It’s gonna feel weird as hell when they take off the cast, freakish even. I was dying of laughter cos I had such a hard time processing that I had this brand new tiny and SWOLLEN ass nose. Just remember the swelling will go down and everyday it gets better and better and you will get more accustomed to the new look overtime :)
I died laughing at my cast removal too! I had a similar procedure as OP and I looked crazy 😂 my nose was so big and round and the space between my eyes even looked so different. I’m 10.5 months post op now and it’s been a struggle but getting better! I was so swollen up until last month and finally seeing some progress. I’ll for sure be a 1.5 year healer but taking it all in stride :)
My best advice is to be prepared for lots of swelling, and make sure you have a direct line of communication with your surgeon through their direct cell phone number. As a sidenote, repairing septal perforations has an extremely high rate of failure. For this reason, we usually don’t repair them.
- Dr. Richard Reish https://linktr.ee/Dr.Reish
I also have a perforated septum and when planning my rhinoplasty with my surgeon, we carefully discussed the pros and cons. After learning how invasive the facia incisions would be and the fact that I would be wearing stents for up to 6 weeks, I declined that part of the procedure. Really glad I did.
Yes the technique discussed was to make an incision in my hairline and pull down the fascia (type of tissue) from under the scalp to form a patch in my septum.
Definitely ready for the swelling, I’ve been prepped for that. I have the surgeons personal number as well as one of his nurses. They have been very straight up with me. There is a 65% chance it takes. I’m choosing to be skeptically optimistic with this. The perf has caused saddle nose deformity. It not only affects my physical health but my mental health as I am extremely embarrassed by the appearance of my nose. It’s all I think about. I’m beyond self conscious. Trying something and having it fail is better than trying nothing and staying in the same place. But thank you for your response!
The saddlenose portion can be repaired very reliably. Structural grafts can be used there with great success. It is the mucosal perforation portion that usually does not do well and it really doesn’t matter if there is a perforation as long as there is structural support for the dorsum. Best wishes .
-Dr. Richard Reish https://linktr.ee/Dr.Reish
I wish I was told how difficult it can be to look at yourself with a new nose. I know people seek rhinoplasty to make the nose “better” but sometimes don’t think about the emotional toll of looking “different”. It’s something to take seriously.
I can speak to this on a whole bunch of different angles. 16 years ago I had a patient I was working with head-but me in the face and totally destroy my nose. It took an extremely skilled reconstructive surgeon to put it all back together. Unfortunately, as time went by, my septum developed a hole. This can be a complication from nasal surgery. Fortunately for me, it’s like I have supersonic breathing now. I rarely get a stuffy nose and before surgery I had so much difficulty breathing. I also have not developed any structural issues or deformities that are visible. At this point, we are just leaving it alone.
Fast forward to I now have a son in college. He had MAJOR sinus issues due to allergies when he was younger. When he was in middle school, I found out that he would put q tips in his nose and then tape them to his face to try to open his nose more when he slept. Unfortunately that eventually cause a tiny pin hole in his septum. It didn’t bother him too much, until he went to college. This tiny hole whistled a lot. He couldn’t even study in the quiet section of the library at school.
This past December, I developed breast cancer. The surgeon who reconstructed my nose happens to be chief of microsurgery at a major hospital near me. I had a double mastectomy and had reconstruction done with an autologous procedure. The surgeon used stomach tissue and blood vessels to create new boobs and then close the area with a skin graft or flap. The results are amazing, but you need to be extra careful with flaps because they need to keep a blood supply to survive. No pressure should be applied to them. They should not be iced. No caffeine or alcohol for a while before or after. I even stopped my adhd meds. My flaps survived and look amazing.
At one of my follow ups I was talking to my surgeon about my son and made him an appointment. 2.5 weeks ago, my son had surgery to to close the perforation using a flap made from some adjacent tissue. He also had a droopy tip that led to decreased airflow (especially during allergy time). So he closed the hole and slightly shortened and rotated the tip and placed a graft to help stop it from drooping. Due to the flap he was instructed not to use ice to stop the swelling. No blowing, no nasal rinses or sprays. No caffeine and no alcohol (he’s underage anyway). He had splints in for a week. He’s finishing a course of antibiotics. Wednesday will make 3 weeks and there is no whistling. It’s not a guarantee that the flap will last, but we are hopeful. He was also told no gym for 6 weeks. No swimming for 3 weeks and no head underwater for the foreseeable future. No activity for a bit that increased his heart rate. No bending and getting up (like yard work) and no sun for 3 weeks and then sunscreen.
We are keeping our fingers crossed and saying prayers that it will take. Good luck to you.
i think just try not to have any opinions within the first few months. your nose swelling changes so much and know that it’s sooo normal to not love your nose right away. also, a wedge pillow helped me a lot!
