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How much will it hurt? All patients experience some pain after surgery. Most often this can be controlled with prescription pain pills. Frequently, patients take only plain acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) for pain. Generally, patients begin switching to acetaminophen three to five days after their nose surgery. Ice packs also help with pain and swelling. Do I have to stay in bed after my surgery? No. Gently get out of bed as soon as possible after your surgery. An adult must help you get out of bed the first few times because of possible fainting. Begin to walk as much as possible as soon as you can after surgery. Always get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Do take it easy the first few days. Do not exert yourself in any strenuous activity. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. Will there be any bandages or dressings? There is light nasal packing that I ask you to remove the day after surgery. There is also an external splint that holds the nasal bones in place. It also controls the swelling of the nose. It is removed after five to seven days during an office appointment. When can I shower after nose surgery? You may shower the day after nose surgery as long as you do not get the nose splint wet. Carefully wash your face and hair outside the shower avoiding the splint. You may use the antibacterial soap that you used before your surgery. Do not take a bath or swim for one week. When do I come back to the office for aftercare? I will want to see you in my office within one week after your nose surgery. After your first visit, I want to see you at six weeks, six months, and one year. The reason for this extended care is because it takes six months to one year for complete healing to occur. There are no charges for these office visits. You are welcome to be seen in my office anytime you have questions or concerns about your surgery. Will there be any stitches to take out? No. I only use stitches that will be absorbed or wash out. I do this to eliminate the discomfort of suture removal after surgery. Body massage is very effective in relaxation. However, it cannot be done while there is bruising of the skin due to the risk of long term or permanent brown-gray staining of the skin. All facial massage must be discontinued until any bruising has completely resolved. How long you are off work depends on your occupation. If you do clerical work (i.e. stockbroker, teacher, or programmer), you can return to work when you feel up to it. This usually takes about a week. If you do manual labor (i.e. entertainer, truck driver, or trainer), you must be off work for three weeks. Regardless of your employment, do not lift anything weighing more than five pounds for three weeks. You may be self conscious about meeting with people face to face until all the bruising has passed (one to two weeks). You may apply make up to conceal remaining bruising two to three days after surgery. When can I work out after surgery? Generally, you can go back to working out two to three weeks after nose surgery. This depends on how you feel. Do not lift anything that weighs more than five pounds for three weeks. Avoid contact sports for eight weeks. Workouts must stop if you experience any discomfort in your nose. A balance of rest and reduced activity will speed up your recovery. When can I suntan after surgery? Sun tanning damages your skin. It leads to wrinkling, discoloration, and superficial growths. It can also lead to serious skin cancer. For these reasons, I recommend that you use sun block with an SPF number of 15 or greater at all times. A physical broad-spectrum sun block works best. If you are exposed to the sun, I recommend that you protect treated areas for six weeks with clothing such as a hat. You must be careful to protect any scars from sun exposure with clothing or sun block for six months. Better yet, stay in the shade where it's cooler! How long will the results last? The results are usually very long lasting (i.e. five to ten years). Sun exposure and aging will reduce the longevity of the results. To maintain the best result, it is important that you avoid sun exposure. For more questions and answers see our general frequently asked questions about cosmetic surgery. For more questions and answers about rhinoplasty or nose surgery: |