By the time I met my revision rhinoplasty surgeon, Short Hills, NJ facial plastic surgeon Alexander Ovchinsky, MD I had already gone to see five other surgeons. I had two previous rhinoplasties and from the very start, Dr. Ovchinsky was honest about the difficulty of my case and never promised perfection. This was important to me after having had two failed attempts at the perfect nose. I knew that this time the surgery would be much more difficult than my first or second.
Two Prior Rhinoplasties
My first two rhinoplasty surgeries were done by the same doctor, and I recall during the consultation he kept promising me a perfect little nose but wouldn’t go into depth about his surgical approach or do a morph. At the time, I did not think anything of it, I was so impatient to get the surgery.
I remember waking up from my primary septorhinoplasty in unbelievable pain everywhere on my face. I threw up multiple times in the recovery room and on the car ride home. The next few days of recovery were awful as well—I was on really strong pain killers but was in immense pain the whole time. Once the cast removal day came, I was so disappointed when I saw my nose. The entire experience was an emotional rollercoaster for me and did not give me the results I wanted.
For my revision surgery with the same doctor, it was very frustrating because he tried to rectify the deformities caused by the primary surgery and while the pain was less this time around, I was incredibly disappointed with the cast removal. It was an awful experience to go through multiple surgeries and be disappointed each time.
A Careful Restoration
My experience with Dr. Ovchinsky however was completely different. From the start, I knew that he was an expert in rhinoplasty surgery. He told me his approach, did a thorough exam, and also did a preview morph image that showed me the desired result ahead of time.
When I woke up from surgery, I felt really sleepy but not in pain. I felt like a million bucks in comparison to my first surgery. The pain stayed about the same level for the most part even once I got home. There was no day where I felt like the pain was overwhelming.
Choosing the Right Surgeon
It took three tries, but my last procedure finally gave me the result I wanted. I think the best advice to give anyone considering this procedure is to take your time with choosing a doctor. I genuinely believe that the doctor you choose will determine how your recovery is. Go to multiple consultations, ask silly questions if you need to, do research and trust your gut.
Also, swelling is a big part of rhinoplasty surgery. Your nose will have good days and bad days, but you have to give it time to heal—it’s worth it. Saline sprays and humidifiers will be wonderful at clearing congestion and helping you breathe better. And the last piece of advice is to give yourself time to rest afterwards. You need time to heal after surgery and being well rested and relaxed will make the healing journey easier.
