Six months after Rhinoplasty

It's been six months since I had my nose job and I'm so happy with the decision -  it feels like I now have the right nose for my face. No-one noticed the difference either, which is what I hoped for. I think this highlights that it was a bigger deal for me than anyone else. So, for anyone struggling with something about their appearance that they don't like - chin up. No-one notices!

My nose has got neater and more refined over the last six months, although there wasn't too much swelling to begin with. At a total of £3,600, the surgery was expensive, but for me it was worth every penny. I feel happier and much more confident

Take care xx

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What does Rhinoplasty Involve?

I recently had my six week check-up, at which I asked what the surgery actually involved. I didn't want to know all the gory details beforehand, as I probably wouldn't have gone through with it. 

The doctor cut away cartilage and a small section of bone from the bridge of my nose. I asked him if he had rasped it, but he said that he didn't as he doesn't think it gives a great result. He also cut away two 4mm sections from either side of the tip to refine it and a small section from the cartilage/septum between my nostrils to lift the nose.

I'm still delighted with the results. My surgeon said that the nose will reduce even further in size over the next six months and asked me to come back then for a final check up.

On another note, my mum recently had surgery to reduce the lining of her nose (medical, not cosmetic). She was quite ill after coming round from general anaesthetic and her face was swollen for a few days. I was completely fine after the anaesthetic, but it just shows that it affects everyone differently.

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About the Medication, Stitches and Splint

One Month After Rhinoplasty

I still absolutely love my nose. It is the best decision I have ever made and worth every penny. I'm still so excited when I catch a glimpse of it! No-one has noticed that I had surgery, but that's what I was hoping for. 

I met the work girls for lunch straight after having the splint removed and they didn't notice. They couldn't believe it when I told them and I had to show them before and after pictures before they would believe me. 

It was a little sensitive to touch in the first week, but that has largely passed and the dissolvable stitches came out after about a week. I've been so lucky in avoiding pain and discomfort.

Sam xx

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Rhinoplasty - Medication, Stitches and Splint

Day four is much better than day three. I think it was more to do with the medication than the surgery. Voltarol is used to relieve pain and inflammation and my nurse advised me to discontinue use if I experienced any stomach upset or heartburn. I noticed both on the evening of day two and it continued into day three, so I stopped taking them. Yesterday, thirst, drowsiness and headache were added to the mix. My nose also felt very swollen and straining against the splint. From my reading prior to the operation, a few people said that they experienced the most pain on days two and three, so if this is all I get I'm grateful.

Today I've experienced no pain and no bruising. I can flare my nostrils a little, although it does feel a bit tight. Some people have reported numbness in the nose following the operation. It does feel a little different, like it's coming round from pins and needles. Have a look at my blog post on how to minimise bruising after Rhinoplasty. 

Stitches 
My stitches are dissolvable, which means they're made from natural  or synthetic material that the body can break down over time. The stitch will either fall out or will be removed by the doctor once the wound is closed.

I have a little portable torch and had a look at the inside of the nostril. You can see where quite a large incision was made on the septum in both nostrils. The stitches look pretty sturdy, which made me think that there is no way they will dissolve by themselves. I'll let you know. It also made me think what an amazing feat Closed Rhinoplasty is. How does the surgeon do so much work from inside your nose, leaving such small scars behind?

Splint
This is made of Plaster of Paris material, moulded round the nose. It runs from between my eyes to just above the tip of my nose and it is attached with plasters. The plasters will be sore to remove - as plasters usually are - but the splint should just lift off.

Rhinoplasty Recovery: Day Three. Urgh!

I'm not feeling so good today. I feel like ass.

No pain, just a bit of nausea, drowsiness and a headache. Urgh!

I've heard before that Day 3's supposed to be the worst so I'll update you properly tomorrow. 

What does Rhinoplasty involve?

After many years of wanting to change my nose, I booked in for surgery a little over two months after my initial consultation. This gave me extra time to research the procedure and make sure I was making the right decision. By the time the surgery came round I had no doubt that I was doing the right thing for me. The only worries I had were about the shape of my 'new' nose, bruising and - most of all - the general anaesthetic.

The night before surgery, I started to worry. I read a few articles on a discussion board and there were mixed reports on Rhinoplasty. Some people loved the work while others had some difficulties afterwards. A common theme was that some people noticed the appearance of a bump some time after surgery. I expect that this is to do with scar tissue, or perhaps the bone trying to replace itself, so I am preparing for it.

You are advised not to eat or drink six hours before the surgery. I had a final meal at 7pm the night before and a glass of water at 10pm. 

I arrived at the clinic at 7.30am and had a consultation with the nurse, who has been at the surgery for five years. She gave me a general health check, asked about previous operations and health problems, checked my blood pressure and weighed me. My blood pressure was higher than usual, with a diastolic reading (the lower number) in the 90s. I was feeling quite stressed that morning, so that was to be expected.

I then met with the anaesthetist, who talked me through his role. He gave me dissolvable pain killers - paracetamol, Co-codomal and something else - then the nurse took me into the changing room to put on my gown. Not too flattering, those things, are they?

We then went into the operating room, where the anaesthetist took my blood pressure and inserted a cannula into the back of my right hand. He told me that his daughter had a similar procedure with the same doctor and loved the work, which put me at ease. Once everyone was in the operating room, the anaesthetist started putting some liquid into the cannula. He told me that it was just to relax me, but next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room.

I felt very little pain - it feels like I have a cold or rubbed my nose too often with tissues. Bear in mind, though, that the procedure will affect people in different ways. 

I felt tired and  queasy for the first hour. The nurse brought me tea and toast and called my friend to come and collect me. I walked about for a bit and after an hour and fifteen minutes, I was feeling well enough to go home. The nurse sent me home with co-codamol, to be taken every four to six hours and Voltarol - a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory - to be taken three times daily.

My friend arrived to collect me at noon - only four and a half hours after arriving - and after checking that I was well, laughed at me because I looked like Hannibal Lector with my splint. So I got my hat and scarf on, then sneaked out the side door to the car for the journey home.

Back at home, I still feel fine. From what I've read, I expect to have more swelling, bruising and a bit of pain on day two or three. Surprisingly, I can't see any bruising so far, but I took some preventative action: have a look at my blog post on how to minimise bruising after cosmetic surgery. 

Shortly after returning home I was well enough to eat and had some tomato soup and two rounds of bread. I have some gauze below my nose, which got covered in tomato soup, which wasn't a good look! So I changed the gauze, which is only there until the light bleeding stops, and had a first look at the tip of my nose. It's a little bloody, and still bleeding lightly (it didn't require any packing), but from what I can see, it looks nice - smaller, neater and not too much nostril, which I was concerned about. I won't see the full result until 1st April when I have my splint removed.

I'm surprised at how easy it's been so far. I can even breathe through my nose. The only problem has been a little queasiness but it's nothing worse than the feeling you would have the morning after a couple of glasses of wine.

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