Since you will be asleep, you will not feel the rhinoplasty surgery at all. The first thing you should pay attention to after the surgery is to avoid conditions that can increase intracranial pressure. In the past, the nasal packings used in surgeries and postoperative pain used to scare my patients the most. Such deterrents are a thing of the past. You will not have postoperative pain after rhinoplasty, and nasal packings will not be too uncomfortable. Sometimes, even nasal packings are not used in suitable patients.
Your surgical operation will takes about 1.5 to -3 hours. When you come out of anesthesia at the end of this period, you will be taken to your private room, where you will be followed up. In your patient room, the head of your bed will definitely be elevated and you will have nasal packings in the nose and a plaster cast on the nose. When you will be taken to your room, the nurse will first apply ice to your eyes and nose. You will be asked to keep your head elevated again after returning to home and to apply ice to your eyes and nose at regular intervals if necessary. Depending on the type of anesthesia performed (I do not perform and recommend rhinoplasty under local anesthesia), you will probably be discharged home after a 1-day hospital stay. Sometimes your hospital stay may need to be longer. In such a case, I will inform you before or after the surgery.
You will need to have light and watery foods on the first postoperative day. Switching to a normal diet the next day will prevent problems such as nausea. Sipping water at frequent intervals will prevent dry mouth.
Regular and timely use of the drugs that I will recommend you will prevent post-operative pain. The inability to breathe through the nose will be the only postoperative problem. After 2 or 3 days, you can come to the clinic for the removal of the nasal packings. It is not a very difficult process to endure.
After the removal of the nasal packings, I recommend anti-edema sprays and moisturizing creams to accelerate the healing process inside the nose as much as possible. If you apply the sprays and creams regularly, you will recover more quickly and you will breathe more easily through your nose. If nasal packings were not placed during your surgery, you will be recommended to start applying the sprays and creams mentioned above immediately after the surgery.
The plaster cast will be renewed on the 5-7th postoperative day. This is a painless and easy-to perform procedure. The newly applied bandage/plaster cast will be removed after 12-14 days, and then you will be able to take a bath. It is very important to wash and clean your nose skin. You can use special cleaners, or regular soap.
Even if the nose gains its new shape on the 12th day, it is a nose with slightly swollen skin. Such swellings rapidly subside with each passing day, especially in the first month. In most cases, edema and swelling completely disappear after six months. If your nose skin is thick, it will take a little bit longer for the edema to subside and return to normal.
Bed rest for the first 3 postoperative days will ensure a quick and comfortable recovery. On the 4-5th days, you will be able go out, walk around, and return to your normal life (with the plaster cast).
It is not recommended to travel by plane in the first 7 days after rhinoplasty, because of the risk of bleeding due to low cabin pressure. You should not bend forwards for the first 15 days and take precautions against conditions that can increase intracranial pressure (such as constipation, sneezing and coughing).
After the removal of your plaster cast, you can swim but not dive into the water.
For the first 3 months, it is important to avoid wearing glasses, and staying away from ball games and team sports which involve the risk of blows to the nose. If you have had a rhinoplasty in the summer, it would be appropriate to apply sunscreen to protect your sensitive skin.
YOUR NEW APPEARANCE
Your nose will begin to look more beautiful and your spirits will improve with each passing day after the surgery. However, recovery is a slow process.