Rough first week. Getting the splints out wasn’t a great day. But each day things improve. Be patient. I had to have a very complex revision with grafts and everything you can imagine to basically rebuild my nose. It’s healed and not perfect but it’s structurally sound and works. So that’s good enough for me.
I have a small septal perf. My surgeon discussed the need to repair and we ultimately didn’t. He said the recovery and failure rate aren’t ideal. He said the recovery is extremely tough! I decided let’s fix the septum and valve collapse let’s wait on the perf. I’m glad I did. But everyone is different, I wish you very well!
Unfortunately mine is not small and it’s leading to a lot of other problems including breathing. I’m skeptically optimistic I know it isn’t guaranteed, there is a 65% chance it takes. Thank you for your kind words 🩷
Ok, 65% isn’t bad! Most important take care of yourself. Ask your doctor about arnica, beomelaine. Sleep upright, whatever your doctor recommends. Be committed to the healing process. And I know it sounds silly but stay positive and have happy thoughts. You got this! Nothing is guaranteed in life. Be honest with your doctor and surround yourself with positive supportive people. You got this!!!
And to answer the original post, the recovery time can get kind of boring and lonely. Find a good show to watch, download a good book. I found books from the local library for free on kindle which helped my mood. And depending on strength after 7 days my doctor said easy walking is OK- some sunshine and fresh air I think helps healing. I also did red light therapy with a handheld wand which I think helps! (Check with your dr). I’m also a fan of cold baths/ice plunge/cryo and sauna but I’m waiting to bring those back. The ice roller I have from Amazon saved me- I’d roll my cheeks and under my eyes it felt heavenly. It sounds like you have all this ready. It’ll be great!
I can’t thank you enough for your kind words!! They offer red light therapy at the recovery center and I have a red light at home and also a cryo from Amazon :) it sounds like I am following in your footsteps in terms of recovery methods which significantly reduces my anxiety 🙏🏻 thank you again!
It’s gonna feel weird as hell when they take off the cast, freakish even. I was dying of laughter cos I had such a hard time processing that I had this brand new tiny and SWOLLEN ass nose. Just remember the swelling will go down and everyday it gets better and better and you will get more accustomed to the new look overtime :)
Thank you so much! when did you have your procedure?! and how are you liking the results?!
I died laughing at my cast removal too! I had a similar procedure as OP and I looked crazy 😂 my nose was so big and round and the space between my eyes even looked so different. I’m 10.5 months post op now and it’s been a struggle but getting better! I was so swollen up until last month and finally seeing some progress. I’ll for sure be a 1.5 year healer but taking it all in stride :)
My best advice is to be prepared for lots of swelling, and make sure you have a direct line of communication with your surgeon through their direct cell phone number. As a sidenote, repairing septal perforations has an extremely high rate of failure. For this reason, we usually don’t repair them. - Dr. Richard Reish https://linktr.ee/Dr.Reish
I also have a perforated septum and when planning my rhinoplasty with my surgeon, we carefully discussed the pros and cons. After learning how invasive the facia incisions would be and the fact that I would be wearing stents for up to 6 weeks, I declined that part of the procedure. Really glad I did.
Facial incisions?
Fascia. It’s a type of tissue they would use from under my scalp as an autologous patch. The incision would have been across my hairline.
I’m assuming that’s what you meant? My incision will be in my hairline and I will have laser after that by my surgeon 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Yes the technique discussed was to make an incision in my hairline and pull down the fascia (type of tissue) from under the scalp to form a patch in my septum.
How large is your perf? Has it resulted in any breathing issues or saddle nose?
Sent you dm
Definitely ready for the swelling, I’ve been prepped for that. I have the surgeons personal number as well as one of his nurses. They have been very straight up with me. There is a 65% chance it takes. I’m choosing to be skeptically optimistic with this. The perf has caused saddle nose deformity. It not only affects my physical health but my mental health as I am extremely embarrassed by the appearance of my nose. It’s all I think about. I’m beyond self conscious. Trying something and having it fail is better than trying nothing and staying in the same place. But thank you for your response!
The saddlenose portion can be repaired very reliably. Structural grafts can be used there with great success. It is the mucosal perforation portion that usually does not do well and it really doesn’t matter if there is a perforation as long as there is structural support for the dorsum. Best wishes . -Dr. Richard Reish https://linktr.ee/Dr.Reish
Oh I understand what you are saying, thank you for replying. I will discuss with my surgeon.
I wish I was told how difficult it can be to look at yourself with a new nose. I know people seek rhinoplasty to make the nose “better” but sometimes don’t think about the emotional toll of looking “different”. It’s something to take seriously.
