Rhinoplasty has the potential to change your life. When performed by an experienced, dedicated NJ plastic surgeon, rhinoplasty can remove some obstacles that may have been standing in your way for years.
Even with great potential for a successful outcome, rhinoplasty recovery misconceptions can cause patients undue anxiety. Keep in mind that rhinoplasty is an extremely popular and very safe surgery, performed successfully every day by experienced rhinoplasty specialists.
Myths and misunderstandings about the healing process after rhinoplasty, unfortunately, may cause some excellent candidates to postpone or forego surgery unnecessarily. I see many patients in my NJ plastic surgery practice who, after the fact, tell me that they really wish they had done their surgery sooner!
That’s why I’m here today to dispel some of the myths about rhinoplasty recovery that I encounter in my patient consultations. I’ve found that well-prepared nasal surgery patients, who know what to expect throughout their surgery experience, have the very best outcomes from rhinoplasty. So let’s get to the truth of the matter…
The Truth About Rhinoplasty Recovery
Don’t believe these MYTHS:
- Rhinoplasty recovery is painful: Truthfully, it’s generally described by my patients as uncomfortable for a few days. During surgery and immediately after, you will be under the effects of general anesthesia, in the vast majority of cases. You will feel no pain and have no awareness of your surgery. An MD anesthesiologist will monitor you and make minute adjustments to your pain medication and sedation. You will likely have picked up your prescription pain medication from the pharmacy before surgery day — and it will be waiting for you at home to use as needed and directed. After the first day or two, you will likely have no need for pain pills. You will feel congested for several days and will notice swelling and bruising, around the nose and eyes especially. This can be uncomfortable, but patients typically report no pain.
- It’s hard to breathe during rhinoplasty recovery: In the first few days, your nose will feel strange and have a splint. You may also have nasal packing/gauze inside your nose during that time. (This is not always necessary.) You would need to breathe through your mouth if you do have packing, but only for a few days. After the packing is removed by your NJ rhinoplasty surgeon on a follow-up visit, you should be able to breathe through your nose. (Although it may feel odd as swelling peaks.) Long-term breathing issues are a very, very rare risk and might need correcting with further surgery. When you choose a true rhinoplasty specialist in NJ, his or her expert technique allows for aesthetic changes that suit your nose and make breathing easy and natural without undermining the structure.
- After rhinoplasty, I’ll have a clown nose for months: Not at all. There is some swelling associated with rhinoplasty recovery. You can limit the swelling by following your plastic surgeon’s directions for resting during early recovery, sleeping with your torso propped up, not bending over and not resuming exercise until given clearance. In some cases, salt consumption increases swelling, so ask your surgeon if you should limit salt intake. Some very minor swelling will persist for up to a year, but most will be gone by the third week.
- My nose will be numb during the healing process after rhinoplasty: Your nose will feel strange, for sure, while the splint is on for the first few days of rhinoplasty recovery. You’ll also experience gradually lessening inflammation, which is an inevitable part of the healing process. This swelling can make part of your facial skin or nose feel numb or tingly. Feeling should return as swelling abates, although some areas may stay numb for longer. Some people only notice a bit of sensation loss if they happen to touch their nose.
- I’ll have to stay in the house for at least a month: Untrue! You will have your splint on for a few days when you’ll likely be resting at home. Most of the bruising from your rhinoplasty will be gone in the week after surgery and a great deal of swelling will have gone as well. Inflammation is greatest about 2 days post-surgery during NJ rhinoplasty recovery. After about a week, most people won’t notice that you have swelling remaining. Although people heal at differing rates, the majority of the swelling is gone by 3 weeks, with only about 10% left to dissipate over the next several months. Swelling is often symmetrical, so you won’t look disfigured or have a lumpy, swollen area. Your nose may look just a bit bigger and lacking in detail than it will when completely healed, but casual observers generally don’t notice a thing.
- It hurts to get the nasal splint removed: The truth is that you won’t feel anything but a bit of pressure or pulling as the splint is removed within a few days after surgery.
- If I have an open rhinoplasty procedure, I’ll have scars on my face: The open rhinoplasty incision is very, very tiny and well hidden in the shadowy area beneath the nose. Your rhinoplasty surgeon will typically make an incision through the columella—the bit of skin that divides your nostrils. That area of the nose is only seen by others if you tip your head back and look at the sky. (Even then, since the incision is small, it is unlikely that anyone would notice a scar.) The small scar often heals to become a thin white line over time, making it even difficult for you to locate. Keep in mind that if your surgeon chooses the open method, he or she is doing so to obtain the very best outcome for you. In many cases, a closed procedure, with no external cutting, is sufficient. The open procedure, however, allows your surgeon the best access to, and view of, the entire nasal anatomy for precise, detailed refinements of the nose shape.
- People will stare at me during the rhinoplasty recovery period: You can typically return to work or school about a week after your procedure. Your healing will continue over the next year, and your nose will look better and better every day — as the swelling gradually disappears. However, the swelling is often only evident to you, after the first week. Anyone who wasn’t informed about your surgery may compliment your look, without knowing you’ve made a change in your nose. They might think you’ve had a new haircut or lost weight. Rhinoplasty can bring your features into better balance so that your smile, eyes and cheekbones may get more notice.
- I’ll regret rhinoplasty while I’m recovering: I notice many, many smiles once I remove my patient’s splints a few days after nose reshaping surgery. Experienced, board certified surgeons typically produce consistently terrific results for their patients. Choose an experienced NJ plastic surgeon for rhinoplasty and go into your procedure confidently. Make sure you have good communication with your surgeon during the planning phase and that you have chosen a surgeon whom you trust. Plastic surgery can be an emotional experience, and in the early days after any surgery, patients may feel a bit down or depressed. This may be due to the discomfort of the bruising and swelling and the mistaken belief that the swelling will never go down. If you need reassurance for any concerns, it is important to contact your surgeon. These feelings are usually temporary as your healing process continues and you notice your new nose looking better every day.
- It takes an entire year to recover from rhinoplasty: Technically, yes it does. However, the last 9 or 10 months consist of gradual swelling decrease and internal structures healing. Only you will notice most of the changes during that time. You will have only about 3 follow-up visits in that period. (Your surgeon will be available if you have any concerns between follow-ups.) Most of the rhinoplasty recovery takes place in the first week and most outward signs are gone in about 3 weeks.
Are there other myths and rumors you’d like to dispel about rhinoplasty recovery? To learn how rhinoplasty could benefit you specifically, schedule a consultation with my office at Cohen/Winters Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery in Bergen County NJ, so that we can talk in person. Don’t wait, contact us today.
