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Postoperative Care
In general Doctor Bridger recommends resting at home for 10 days following rhinoplasty surgery.
During this period of time you will have a thermoplastic splint on your nose which has been placed in order to aid healing and avoid any displacement of the nasal bones and soft tissue. Your diet is not restricted during this time but it is important to avoid any strenuous activity and avoid any pressure over the nose. Nose blowing is discouraged during this time and the splint must be kept clean and dry. Do not try to rub your nose.
Dr Bridger will ensure that you are provided with adequate pain relief and will discuss this with you prior to your discharge from hospital. Likewise you will normally be placed on an oral antibiotic for five days such as keflex, a cream known as nasalate cream which is available over the counter at your chemist which is to be used twice daily with a cotton bud with a dollop of cream being applied approximately one centimetre inside each nostril concentrating on the middle wall of the nose and applied using a rolling action.
Ointment known as chloromycetin ointment will be prescribed and needs to be placed two times a day on external nasal sutures between the nostrils. A saltwater solution such as FESS nasal spray which is available over the counter at the chemist should be used with six sprays three times a day to each side of the nose. Typically the nose may have a bloodstained mucus discharge and develop some crusts and blood clots inside the nostrils. Do not try to remove these.
Doctor Bridger generally sees patients at 8 to 9 days post operatively and removes any external stitches and the thermoplastic splint. The nose will be inspected internally and cleaned of any blood clot, crusts or other debris. Doctor Bridger cautions patients that bruising and swelling over the nose will still be present at this time but most of this will fade over the next two weeks.
Once you have returned home after having the splint removed you may have a shower and get the nose wet. There is usually some yellow sticky material over the nose after the splint has been removed and occasionally some pimples which settle quite rapidly. In the shower you can use a facial cleanser to very gently clean the nose rubbing it very gently with a washer .
Your nose may feel somewhat blocked for up to a month after surgery. It is important to note that the nose may take 6 to 12 months to completely heal after a rhinoplasty operation although most of this healing will not be noticed by the patient and this will have been extensively discussed with you at the time of your preoperative consultations with Dr Bridger.
After two weeks it will be OK to return to most normal activities including exercise but contact sports and other activities that may result in trauma to the nose are discouraged for eight weeks following surgery. Further postoperative consultations will be scheduled for you at 6 weeks and 6 months following your initial post-operative appointment.
You should protect your nose from sunburn and accidental trauma for at least two months after surgery. You should also avoid rubbing your nose vigourously for this time.
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