Understanding the healing process.
It is essential to remember that the shape of your nose when the
cast is removed is not the final one. Indeed, the healing
process takes at least six months.
Remember that you should always have someone to accompany you during the first 24h after an anaesthetic.
Coming back from rhinolasty you will still feel drowsy from the medication and anaesthetic. Try to relax and sleep it off naturally.
If you feel pain or nausea, request suitable medication from the nursing team.
When you start feeling more awake, have some sips of water, but avoid eating and drinking in a rush, as it may trigger nausea or vomiting.
Once you start feeling better, and you have had a chance to walk around a little bit, and feel comfortable, you will be able to go home.
Remember that you should always have someone to accompany you during the first 24h after an anaesthetic.
Questions? Just ask.
Talk to our helpful team or book a consultation
with Mr Lucian Ion. Call 0207 486 7757
Coming back from the surgery you will still feel drowsy from the medication and anaesthetic. Try to relax and sleep it off naturally.
You should have antibiotics as well as painkillers for the first week. It is important to take the antibiotics regularly.
Ideally, to improve your tolerance to the antibiotics and reduce the risk of stomach upset, it is advisable to use probiotics twice a day (ex Actimel, Yakult, capsules etc), which maintaing the balance of germs inside the gut.
If you do experience problems with the antibiotics, like rashes, diarrhea or vomiting, stop taking them and contact us to re-evaluate the treatment plan.
Pain kilers are not mandatory during the recovery, but many patients find them helpful, and we prescribe them routinely at discharge.
Some painkillers can make you feel light-headed, so it is preferable to use only the amount makes you feel comfortable for pain.
If you have trouble with the painkillers, it is better to contact us to discuss alternatives.
During the first 2 weeks it is very important to avoid sleeping on your side and on your front, as it can displace the bones in the bridge of the nose.
Sleeping with 2-3 pillows will help reduce the facial swelling too.
Bruising is variable after rhinoplasty, and some patients experience very little or no bruising.
Whilst the splint is on, it is difficult to influence the bruising without disturbing the splint, so we usually recommend just taking some Arnica Montana tablets.
Once the splint is removed, the remaining bruising can be helped with applications of Hirudoid cream or gel, or Arnica cream. Most of the times, the remaining bruising clears by day 10.
Although infrequent, nausea and vomiting after surgery can be very unpleasant, and can start at an interval following the operation. It is important to discuss with us if it occurs, to set in place effective treatment and speed up recovery.
The splint on the bridge of the nose should remain undisturbed for at least a week, to avoid deviations or widening of the bridge of the nose.
If you have a shower, avoid at all cost wetting the face, to protect the splint support. If you want to wash your hair, you will need to lean back, and ideally should have someone helping you, like at the hairdresser’s.
When the splint is removed, a week following the rhinoplasty, the shape of the bridge and tip are influenced by the shape of the splint.
They tend to look narrow and rather artificial, and this is to be expected. Afterwards, the nose will go through more swelling for both the tip and bridge. As the swelling settles, the final shape becomes gradually apparent.
Questions? Just ask. Talk to our helpful team or book a
consultation with Mr Lucian Ion. Call 0207 486 7757
Following removal of the splints and stitches, it is important to avoid trauma to the inside of the nose by following these few simple guidelines.
After removal of the splints and stitches, it is important to avoid trauma to the inside of the nose from blowing the nose or picking.
One of the options for keeping the inside of the nose clean and comfortable is to use saline (salt water) nasal rinse twice a day, for the first month after the operation.
There are several systems available, and one of the more readily available in the UK is the Sinurinse.
You can find many alternative on the Internet, but it is important to understand that it is not about using a saline spray to moisturise the nose, it is about a nasal flush or douche.
Early exercise can trigger nose-bleeds, so it is best to return to exercise gradually, staring around 2½ to 3 weeks
For yoga practitioners, 3-4 weeks are necessary before doing head-stands or similar positions.
Whilst contact lenses can be used at any time after surgery, it is important to avoid the pressure from glasses that sit on the bridge of the nose for the first 6 weeks after the operation.
Glasses that take support on the sides of the nose can be worn as soon as comfortable.
The operation leads to swelling that takes its time to clear, in particular around the tip of the nose, but sometimes also on the bridge.
It is possible to help it to settle down using moderate pressure massage with your fingers. Avoid however rubbing the nose, as the irritation due to rubbing creates more swelling.
In the course of the healing process, injections of low doses of steroid can help reduce the swelling more readily, but should not be abused.
In the early stages after the operation, breathing though the nose is more restricted, mainly due to swelling in the lining of the nose. It typically improves around 3-4 weeks after the operation, but if you concerns regarding this matter, you should always discuss them.
Questions? Just ask. Talk to our helpful team or book a
consultation with Mr Lucian Ion. Call 0207 486 7757
Gradually, the swelling decreases, and the numbness and stiffness of the tip of the nose are markedly improved around 6 months after rhinoplasty surgery.
Injections of low dose steroids may still be of help in accelerating the progress toward the final result.
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