Let’s imagine you have just had a ‘nose job’ or Rhinoplasty in Liverpool, Manchester or another one of our local clinics. What should you expect after your surgery has taken place and during the recovery? How long before you can get back to normal life and how long until you see the final result. What side effects may you experience? This blog will cover the recovery and the types of things you should expect to occur. If you want to know more about the actual surgery itself and a little bit more about rhinoplasty in general then visit yesterdays blog, which looks at just that!!
So you have just been discharged from hospital after having your rhinoplasty surgery. You will therefore expect that you will not be able to drive for 1 to 2 weeks after the surgery has taken place so you need someone to drive you home. You may feel some minor pain therefore its recommended you take painkillers for a couple of days to help with this.
So after you have had your surgery – how soon will you be able to return to work? This really depends on the individual and how soon his or her own body heals, but as a rule you may need to take up to two weeks off work whilst the initial swelling goes down. If you have a more laid back job like working in a quiet office then you would be able to return sooner to work than say someone who leads an active gym class. But you need to listen to your own body and what it tells you in regards to when it’s ok to go back.
You may have to go back and visit the clinic or hospital after about a week after the operation to have the stitches removed. Unless you have had dissolvable stitches in which case they will disappear on their own. The splint should be ok to be removed after about a week also.
The bruising, swelling and any visible reddening to the skin from the procedure should have faded by around 3 weeks after you had your rhinoplasty or nose job surgery. You should also be able to start lighter exercises by this 3-week post op mark such as swimming. It is advisable that you wait another week, so approximately 4 weeks after your surgery, before you resume more strenuous activities and contact sports.
There are a few side effects that are expected and nothing to worry about. You will need to breathe out of your mouth for a week or so after the nose shaping and you may feel like your nose is blocked; as well as stiffness and numbness around the nose. You may also find that the soreness, bruising and swelling extends towards the eye area, which may last as long as 3 weeks post op. If you find your nose bleeds for a few days after surgery: again don’t worry, this is totally normal.
So finally how soon will you see the full result after you have had your rhinoplasty in Liverpool or nearby? It usually takes several months after surgery before you see the full effect of the nose operation and the swelling can take up to 6 months for it to completely subside.