Rhinoplasty, Septoplasty, Turbinate Reduction - Los Angeles, CA

Ok guys, so cast came off today, and... I am beyond THRILLED!! My nose is slightly upturned but when that drops a little my nose just couldn't be any better really! When I first saw my face I had this wild feeling of not even recognizing myself, which was quickly replaced with total happiness as I realized how much more balanced my whole appearance is! But the craziest feeling might be not having a "better side" anymore - I've spent years perfecting the most flattering nose pose for photos - and now the 'right angle' doesn't even exist! Alright a rundown of the follow up: one of his assistants called me in to a room where she would take the splints out herself. Having the splints removed was a little painful because they tend to adhere to your nose hair over the week you're healing so everything gets pulled on the way out. But it's over super fast and the assistant was so sweet! Dr. G spent at least 30 minutes with me talking through his approach to my nose, after care and answering my questions. This time I really sensed how much he loves his work, and how much consideration he puts in to each of his patients' profiles. If my consult had been more like this I never would have even indulged the idea of my nose not turning out perfectly in his care! He's an amazing surgeon & I'm so relieved I chose him. I'm looking forward to the next check in with him in 3 months. I want to say again that every one of the girls in his office is excellent! I've read a few negative reports about them online, but this was not my experience at all! I found his office to be very organized and willing to help in any way; everyone working there is such a pleasure. So that's it! If anyone would like me to privately send before/after snaps just let me know & I'll do that when I get a chance! In the meantime I'd like to thank everyone on here for sharing this experience with me, and all of your reassuring words! This is such an awesome forum & definitely made the process so much easier for me. For anyone considering having a rhinoplasty: I have not felt this beautiful for many years, and that in itself makes the whole process worth it. Btw just a heads up.. being able to breathe through my nose again is so wonderful, but sometimes I'll inhale & get a huge whiff of something like a morgue! Ha it's gross.

Ok so.. I realized in retrospect I might have been on some strange surgery high. While my previous post is still honest & accurate, I don't want to give the impression that this is the easiest procedure to recover from, because it's not. Yesterday (day 3 post op) was easily the worst so far - although my bruising had almost completely disappeared, around my eyes had swelled up so much I looked like an alien and it felt pretty uncomfortable to move around like that! So I spent the day in bed watching movies or sitting up with frozen peas on my face & just feeling listless. The things that have really helped to keep me upbeat are the regular discreet 5am juice deliveries (Pressed Juicery deliver right to the doorstep so I can just sneak out for a second to pick up the box!), and replying to lots of email support from friends & family has kept me busy! Seriously.. aside from mild discomfort the hardest part is staying active in a small space for days! So really prepare for that and bring lots of books, movies and work to do! Also, this might not be an option for everyone but I'm so happy I rented an apartment in the Hollywood Hills for my time in seclusion. If I were laid up in a dim hotel I would go bananas! Waking up to to the sound of birds & having a balcony looking over the hills makes it hard to be too bummed for long.. so maybe consider finding an appropriate place on Air BnB (things to consider: not too many stairs, easy to navigate layout, a full bath for soaking without getting your face wet). And if you're recovering alone like me make sure you stock up on things you need before as delivery options can be limiting!
Maybe it's just because I have so much time to think, but I'm having reservations about Dr. Grigoryants manner when we were discussing what I want & don't want - I did feel rushed and he never really gave me an idea of exactly how he envisioned the most appropriate shape. I actually have no idea what the bridge of my nose will look like because he never really expanded on, "I'll shave it and improve it". While I was waiting to be wheeled in to the operating room, I asked to see him again & the nurses assured me I would - but then I was put under instead! So I have to emphasize - really make sure you feel confident after your discussion with your surgeon to avoid this sort of anxiety! I hope I am needlessly worrying.
Ok so that's all for now! :)

