After deviated septum surgery patients should not expect any facial bruising or black eyes. The wound on your nose will heal quickly, however it can take up to a year for the cartilage inside your nose to fully settle.
Since the procedure is done entirely through the nostrils, you don't have to worry about scars or black eyes.
There almost never is any bruising on the skin for just a septoplasty, though there can be bruising if a rhinoplasty is also done at the same time. If the operation is done under a general anesthetic, there the usual risks with any general anesthesia. Bleeding is a possible risk, which may require nasal packing.
Your Recovery
You may have some bruises around your nose and eyes. Your nose may be sore and will bleed. This may last for several days after surgery. The tip of your nose and your upper lip and gums may be numb.
It's generally done to improve your quality of life. Will a septoplasty change my nasal appearance? If your external nose is very crooked like in the picture above, straightening your septum will make your nose straighter. If the deviated portions are more on the inside, then usually nothing will change.
Will septoplasty change the shape or look of my nose? A simple septoplasty, also known as functional rhinoplasty, does not usually affect the outside shape of the nose. It might balance the nostrils if one was constricted, and may alter the look of your nose for the better if it has an upward pitch.
In some patients, their nose after septoplasty can look a little wider. This widening of the nose is because of nose splints that sometimes get placed in the nose to hold the septum in place during the recovery period. After the splints are removed, and the swelling is gone, your nose adopts normal proportions again.
Black eyes are a common side effect of a nose job and should be expected, although the severity varies from patient to patient.
This is a normal reaction that occurs after rhinoplasty. It happens when the nasal bones are altered, which typically causes some bleeding under your facial skin. Bruising in the under eye area usually appears about 24 hours after the surgery and is at its worst within the first 48 hours.
You should not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol, or make any major decisions for at least 24 hours after surgery. Your anesthesia may make you groggy and it will be hard to think clearly. The effects should wear off in about 24 hours. Limit activities that could make you fall or put more pressure on your face.
As with any major surgery, septoplasty carries risks, such as bleeding, infection and an adverse reaction to the anesthetic. Other possible risks specific to septoplasty include: Continued symptoms, such as nasal obstruction. Excessive bleeding.
When a deviated septum is severe, it can block one side of the nose and reduce airflow, causing difficulty breathing. The exposure of a deviated septum to the drying effect of airflow through the nose may sometimes contribute to crusting or bleeding in certain people.
Hemorrhage, abscesses, scaling, adhesions, and scar tissue are often seen after the operation of the septoplasty, but temporary or permanent visual loss due to local anesthetic use has been reported very rarely in the literature.
A deviated or displaced septum may cause snoring, nosebleeds, create difficulty breathing, and can also cause recurrent sinus infections which can be painful and even disrupt your vision.
Most of the swelling and bruising should disappear within two weeks or so. A little drainage is common during the first few days following surgery, and you may continue to feel some stuffiness for several weeks.
The thing to remember with any surgery that's happening just inside the nose, is no, you are not going to have bruises and you're not going to have a cast on your nose.
Skin flap necrosis is caused by a lack of blood and oxygen to the tissue and may be evident by the 2nd to 4th day following surgery. It often shows as an area of darkness or blood-stained blister on the leading edge of the flap.
Most black eyes heal completely and don't cause any damage to the eye. In an uncomplicated injury, black eyes are treated with self-care at home. Treatment may include: Cold compresses to the eye for the first 24 hours.
Most black eyes are superficial injuries that don't cause any permanent damage to the eye or to the tissues around it. When vision changes after a blow to the eye, it is a warning sign that the injury may be more than a simple bruise.
With a skilled and experienced plastic surgeon, patients can rest assured that their smile will remain intact after rhinoplasty surgery.
SEPTOPLASTY POST-OP
As expected, after septoplasty your surgeon will suggest that you get plenty of rest for the remainder of the day. You'll need somebody to drive you home, and you should try not to touch or rub your nose. Dr. Cohen will recommend that you avoid blowing your nose over the next few weeks.
An asymmetrical nose tip after rhinoplasty is perfectly normal. Patients should expect and understand that swelling won't be the same on each side of their nose, thus causing the asymmetry. Other factors such as scar tissue formation, taping, sutures, and splints can also cause uneven nostrils.