If your surgeon has given you prescriptions
for pain relievers and antibiotics, get
the prescriptions filled in advance so
that you have them ready when you get
home. Take the antibiotics on time and
take them for as many days as you are
instructed to.
Don't try to tough it out by not taking
pain relievers. If you need them, take
them. You will use less pain medication
if you take it when the pain starts rather
than waiting for the pain to be unbearable.
"Recovery after rhinoplasty
surgery is not comfortable. You won't
be in huge amounts of pain, but there
will be bruising and swelling as well
as a stuffed up feeling for at least the
first few days."
The evening or next morning after your surgery, you may feel very nauseous
and may vomit. The vomit may look black
in color. This is normal. You swallow
a bit of blood during a Rhinoplasty and
it can make you sick later. Usually, after
you throw up, you feel better. Some surgeons
do not recommend using cold compresses,
so check with your surgeon first. However,
swelling and pressure can be relieved
by icing and many surgeons strongly recommend
this. Some patients report that the best
things to ice it down with are bags of
frozen peas or frozen raspberries or anything
like them.
Trick:
Another good trick is to mix one part
rubbing alcohol with three parts water.
Put a cup of this mixture into a Ziploc
bag and seal it and then put that bag
inside another Ziploc bag and seal it
and place it in the freezer for a few
hours. This freezes into a slushy mixture
that can mold to your face. Make two or
three of these bags so that one is always
ready. You can also purchase cold packs
that are specially designed for rhinoplasty
recovery.
Your surgeon will give you nasal packing,
which is stuffed up your nose to help
reduce swelling and bleeding. Packing
will make you feel like your whole head
is stuffed up. Some people feel overwhelmed
a bit by having the packing in their nose.
The swelling in your nose may feel like
a lot of pressure in that area and can
also be a bit upsetting. Some surgeons
place a tube in the middle of the nasal
packing to help you breathe a bit easier.
Your packing, will be removed in a few
days at your first post-operative appointment.
Remember:
you will be bruised so don't
get too upset when you look at yourself
in the mirror! Most people get two black
eyes after nose surgery, so count yourself
lucky if you don't. These bruises may
increase or darken as they heal. It usually
takes about 10 days for the bruising to
disappear completely.
However, in smokers it can take up to
3 to 5 weeks. So, quit smoking now for
a better chance at a smoother and faster
recovery. For the first week after your
rhinoplasty surgery, you should sleep
with your head and shoulders raised. If
you have a recliner, you can try sleeping
there. Your head should be at a 30 degree
angle or at least two fluffy pillows worth.
Keeping your head raised helps keep the
swelling and bruising to a minimum. It
can also help ward off postoperative bleeding.
do not take anything with aspirin or ibuprofen
in it, Until your surgeon says it is okay
. Ask your surgeon about taking any type
of medicine. Preferably, Avoid alcohol
for at least 3 weeks. The cast is usually
removed 7 days after surgery. Removal
may hurt a little bit. If your sutures
are being removed, this may also be slightly
painful. After your cast is removed, the
swelling moves down the face, that's okay,
it is part of the rhinoplasty recovery
process.
Remember:
After your cast is off, be careful not
to accidentally hit your nose. Not only
will it hurt very badly and possibly traumatize
the tissues, you risk moving your nose
out of alignment. Your bone is still weakened
until it is fully healed. Most sutures
used in a nose job are of the dissolving
kind, but they may look like black or
dark blue "hairs" sticking out of your
nose. You may want to have them trimmed
so you don't feel uncomfortable in public.
to be continued ...
