Some Surgeons Make Recovery From Cosmetic Surgery Much Easier Than Others. How is That Possible? 

Patients come in a consultation and ask “Is there going to be a lot of swelling and bruising?”  This always weighs heavily on their minds.  Often, they related friends and family histories of having massive bruising, swelling and even facial distortion.

Frankly, that should be rare in today’s high-tech, modern cosmetic nasal surgery environment. Typically, the most experienced and narrow-focused surgeons, the cosmetic nasal surgery superspecialists have techniques and the talent in performing the surgery such that it will take less time on the operating table. That translates directly into less trauma to the tissues and, therefore, less swelling and bruising.

In addition, we now have at our disposal a large range of medications to help reduce swelling and bruising.  There are prescription medications to reduce swelling and non-prescription, homeopathic medicines that are thought to reduce bruising.  Even what you eat can have a benefit as foods such as fresh pineapple and fresh papaya can be helpful in reducing swelling and bruising. And, of course, ice packs immediately after surgery are a long-standing aid in preventing or reducing the swelling and bruising.

It is very important that blood pressure be controlled after surgery and typically blood pressure rises because of pain.  So every surgeon who is a master of cosmetic nasal surgery has long recognized that it is very important to provide adequate pain medication.  You see, if pain is present, blood pressure goes up, and if blood pressure goes up, there is more leakage of blood from the tiny blood vessels that were inadvertently severed during the operation.  All bruising is the result of leakage of blood from open blood vessels.

Don’t forget that too much activity immediately after surgery may well cause additional swelling and bruising.  That is why we recommend, for the first 24 hours, that patients pretty much relax and not do very much in the way of activity. 

By the second post-operative day, the rules change. By then, it is generally wise to start walking and thereby increase the circulation.  People feel better if they do not stay in bed where they tend to start feeling more tired and a sense of lassitude envelops them.

Sleeping is important. If pain is not controlled, it is hard to sleep. Therefore, we pay close attention to pain control which could interfere with sleep. No reason to spare the paid meds. However, some pain medicines may cause stimulation and, therefore, they have trouble sleeping. In that case, we change the pain medication.  However, if despite pain control, the patient reports that sleep is poor, we prescribe a sleeping medication. The world looks a lot better and happier after a good night’s sleep!

I have always felt that the care of the patient after surgery is just as important as the operation itself. It must be conducted with the same attentiveness and focus.  In cosmetic plastic nasal surgery, the results, and the patient experience are all about detail, detail, detail.