Outline
The below outlines what to expect following a rhinoplasty (or septorhinoplasty). Patients will all require a post-operative appointment within 5-7 days from their date of surgery. All post-op appointments requested by Dr Griffin are covered by the operation fee.
Rhinoplasty often combines other procedures such as:
- Sinus surgery
- Turbinate Surgery
- Alar base reduction
What to expect
When you wake from your surgery
- You will be in the operating theatre recovery room
- You will have a rigid external plastic cast taped over your nose and a small gauze taped under your nose.
- You may have ice applied as you are waking and a nurse will be looking after you
- You will have small silicone stents fixed inside your nose that do allow you to breathe on waking
- When you have recovered most patients will return home for the night (day surgery)
When you first arrive home
- Apply ice over your eyes for an hour or two at a time
- Ice regularly for the first 48-72h as swelling increases in this time
- The gauze taped under your nose may need changing 2-3 times overnight and you can perform this task
- Your nose may start to block over this time due to crusting
- Be patient and please don’t poke anything up your nose to try and unblock it.
- You will be provided with a tube of medicated ointment to apply to the inside of your nostrils twice a day with a cotton bud as seen in the picture below
- The bridge of skin between your nostrils has an incision across it that has been stitched and glued and does not require ointment
Medications
You will be discharged home from hospital with
- Antibiotics
- Please take entire prescribed course (generally 5-10 days)
- Pain medication (some of this you will need to source yourself)
- Paracetamol 1g, 4 x per day
- Ibuprofen 400mg, 3 x per day (with meals)
- Stronger pain relief such as Endone (Oxycodone) or Palexia (Tapentadol)
- Occasionally patients may be prescribed prednisolone or dexamethasone (steroids) – these are medications for swelling and pain
Commonly asked questions (FAQ)
Q. When can I exercise?
A. No exercise for 3 weeks.
Q. Can I get my nose/face/hair wet?
A. You cannot wet the cast or the nose until this is removed at 7-10 days though you can wash your hair carefully using a hand-held shower head (avoiding the nose).
Q. Can I blow my nose?
A. You cannot blow your nose for the first two weeks as this may introduce infection and promote bleeding. Once you commence blowing your nose do so gently and with both nostrils open.
Q. How should I sleep?
A. Sleep on your back with your head elevated on two pillows if you can in the first week. Sleep on your back for the first 3 weeks as side or front sleeping can distort the nasal shape.
When to contact me
- If you notice
- increasing redness of the nose
- increasing pain
- or concerns of an infection developing
- If there is persistent ooze beyond 3 days or significant bleeding
- If you feel your cast is digging in
- If you are getting very anxious or stressed