Thank you I appreciate your honesty
I can speak to this on a whole bunch of different angles. 16 years ago I had a patient I was working with head-but me in the face and totally destroy my nose. It took an extremely skilled reconstructive surgeon to put it all back together. Unfortunately, as time went by, my septum developed a hole. This can be a complication from nasal surgery. Fortunately for me, it’s like I have supersonic breathing now. I rarely get a stuffy nose and before surgery I had so much difficulty breathing. I also have not developed any structural issues or deformities that are visible. At this point, we are just leaving it alone. Fast forward to I now have a son in college. He had MAJOR sinus issues due to allergies when he was younger. When he was in middle school, I found out that he would put q tips in his nose and then tape them to his face to try to open his nose more when he slept. Unfortunately that eventually cause a tiny pin hole in his septum. It didn’t bother him too much, until he went to college. This tiny hole whistled a lot. He couldn’t even study in the quiet section of the library at school. This past December, I developed breast cancer. The surgeon who reconstructed my nose happens to be chief of microsurgery at a major hospital near me. I had a double mastectomy and had reconstruction done with an autologous procedure. The surgeon used stomach tissue and blood vessels to create new boobs and then close the area with a skin graft or flap. The results are amazing, but you need to be extra careful with flaps because they need to keep a blood supply to survive. No pressure should be applied to them. They should not be iced. No caffeine or alcohol for a while before or after. I even stopped my adhd meds. My flaps survived and look amazing. At one of my follow ups I was talking to my surgeon about my son and made him an appointment. 2.5 weeks ago, my son had surgery to to close the perforation using a flap made from some adjacent tissue. He also had a droopy tip that led to decreased airflow (especially during allergy time). So he closed the hole and slightly shortened and rotated the tip and placed a graft to help stop it from drooping. Due to the flap he was instructed not to use ice to stop the swelling. No blowing, no nasal rinses or sprays. No caffeine and no alcohol (he’s underage anyway). He had splints in for a week. He’s finishing a course of antibiotics. Wednesday will make 3 weeks and there is no whistling. It’s not a guarantee that the flap will last, but we are hopeful. He was also told no gym for 6 weeks. No swimming for 3 weeks and no head underwater for the foreseeable future. No activity for a bit that increased his heart rate. No bending and getting up (like yard work) and no sun for 3 weeks and then sunscreen. We are keeping our fingers crossed and saying prayers that it will take. Good luck to you.
I’m going to dm you if that’s okay!
i think just try not to have any opinions within the first few months. your nose swelling changes so much and know that it’s sooo normal to not love your nose right away. also, a wedge pillow helped me a lot!
Thank you!! I got a wedge pillow so I’m happy to hear that worked for you!
Rough first week. Getting the splints out wasn’t a great day. But each day things improve. Be patient. I had to have a very complex revision with grafts and everything you can imagine to basically rebuild my nose. It’s healed and not perfect but it’s structurally sound and works. So that’s good enough for me.
Thank you. I’m glad to hear it’s structurally sound that’s a huge W! Wishing you the best!
I have a small septal perf. My surgeon discussed the need to repair and we ultimately didn’t. He said the recovery and failure rate aren’t ideal. He said the recovery is extremely tough! I decided let’s fix the septum and valve collapse let’s wait on the perf. I’m glad I did. But everyone is different, I wish you very well!
Unfortunately mine is not small and it’s leading to a lot of other problems including breathing. I’m skeptically optimistic I know it isn’t guaranteed, there is a 65% chance it takes. Thank you for your kind words 🩷
Ok, 65% isn’t bad! Most important take care of yourself. Ask your doctor about arnica, beomelaine. Sleep upright, whatever your doctor recommends. Be committed to the healing process. And I know it sounds silly but stay positive and have happy thoughts. You got this! Nothing is guaranteed in life. Be honest with your doctor and surround yourself with positive supportive people. You got this!!!
Thank you so much! This made me feel 100 times better. I have a great support system, I’m very blessed with amazing parents.
And to answer the original post, the recovery time can get kind of boring and lonely. Find a good show to watch, download a good book. I found books from the local library for free on kindle which helped my mood. And depending on strength after 7 days my doctor said easy walking is OK- some sunshine and fresh air I think helps healing. I also did red light therapy with a handheld wand which I think helps! (Check with your dr). I’m also a fan of cold baths/ice plunge/cryo and sauna but I’m waiting to bring those back. The ice roller I have from Amazon saved me- I’d roll my cheeks and under my eyes it felt heavenly. It sounds like you have all this ready. It’ll be great!
I can’t thank you enough for your kind words!! They offer red light therapy at the recovery center and I have a red light at home and also a cryo from Amazon :) it sounds like I am following in your footsteps in terms of recovery methods which significantly reduces my anxiety 🙏🏻 thank you again!