Dr Aran Aso — Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Aftercare

Rhinoplasty Recovery

Guidance for swelling, congestion, sleeping position, nasal care, activity, and urgent warning signs after rhinoplasty.

If something feels urgent, do not wait on this website.

Contact the clinical team promptly. For severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, use local emergency services or the nearest appropriate emergency department. This website is not monitored as an emergency service.

These are general instructions. Follow the written and verbal plan given for your own operation when it differs.

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All procedures

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  • Use these instructions as general guidance only. If your surgeon or clinic team gave you different instructions, follow the clinic instructions.
  • Keep your follow-up appointment even if you feel well. Early review helps the clinic notice small issues before they become larger problems.

What is usually normal

  • Light bloody drainage or pink fluid from the nose can happen during the first 24 to 48 hours.
  • Congestion, pressure, reduced smell, mild headache, bruising around the eyes, and poor sleep are common in the first week.
  • Swelling improves slowly. The bridge may settle earlier, while the tip can stay firm or swollen for longer.

Positioning and sleeping

  • Sleep on your back with your head elevated about 30 to 45 degrees until the clinic tells you otherwise.
  • Avoid bending forward, straining, heavy lifting, or lowering your head below your heart in the early recovery period.

Nasal care

  • Do not blow your nose until the clinic clears you. If you need to sneeze, sneeze with your mouth open.
  • Use saline spray or rinses only as instructed. If rinses are allowed, use sterile, distilled, or boiled-then-cooled water.
  • Do not remove splints, tapes, or internal supports yourself. Keep them dry unless the clinic gives different instructions.

Activity and medicines

  • Walk gently around the home several times a day, but keep exercise light until the surgeon clears you.
  • Take prescribed antibiotics, pain medicine, sprays, and ointments exactly as directed.
  • Avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory medicines, smoking, nicotine, and alcohol unless your surgeon says they are safe for you.

Call the clinic urgently

  • Bleeding that flows steadily, fills the drip pad quickly, or does not slow with head elevation needs urgent review.
  • Call for worsening one-sided nasal blockage with severe pressure, rapidly increasing swelling, fever, pus, bad odor, or spreading redness.
  • Call after any bump or injury to the nose, new severe headache, eye swelling that closes the eye, or any vision concern.

Emergency signs

  • Seek emergency care now for chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, severe uncontrolled bleeding, or a fast irregular heartbeat.
  • Seek urgent care for new one-sided calf swelling, warmth, redness, or cramping, especially after body or breast surgery.
  • After eye surgery or facial fillers, sudden vision change, severe eye pain, or stroke-like symptoms should be treated as an emergency.

Dr Aran Aso · +964 774 400 1515

https://aranaso.com/aftercare/rhinoplasty