Since no two patients are exactly the same, it should come as no surprise that neither are their rhinoplasty surgeries—or, for that matter, their recoveries. In general, you can expect the following rhinoplasty recovery course after nose job surgery, but please keep in mind that your experience may vary slightly:
One of the biggest misconceptions is that following rhinoplasty or nose job surgery, it will be weeks before you’ll feel comfortable being seen in public. The truth is that you’ll probably be quite presentable and be able to return to work in about a week after your cosmetic surgery, and after the splint is removed. Before then, you’ll feel well enough to work from home and do most of your normal activities. Pain will most likely be minimal after your plastic surgery and many of our patients don’t require pain medication, although it will be made available in case you need it.
Visual changes after rhinoplasty procedure can be quite exciting! Although you look “normal” when the cast comes off, you will see that the initial swelling gradually resolves over the course of three weeks. Refinements following cosmetic surgery on the nose will continue throughout the course of one year. Since the tip is the lowest point, gravity causes swelling to remain there the longest. Final tip definition will not be fully apparent until the swelling is gone after your rhinoplasty, and a good sign of this is the visible return of the pores on the skin.
Recovery after rhinoplasty is not painful. You will have congestion akin to a bad cold. You’ll be able to walk as much as you like during the first week after your nasal plastic surgery. You can resume exercise after the first two weeks but you will need to avoid high-impact sports and strenuous weight lifting for about a month.
The Procedure
Rhinoplasty or nose job plastic surgery can be performed in Dr. Yagoda’s New York City office-based surgical facility or in a NYC hospital, under local anesthetic with IV sedation or under general anesthesia. This plastic surgery procedure takes between 45 minutes and two hours. The exact surgical technique is uniquely tailored by the plastic surgeon for each patient but most of the time, all incisions are made internally and there are no visible scars. Sometimes, an incision is made at the base of the nostrils and the incision is carefully hidden.
Recovery
You can return to work in about a week after your nasal plastic surgery and you’ll be able to use a stationary bike or treadmill by the second week. By the third week, you can return to full activities. Although you’ll see immediate improvement, your nose’s shape and your profile will continue to refine over the next 12 to 18 months.
Risks
Like all plastic surgery, rhinoplasty has certain risks including infection, bleeding, and reaction to anesthesia. Other risks include structural damage to the nose. Dr. Yagoda will discuss these potential risks as well as the benefits of this plastic surgery procedure in full during your consultation in her New York City (NYC) office.
To determine if you might benefit from rhinoplasty or nose job surgery, call Dr. Yagoda today to schedule your personal comprehensive plastic surgery consultation in her New York, NY office.
Read about Dr. Yagoda’s Integrative Post Operative Care Program.
Flying In
Dr. Yagoda’s patients come to New York City (NYC), New York from all over the world for rhinoplasty surgery. From Qatar to Quebec, we can help you get here from abroad.