Fantastic Rhinoplasty - Las Vegas

Post-Op Day after surgery: Everything is healing well! I got my nose cleaned up and will have to wear the cast for a while, but once the 16th of April come around I'll say whether it was 'Worth It' or 'Not Worth It.' I'm almost certain that my nose has turned out well! I love how small it looks and how refined the tip is. Overall, it appears to be much smaller than how I started and I couldn't be happier! This is of course without taking off the cast, but that's why I'm waiting until the 16th (Tuesday) to give a final, definitive answer on this rhinoplasty.

My only frustrations came from the staff--while they were very helpful and courteous, they seemed so busy that I had to wait quite a bit. My follow-up appointment was today (the day after surgery) and I had to wait 30 minutes until I was seen. I would hope to have been prioritized on my first post-op day than others, but overall it wasn't too bad. And my initial consultation took forever to see the doctor--they seem really busy. Which is a good thing because you want your plastic surgeon to have experience with a wide variety of patients, but at the same time you want personal attention. All in all, whenever I met someone it was always a pleasure--it was just the time to see someone took a bit longer than I'd like.

Dr. Lane Smith is a great person to talk to; he makes you feel calm & at ease whenever you speak to him. About ten minutes before going into the surgery room he came out and finalized everything I wanted done on my nose--which from looking at it, it appears to have been done! A narrower bridge, a more refined tip, no hump, and overall a big decrease in the size. I couldn't be happier! Taking of the cast will be the final confirmation :)

A little nausea and pain, so I took an anti-nauesa pill and pain killer. I'll update in a few days or so.

It is 4/7/13, two days after my surgery and I'm doing pretty well.

I've also had a chemical peel done to my cheeks, forehead, and chin (nowhere near my nose) so today's photo may show my skin as blotchy/peel-y.

I do have swelling near my inner eyes that I had not seen before, but I hear that's normal. I'm placing frozen peas there regularly and keeping hydrated! Took half a pain killer today.

Five days post-op and I'm doing great. Nose looks good both in its' front and side profile--I'm also healing well. My eyes were really swollen the third day post-op and it has now subsided significantly. A little bruising under my right eye, but nothing unexpected.

I'm not taking any pain pills or anti-naeusa; just continuing my antibiotics.

Cast comes off Tuesday! It's itchy, but I've become accustomed to it. I clean out my nose with half hydrogen peroxide & half saline solution with q-tips.

On a side note, my TCA chemical peel has pretty much peeled away and love how smooth my skin is. I'm not new to chemical peels, but I'm glad I took advantage of the down time I've set aside for my rhinoplasty to also treat the rest of my face.

3 weeks post-op and I couldn't be more ecstatic about my new nose :) Not sure if it's exactly swollen, but I'm sure it is to a certain degree (still being under 1 month post-op). Nose is of course still sensitive and slightly sore, but healing well.

My incision on the columella is healing nicely as well. I provided a new photo and I believe this is the best angle to see it from--small, upturned tip, no hump, and straight. I can breathe perfectly and have had no problems with infections, tears, etc.

Wow, nine months already!

The incision under my nose (columella from the open rhinoplasty) has healed completely; I can't even tell it is there. The tip of my nose has dropped slightly (as Dr. Smith explained it would), but I barely even noticed. I love the tip; it is not bulbous or droopy anymore. My breathing has not been affected.

The only issue were the sides of my nose. I noticed there was almost a small air bubble or hump-like appearance that made my nose wavy in photos. This comes and goes, however; when I blow my nose (which I try to avoid, but sneezes happen unexpectedly) I notice the sides of my nose to be a little uneven. Other times, I don't notice a thing. When I spoke to Dr. Smith about this, he mentioned the side areas of my nose may still have scar tissue that is resolving. We set an appointment in June 2014 to have a final check up and, if necessary, have steroid shots injected into the areas. So that's great to hear! The reason Dr. Smith did not want to inject that same day was because he wanted to wait 1 full year; injecting a steroid shot while scar tissue is still healing may cause a dents. Which makes sense--I would feel a lot more comfortable waiting a full year after surgery, especially as a Latino (I've read that I may have thicker skin, which may take longer to heal).

Other than that...I'm ecstatic! I love the contours of my face due to a more aesthetically pleasing nose, I'm so much more confident, and I believe this has been one of the best investments I have made cosmetically.