Hi All! This review is really long as every detail is so fresh in my mind.. I actually wasn't planning on writing a review at all, but my experience with Dr. Grigoryants, his staff, and the staff at the Verdugo Hills Hospital where I had my surgery this morning inspired me to do so! I had been researching doctors both in NY (where I live) and in LA for about two years before I decided to schedule a consult with a next-day surgery with Dr. G six months ago (my work schedule has been all over the place and I couldn't make time to fly out to LA for the consult so I just went for it - all his amazing reviews and the fact that he personally and very honestly responded to my emails before I booked gave me a good feeling).
The staff were so kind about me paying in installments over the time before my surgery, and they never once bugged me about it (one doctor I interviewed in NY but wasn't impressed with had his receptionist call me at 6am while I was on vacation in Mexico to hustle for an initial payment without even committing to a surgery date!).
So I had the worst ever experience flying here - two cancelled flights, a long layover and the passenger from Hell next to me) but I was trying to stay positive even though I showed up to Dr. G's office 20 minutes before they close with all my luggage! But the desk girls were beyond sweet and accommodating. There were a few others waiting (maybe bring a book when you go) but pretty soon I was called in to a room where an assistant answered my million questions. Her nose was absolutely flawless so I had to ask if Dr. G helped with that (he did ;).
Then finally I met Dr. G! Ok, so a lot of his reviews say he has a wonderful manner, is super personable, never makes you feel rushed and is generally just glorious. I didn't feel that way exactly - I found him to be kind, but direct. Because I was an hour and a half late for my consult (no-one actually commented on this - just my speculation), our conversation might have been a bit rushed. Also I wasn't really satisfied with the outlines I gave him so make sure you really think about this! But he seemed confident he knew what I wanted and was very honest about what I should expect. He even said that Phillipino (I'm half) skin is more likely to scar so certain things he might not do, I appreciated his honesty. He is conversational and professional.
This morning was my surgery and going in, I was excited - but nervous! A couple of reasons:
1- My nose was actually pretty good, almost cute! The bend in it was so slight that most people wouldn't even notice it. The bump I wanted shaved just slightly. The tip was o-k but would be cuter a few millimeters smaller and lifted, and maybe my nostrils shunk a little, too. I wanted to fix it for so long but with a nose that wasn't monstrous, I was worried that I might not really look better.
2- A girlfriend was going to come with me to LA & care for me over the first few days, but two days ago she told me she couldn't make it! Too late to arrange a nurse, so even though I had a ride from the hospital to the apartment I'm renting - I was freaking a little about being so out of I couldn't survive alone so soon after surgery.
All the staff at the hospital did everything to help me relax. When I cried, whoever was with me would break out a story, ask me questions to distract, reassure me or hold my hand. Super sweet. And the last thing I remember was rolling from a bed with wheels to the surgery table.
I woke up to Dr. G telling me it's all done! I don't really remember seeing him, but I do remember feeling pressure on my forehead - not pain. One of the nurses gave me Vicodin so I'm sure that helped! Within 15 minutes of waking up I was totally lucid and feeling pretty sunny. I even texted some silly selfies to friends back home. I was amazed how minimal the bruising was (so far.. I only started with the arnica and bromelaine two days prior). And the pain was basically a minor headache that went away in about 20 minutes.
A sweet girlfriend picked me up and I was wheel chaired out to her car, but I felt totally fine walking! We drove to CVS to pick up my painkiller & nausea prescriptions but as of now, I doubt I'm going to need them. I wanted to stock up on green juice for the next few days of seclusion so we did that too (obvs I waited in the car while she shopped). Then she dropped me off in front of the apartment I'm renting as I felt completely ok to just let myself in.
So here I am! I bought so many supplies which I don't think I even need, like a life-time supply tub of Vaseline & stool softeners! I also brought a bunch of sloppy outfits like yoga pants as I thought it would be really difficult to dress; now I feel like I needn't have been so concerned about that. A lot of blood is running out of my nose but changing the gauze often is not a big deal.
I chatted on the phone for about an hour which was normal aside from all the dressing under my nose. And because I feel fine but don't want the outside world to see me, I think the worst part might be sitting around for a week! But then again, I accepted a big flower bouquet and the delivery guy didn't even bat an eyelid when he handed them to me. Oh, I should also say that if I weren't icing my eyes today I would certainly feel up to wearing mascara and brow powder ;)
I'm anxious about the end result but I also feel confident in Dr. Grigoryants, and would definitely recommend him & his practice as far as professionalism, honesty about outcomes and being so accommodating and easy to go through this whole experience with!
So this review was really long but I hope it helps anyone considering having a rhinoplasty feel calmer! I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have - I seriously have a whole week in seclusion so ask away :)
BTW while I was in the waiting room yesterday I met a girl who had just had her cast taken off one week after her surgery - and her nose looked absolutely wonderful, I just felt so happy for her!