Instructions:
- Have someone else drive you home after surgery and help you at home for 1-2 days.
- Get plenty of rest
- Follow balanced diet
- Decreased activity may promote constipation, so you may want to add more raw fruit to you diet, and be sure to increase fluid intake
- Take pain medications as prescribed. Do not take aspirin or any products containing aspirin
- Do not drink alcohol while taking pain medications
- Do not smoke, as smoking delays healing and increases the risks of complications
Activities
- Start walking as soon as possible, this helps to reduce swelling and lowers the chance of blood clots
- Do not drive until you are no longer taking any pain medications (narcotics)
- Return to work in 1-2 weeks
- Avoid strenuous activities or any activity that increases your blood pressure for 2-3 weeks
- Avoid body contact sports, hitting, or rubbing your nose, and sunburn for 2 months
Incision Care:
- You may shower 48 hours after surgery
- Avoid exposing scars to sun for at least 12 months
- Always use a strong sun block, if sun exposure is unavoidable (SPF 30 or greater)
- Keep steri-strips on, replace if they come off
- Keep incisions clean and inspect daily for signs of infection
- Stay in bed with your head elevated (except for going to the bathroom) for the first day
- Cold compresses will reduce swelling
- Do no shampoo your hair until nose splint is removed, or ask for special instructions
- Avoid blowing your nose for 1 week
- Be gentle washing your face and hair using cosmetics
- Do not use facial makeup on external incisions until advised by surgeon
- Contact lenses can be worn as soon as you feel like it, but glasses cannot be worn until your nose is completely healed (approx 2 months) After your nose splint is removed, tape your glasses to your forehead or prop them on your cheeks until completely healed.
What to Expect:
- You may be up and about in 2 days, but it will be several weeks before you are entirely up to speed
- Feeling depressed is normal
- After surgery, particularly during the first 24 hours, your face will feel puffy
- A small amount of bleeding is common during the first few days
- A splint is applied immediately after surgery for 7 days. Nasal packs may also be used.
- Your nose may ache and you may have a dull headache
- Temporary swelling and bruising around eyes and nose will increases at first and peak after 2-3 days • Most swelling and bruising should disappear within 2 weeks. Some subtle swelling (noticeable only to you) will remain for several months
- Healing is a slow and gradual process
- Some numbness may be present around the operative areas
- Black eyes and swollen nose and eyelids for 7-14 days
- You may experience some discomfort with breathing
- Swollen nasal tissues may cause nose to seem “stuffed up” for several weeks
- New nose looks better in 2-3 weeks and usually continues to improve for many months
- Nasal tip drops to its permanent position in 3-6 months
- Final results may not be apparent for a year or more
Follow-Up Care
- If you have nasal packing, it will be removed after a few days
- Sutures will be removed in 7-10 days
- Frequent follow-up visits should be scheduled
When to Call:
- If you have increases swelling or bruising
- If swelling and redness persist after a few days
- If you have increased redness along the incision
- If you have sever or increase pain not relieved by medication
- If you have any side effects to medications: such as, rash, nausea, headache, vomiting
- If you have an oral temperature over 100.4 degrees
- If you have any yellowish or greenish drainage from the incisions or notice foul odor
- If you have bleeding from the incisions that is difficult to control with light pressure
- If you have loss of feeling or motion
For medical questions, please call:
- 812-477-6600 Evansville Office
- 812-634-6600 Japser Office
