patient during recovery today. I think patience is major. Some people heal very quickly and others do not. It can be frustrating, but like I said, pictures and patience can help.
The cast fell off in the shower this morning. This is 8 days past the in-office procedure (the one made me look like a boxer for a few days) so it wasn't a problem according to the office. I didn't get it wet, but I think the steam loosened it. I just really needed to take a shower.
The callouses are gone! So exciting! I will take some pictures probably in the next couple of weeks. My nose looks much smoother now.
Swelling:
I still have some moderate swelling around the bridge and the tip swelled. Dr. Shah called it compensatory swelling. My next appointment is in 2 months and if the tip is still really swollen, I will have another Kenalog injection.
He told me to stop icing because he said that too much icing may actually be counterproductive. I love the way the ice helps my face feel better, but he explained that the ice slows down blood flow to the area that needs to heal and while icing helps the first few days following a procedure, it doesn't really help long term.
I think icing helped my eye to stop swelling so much, but I'm going to be a compliant patient and stop icing my nose. :)
Dr. Shah said that the overall swelling should not last nearly as long following the rhinoplasty which is good.
Bruising:
I do not have any more bruising, even though my eye swelled shut.
Following the rhinoplasty, I had bruising for about 2 weeks and then it resolved.
I slept on elevated pillows for the first few days following the in-office procedure just like I did following the rhinoplasty. I know this is mostly for swelling, but I think it helped with overall healing and bruising, too. It is not the most comfortable, but it helps.
Day of and following surgery and pain management:
Do not let the anesthesia or local anesthetics fool you that you feel great and don't feel any pain. Rest, rest, rest. Rest is the best thing following surgery. Anesthesia or local anesthetics remain in your body for a few hours or more after surgery and it is not time to go out and party or continue training for a marathon or cook a big meal because you feel so great and pain-free. Just rest and enjoy the feeling of not having a lot of pain for a day or so. Once the anesthesia is "out of your system," you will probably wish it was still there.
Have multiple bags of peas or whatever you are going to use for ice so you can cycle the bags, rather than waiting for them to get cold again. I used pillow cases to wrap the peas in because I felt like the towels I had were a little bit too thick so I was not getting as much benefit using those. I hope that makes sense.
Vicodin:
Eat when you take this medication! Following my rhinoplasty, I was not hungry for days and I ended up vomiting from the nausea. Trust me, that was not a fun experience 3-4 days after having facial surgery.
I knew this time that I needed to eat something - even just a few crackers and not take it on an empty stomach. I didn't have any problems with nausea or vomiting this time.
Stay ahead of your pain for the first 24-48 hours following surgery. Don't wait until the pain is excruciating to take something.
Water:
Drink a lot of water and avoid other drinks. This is not a doctor's advice, it is just mine. I think that water helps a lot with overall healing. I didn't have any water retention following the in-office procedure, but I experienced this after surgery. Drinking a lot of water helped with this. If I had had anything with caffeine, alcohol, or soft drinks with sodium in them, I don't think I would have felt as good as I did.
Supplies:
Make sure you have all of the recommended supplies before your surgery. That probably seems like common sense, but don't wait until the day of surgery to do a rushed shopping trip in an anesthesia haze to get what you need. Open and set up all of your supplies or keep them in an easy location so you don't have to open all of them when you are in pain or go on a supply hunt later on.
Pictures:
Take a lot of pictures. I took pictures daily for the first week following surgery, then went to weekly pictures for 1-2 months. From 4-6 months, I took 1 once a month, then moved to every other month. This is the best way to track your progress. There will be some days where you may not feel progress, but when you look through your older pictures, you will see your amazing progress and it will hopefully give you some encouragement.
That is all I can think of for now. Dr. Shah thanked me for being patient during recovery today. I think patience is major. Some people heal very quickly and others do not. It can be frustrating, but like I said, pictures and patience can help.
