Rhinoplasty/septoplasty/sinus Surgery All Done at Once! - Newport Beach, CA

I originally saw my ENT for sinus issues. After an X-ray of my sinuses we noticed I had a complete blockage on one side and a very deviated septum to boot. While in his office he suggested that I should have the bump on my nose done too. Personally I don't think I'd get my nose done just to have it reshaped. I've lived with this nose for 44 years and the shape of it never really bothered me however my philosophy is, why not get it done if they are up there already! Insurance covered this procedure as it was medically necessary (also got it pre-authorized) so I'm not sure how much out of pocket I'll have to actually pay yet. His son also works in the office and is strictly a facial plastic surgeon. I picked this doctor because two of my coworkers went to him and had great results. I also did a lot of online research and felt comfortable with this office.
I went for my consultation on November 6th and my surgery was performed December 7th. I have to say I was very anxious about the whole procedure as I've never had surgery performed before.

I arrived at the hospital at 730am and settled into my bed. To be honest I wasn't that nervous anymore. I had nurses go over paperwork, stick an IV in me and give me a sedative to relax prior to being rolled into the OR. The anesthesiologist asked a few questions about my health and questioned if I got sick easily. I told him I get major motion sickness so he gave me the patch behind the ear to help with the sickness. (this is the patch you get for sea sickness). Next thing I knew I was out like a light and woke up in the recovery room. I had an ice pack on my forehead and eyes at that time and I couldn't see anything but i heard the nurse constantly tell me to take big breaths. I guess this helps come out of the comatose state you are in after surgery? My surgery took about 3 hours and I was in the recovery room for a couple of hours longer, just to get my bearings. I didn't feel nauseous at all from the GA, nor did I feel pain. I was just dizzy from the side effect of the GA. This sensation lasted a good 3 days after surgery. They tell you it takes a couple of weeks to fully get the GA out of your system.

The first night I was home I couldn't sleep at all. I wasn't in any pain, I was just wired. However when I finally closed my eyes I had a very hard time getting comfortable. I hated the claustrophobic feeling of not being able to breath through my nose. I also had issues trying to eat and breath at the same time. I'll be honest, I had a little anxiety attack.

The first couple of days I had moderate drainage but nothing major. I started to clean my nose with peroxide and q-tips on the 2nd day which really helped break up the dried up gunk. It was a weird feeling though as the peroxide would bubble up creating a small vacuum feeling in my ears. Nothing I couldn't handle though. I followed the cleaning with saline spray. I had tubes put up my nose, not packing so I couldn't clean my whole nose however when I visited him 5 days after the surgery he told me I kept my nose very clean. He usually has to lecture his patients on the importance of keeping it clean up there the first few days. I think i was just hyper vigilant about cleaning them because I've heard horror stories on the 'de scabbing' sessions from the doctor on follow up visits.

7 days after the surgery i had my cast and stitches taken out. The tubes were held in my nose by a stitch so you can imagine how anxious I was about the whole process but he numbed my nose with liquid anesthetic and proceeded to take the stitches and tubes out with no pain at all. Finally he injected the top of my nose with steriods to help with the swelling and I have to tape my nose for the next 3 weeks.

Something people don't realize is that the GA and medication the docs give you can give you constipation and you won't have a movement for a few days. It took me 5 days to go. Since I only ate fruit, oatmeal and plenty of liquids when that golden day arrived I had zero problems. Another hurdle jumped!

Another thing to consider during the first week is exhaustion. I couldn't do much without having to sit or lay back down for the rest of the day. Don't plan on getting back on track for a good 7 days.

It's now day 11 post op for me. I'm sleeping and eating normally. My nose is still numb but I can feel it coming back to life very slowly every day. The facial swelling around my nose and black eye has virtually disappeared. I'll update the pictures as the weeks go by.