Rhinoplasty Recovery
There is always some recovery time required after any surgery. Rhinoplasty recovery is usually quick and without complications.
Rhinoplasty Recovery
The three major types of Rhinoplasty surgery each have different recovery expectations. There is Augmentation Rhinoplasty where the nose is made larger. There is reduction Rhinoplasty where the nose is made smaller. Finally, there is shaping Rhinoplasty where the nose is simply reshaped.
Shaping Rhinoplasty generally has the shortest recovery time as it is the simplest and least invasive of the three types of procedures. Some shaping Rhinoplasty procedures are being done non-surgically with injections of filling. About the only recovery time needed in these outpatient type procedures is the time needed to recover from the effects of whatever anesthetic is used. Once the effects of the anesthetic wear off, the recovery time is over. There is always the possibility of stiffness or discomfort after Rhinoplasty, but this quickly passes in most cases.
If the procedure is done surgically, there will usually be a week to ten days of recovery time involved. In many cases, a splint will be applied to the nose to protect and mobilize the area during this recovery period. During Rhinoplasty recovery, it is common to have swelling of the surgical area and bruising that often appears in the area around the eyes. The post operative pain is usually enough to require medication, but generally subsides quickly. After a day or two, recovery consists of waiting for the splint to be removed and putting up with the discomfort of the swelling. It is usually impossible to breath through your nose during the Rhinoplasty recovery period.
Most doctors will allow a patient to return to work very quickly after Rhinoplasty surgery if there is a pressing need. This is an indication of how quickly true surgical recovery has taken place. However, most doctors will recommend that the patient avoid work for comfort reasons. It is this discomfort that really marks the recovery period in a normal Rhinoplasty procedure. A follow up visit takes place after a week to ten days to check the results after the swelling subsides and to remove the splint. In the majority of cases this is the extent of recovery. Sutures, when they are used, are usually the self absorbing type that do not need removal.
Augmentation and Reduction Rhinoplasty procedures might have a bit more involved recovery depending on the severity of the procedure. Reduction Rhinoplasty follows the regime of the Shaping Rhinoplasty. This means a splint for up to ten days and the possibility of swelling and bruising. Both pain and discomfort are likely to last a bit longer, but generally are not serious. The Augmentation Rhinoplasty will have the same recovery period, but if the cartilage used for the augmentation is removed from another part of the body, the recovery from that surgery might dictate the recovery time. This points out how easy the Rhinoplasty recovery period usually is unless some complication takes place.
