Recovering From Rhinoplasty Surgery

Many people wonder how long it takes to recover after a nose job. Like any other surgery, the recovery period depends on the individual and after care as well. Some people recover speedily because their body and health permits the recovery. For some the recovery period may be longer than average. However, on an average a person can recover from Rhinoplasty in a period of 6 to 8 weeks.

During the recovery period, it is normal for a person to experience dull ache in the surgical area. Some have even reported of a head ache after the surgery. Severe pain only occurs when there is an infection. If everything goes as per schedule, that is if sutures are taken off on day 3 after the surgery and the bandages come off, the recovery should happen in about 6 weeks.

If there is an infection, the doctor will need to do frequent dressing for clearing the infection and this could extend the period of recovery by a few more weeks. That is why aftercare is utmost important after a Rhinoplasty surgery. Aftercare can be difficult because one of the most annoying symptoms after Rhinoplasty is congestion in the nose. The surgery causes some amount of swelling leading to the congestion. However the doctor prescribes painkillers and also some medications to reduce the swelling. It may take 3 or 4 days for the swelling to go away. During this period the patient has to be extremely careful.

Most patients’ with good health show results of improvement in a couple of days after the surgery. However the individual has to follow the surgeon’s instructions in terms of care and diet. Also many surgeons do not advice smoking or drinking soon after the surgery and it is utmost important that the patient adheres to the advice.

"Risks

You can always expect temporary swelling and bruising around the eyes and nose after rhinoplasty. Other problems that may occur include:

• Bleeding.
• Injury or holes to your septum (the wall that separates your nostrils).
• Skin problems, including breakdown of skin tissue (skin necrosis) and irritation from the tape and bandaging.
• Infection. Preventive antibiotics may be given after surgery to reduce the risk of infection.
• Serious nasal blockage caused by swelling inside the nose.
• Complications of anesthesia.