Recovery for Rhinoplasty / Healing Time after Nose Surgery
written by board-certified New York Plastic Surgeon Dr. Howard Bellin
While the area is usually presentable within two or three weeks,
it may take up to six months for the final result to be apparent.
Most patients can begin to resume normal activities as soon as the anesthesia
loses its effect. But some people will require a day or two of rest.
Immediately after the surgery there will probably be a little bleeding, but
excessive bleeding is fairly rare. A few people may still bleed up to ten days
after the operation; however, bed rest and sedation are usually sufficient to
stop it.
Also, patients ordinarily experience varying degrees of discomfort
due to the packing in their noses or small blood clots that may be clogging
their noses. But the bandages and packing, when used, are generally removed
within a week, and the discomfort should quickly cease.
There will definitely be some swelling and black and blue discoloration under
the eyes. While the swelling normally recedes in several days, the bruises around
the eyes occasionally last for two to three weeks, rarely longer.
But the area can be hidden with sunglasses, and makeup can be applied shortly
after the operation as long as the bandages are not disturbed.
The "new" nose will already look good when the bandages are removed, but the
finished result will not be evident until the last little bits of swelling have
disappeared, and the skin has completely contracted over the rebuilt framework.
This healing process can take up to six months, and prolonged
sunlight should be avoided for the entire period. As time goes by, the patient
should look increasingly better until the effect is complete.
Besides the slight possibility of a bad result, the rhinoplasty is
almost always free of complications.
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