Revision Rhinoplasty | Secondary Rhinoplasty Post Operative Beverly Hills | Los Angeles

NIGHT AFTER SURGERY

Temporary bruising, swelling and numbness are common the first night after surgery. Keep your head elevated and leave the nasal splint and dressings in place overnight. You may need to go to the bathroom frequently during the night because of the IV fluids you were given during your surgery. Drink a lot of fluids in order to keep up with this fluid loss.

ONE DAY AFTER SURGERY

The next morning following your surgery, you will return to Dr Motykie’s office for your first post-operative visit. You should leave all of your dressings intact overnight and until you reach the office the following morning. Upon arrival to the office you will be escorted to a private examination room where your dressings will be changed and your nose will be evaluated. After your examination, you will be allowed to return back to your home. All of your questions will be answered and you will be given instructions for the following week.

Dressings: You will be given special instructions for showering and changing your dressings. You will most likely have sticky tapes covering your incisions that will not require dressing changes. You will be asked to keep this tape dry and intact until the one week post-operative visit at which time it will be removed.
Diet: Mostly patients start with a liquid diet the night after surgery. Usually by the next day most patients are back to a normal diet.
Medications: Some swelling, bruising and discomfort are normal immediately following surgery and it is typically controlled with your prescription pain medication. Do not take any other pain medication including Tylenol, aspirin or ibuprofen in combination with your pain medications unless you are given permission by Dr Motykie. You should begin you prescription antibiotics the morning following surgery and continue them for one week after surgery. A combination of Arnica Montana and Bromelain are encouraged after surgery in order to promote your healing process.
Bathing: Showering and bathing are permitted the very next day after surgery with care taken no to get your nasal splint wet.
Activity: Light activity is allowed and encouraged including moving about your house and going for walks outside in order to aid the circulation in your lower extremities. However, no heavy lifting or strenuous activity should be attempted during your first week of recovery. You will most likely be able to return to work within a few days depending on your job. Physical exercise generally can be resumed one to two weeks after surgery. Weight lifting should be avoided for 3-4 weeks post-operatively. The resumption of and amount of physical /athletic activity should be guided by the level of patient discomfort with “pain” being the ultimate guide.

ONE WEEK AFTER SURGERY

The recovery after revision rhinoplasty is often less extensive than after a primary procedure. Though the face may look and feel puffy right after surgery, there is generally less bruising and swelling encountered. The bruising should subside within about seven to ten days, while the swelling may take several months to disappear completely. Patients often experience very little pain, and discomfort that can easily be controlled with prescribed medication. Nasal packing, if used, may be removed within a few days after surgery, while the splint and external sutures are removed within about six to seven days. Work or school may be resumed within about one week after the revision rhinoplasty procedure. Strenuous activities which increase the blood pressure will need to be avoided for a longer period of time. It’s also important that patients avoid hitting the nose for at least eight weeks. Most patients can drive their vehicles within a few days after surgery, but plan on having someone drive you to your first few post-operative visits anyway. The majority of patients are allowed to return to light, low impact cardiovascular exercise after the first week of recovery.

Dressings: During this appointment, the nasal splint placed on your nose during surgery will be carefully removed along with any surgical tapes. All of the incisions used for your revision rhinoplasty surgery are typically placed in side of your nose and are dissolvable so no stitches need o t be removed and there are no visible incisions on your face or nose that need to be taken care of after surgery
Medications: Some continued swelling, bruising and discomfort are normal and they are typically controlled with your prescription pain medication and muscle relaxants. You should also be finishing your prescription antibiotics at this time. Arnica Montana and Bromelain may be continued for another week in order to promote your healing process.
Bathing: You may bath and shower freely during the second week after surgery and blowing your nose while in the shower may help to clear clogged nasal passages.
Activity: During this time period, there may be some moderate pain, but it can typically be treated with your prescription pain medications. You may want to wear an athletic or support bra until the swelling has subsided (Bra information). Heavy lifting or straining should be avoided for the first week after surgery because it can cause increased blood pressure and possibly nose bleeds. You can typically return to work within a week and to full activity within a few weeks. Sensation in your nose may be reduced temporarily, but should return to normal as the nose heals. .

ONE MONTH AFTER SURGERY

Depending on the amount of physical exertion required to perform your expected duties, you should already be back into your normal rhythm at work. Exercise and workout routines may begin at this point in your recovery process with pain as your ultimate guide. Any activity that causes discomfort and/or pain needs to be avoided until further along in your recovery process. When you return to the activity, start at half speed and increase to your normal routine as long as you do not feel any pain during and/or the day after your workout. Although exercising will not adversely affect your end result, it may temporarily cause more swelling immediately after the exercise that will subside over the next few hours. The majority of my rhinoplasty patients are back to their regular workout routine within 4-6 weeks after their surgery.

LONG TERM RESULTS

All patients vary in their ability and speed to recovery after surgery but most commonly you can expect the final result from surgery to be evident at six to twelve months after surgery. By this point in time, your nose should be close to its final shape and size.

To find out more about nose surgery please contact us at 310-246-2355

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