Post Date: 2/16/2021
Post surgical process might be one part that patients are the most anxious about in a rhinoplasty surgery. The first question that comes to mind of the patients is when the swelling and bruises will go away after the surgery. Unfortunately, it is not realistic to think that you are going to see a magical difference in your nose as soon as you look in the mirror after the surgery. Patients need to wait for a while to see the new shape of their nose.
Rhinoplasty is a surgical operation that is completely personalized as it requires to be planned distinctively for each patient. The physician decides the method he will apply as a result of his evaluations before the surgery, and tries to create the perfect nose for his patient. Therefore, the postoperative experiences of the patients may also differ. However, it is certain that there will be swelling after the surgery. Even if the surgery has been performed professionally and various medications and methods have been used, these can only reduce the swelling to some extent, but not completely eliminate it.
While the swelling is less for the first hours after rhinoplasty surgery, it increases as time passes. Usually, the swelling around the eyes decreases within 3-4 days after the surgery, but which around the nose will not completely go down in a short time. Swelling is expected to fully disappear between 6 months and 1 year. Patients may feel some heaviness in the nose because of these swellings, however that feeling will go away after the first few weeks.
The recovery process after rhinoplasty may also differ from patient to patient. But it can be said that most patients begin to recover after the first week. Patients may experience postoperative pain or nasal congestion. However, these won’t last for long. Most patients state that, they start to breathe much more comfortable than before after the recovery.
To reduce the swelling and bruises, placing cold compress on the face is the most effective application. If ice is applied to the skin directly, it may cause tissue damage and adverse reaction. Therefore, hilotherapy which involves administering 15-degree Celsius cold compression through a facemask is a safer treatment. It should be applied immediately after the surgery. This treatment can be used for 45 minutes to 72 hours. The first 48 hours are the most crucial time to reduce postoperative pain and swelling.
The surgery won’t cause you to fall behind in your social life. You can go back to school or work after resting for 1 week. Do not neglect to see your doctor regularly by following your appointments. You can perform nasal massage if your doctor thinks it will be helpful. However, be sure to follow your doctor’s advices while performing any application or taking medications. If you consider having rhinoplasty surgery, contact us right away to get a free consultancy service from Prof. Dr. Selçuk İnanlı.