Replies (3)
May 19, 2012
I added 1 month, 2 month, 3 month, 4 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 1 year (before bone rasping) pictures. I had a couple of private messages asking for more pictures.
Again, sorry the pictures are really scary, no make-up, and have shadows under the nose for the profile shots, but hopefully these pictures will give you all a better idea of how the swelling reduced for me.
Again, sorry the pictures are really scary, no make-up, and have shadows under the nose for the profile shots, but hopefully these pictures will give you all a better idea of how the swelling reduced for me.
May 20, 2012
Hey thanks for sharing your experience. Great updated photos! When you said you had an in office procedure, can you expand on that? What did he have to do? What is rasping? Thanks
May 20, 2012
I wish I knew all of the correct medical terminology, but I will do my best to describe it:
My in office procedure included two small incisions on the inside of the nose. One incision was along bridge where the doctor used a small file to file/rasp the callous that had formed on the bridge of my nose.
The other incision was on right side of my nose, next to the nasal bone that had a callous. He didn't file this one, but tapped it with his assistant's help. I wanted to watch because I was really interested in what they were using, but because he was working close to my eye, I kept it closed.
Before I had the incisions, they gave me 10mg of Valium, 25mg of Benadryl, and 1 Vicodin tablet...there might have been something else, but I don't recall right now. This was to help me relax, take the edge off the pain, and not feel nauseous.
Once I was really spacey/sleepy, I received local anesthetics up through the nose which were not the best time of my life, but they were injected quickly. I didn't feel ANYTHING after the injections besides a small amount of pressure where the doctor was working.
I think the doctor used 3 sutures to close the incisions.
I am very happy with the results!
My in office procedure included two small incisions on the inside of the nose. One incision was along bridge where the doctor used a small file to file/rasp the callous that had formed on the bridge of my nose.
The other incision was on right side of my nose, next to the nasal bone that had a callous. He didn't file this one, but tapped it with his assistant's help. I wanted to watch because I was really interested in what they were using, but because he was working close to my eye, I kept it closed.
Before I had the incisions, they gave me 10mg of Valium, 25mg of Benadryl, and 1 Vicodin tablet...there might have been something else, but I don't recall right now. This was to help me relax, take the edge off the pain, and not feel nauseous.
Once I was really spacey/sleepy, I received local anesthetics up through the nose which were not the best time of my life, but they were injected quickly. I didn't feel ANYTHING after the injections besides a small amount of pressure where the doctor was working.
I think the doctor used 3 sutures to close the incisions.
I am very happy with the results!
UPDATED FROM 1V
1 year post
I forgot to add something in my other updates:...
I forgot to add something in my other updates:
I have not had a sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, or even a common cold since I had the surgery.
I used to have repeated sinus infections (3-4 a year) and I haven't had one since surgery.
I wash my hands all the time - my friends call me a hypochondriac - so I think that has always helped me avoid getting sick in general (except for the sinus infections), but I have no doubt that the surgery, it is no coincidence that I have been sickness-free.
My allergy symptoms have also decreased significantly.
I have not had a sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, or even a common cold since I had the surgery.
I used to have repeated sinus infections (3-4 a year) and I haven't had one since surgery.
I wash my hands all the time - my friends call me a hypochondriac - so I think that has always helped me avoid getting sick in general (except for the sinus infections), but I have no doubt that the surgery, it is no coincidence that I have been sickness-free.
My allergy symptoms have also decreased significantly.
What a nice, organized review. Thank you! I'm glad it has been a mostly positive experience so far. I'm sorry about the swelling. I know that is such a drag. Looking forward to hearing how you feel about your face once the swelling subsides. Keep us posted!
I think my personal advice to anyone considering rhinoplasty is to be really patient with recovery. I know some people have a very rapid recovery, but not everyone does. It is not like reality television where the cast comes off and 1 minute later, you see the person's six month or twelve month progress picture. It can take some time to see final results.
Trust me, I am telling this to myself right now (repeatedly)! :)