Full Recovery Time from Closed Rhinoplasty

Hello,For a closed rhinoplasty I usually allow my patients to resume all activities 6 weeks post op. Heavy physical activity (running, jogging, heavy weight lifting, downward face poses for yoga/pilates) are restricted until after week 6.Hope this helps, Deepak Dugar, MDScarless Rhinoplasty ExpertBeverly Hills, CA 90210

For the most part, 95% of your healing should be completed by 3-6 months after surgery at which point you can resume unrestricted physical activity.

Fully recovered and fully healed might mean two different things.

Fully healed takes as long as a year (or more!). As for recovery, I usually tell my patients that they can do light cardio at a week, full workouts by two weeks, and no contact to the nose for six weeks.

As for martial arts...well, unless the art you practice can never result in a blow to the face, I'd say never. Otherwise it'd be like taking a brand new Mercedes to the demolition derby. :-)

Good luck,

--DCP

 Thank you for your question, I believe that six weeks is the approximate time before you can do very heavy or strenuous activity. Now granted, any contact sports I really tell patients to go slow or wait even six months. At the six week mark most of the bone has completely healed and settled. At six weeks you can do more heavy activity such as lifting and aerobic exercises.The swelling will still take a total of one year to completely resolve with some minor changes occurring after that as well.

Each physician have different guidelines regarding post operative care. Typically, light activity can resume 5 to 7 days post surgery. More strenuous activity may be resumed 3 to 8 weeks post surgery. Sun protection for months (if not for the first year) post rhinoplasty is key. Full healing will require a year or so. Consult with your surgeon regarding your case as he or she will know the scope of surgery and the specifics about you.

In general, your nose has less natural protection from the sun right after rhinoplasty. All the tissue was just elevated off of the internal structure of the nose, including the bone and cartilage, and blood vessels were coagulated in order to do this. There fore we weakened the nose's natural defense since we weakened its blood supply. This blood supply grows back , but it can take quite a bit of time to happen. In the first 6 weeks, your nose is less naturally resistant to UV rays and is more likely to burn and get discolored. Also, since your nose is mostly numb early on, its less likely that you are to notice the problem until its too late. I recommend you stay out of the sun as much as possible in the first 6 weeks after surgery. If you are in the sun for short periods of time, stay in the shade, and wear a big hat and a good sunblock. Do not wear sun glasses in the first 6 weeks, or any glasses for that matter, if osteotomies were performed, (breaking of the nasal bones). You can get your nose wet as soon as the splint comes off, but I would be careful about chlorinated pools early on until the incision is fully healed an more mature, as the chlorine can irritate the incision. The gym and anything that increases you blood pressure will increase the swelling of your nose and delay your healing time. I recommend 6 weeks for this as well. Sometimes it can take longer for your skin to mature, even a year and more in some cases. I suggest that you wear sun block for at least a year every day while out in the sun.Best Wishes, Pablo Prichard, MD

Full healing after a closed or open rhinoplasty will take a year. It is important to not get hit in the nose for at least a month or two after the rhinoplasty. You should use a sunblock for the first couple of months after the surgery as well. Normal exercise can be resumed approximately two weeks after the surgery.

Most patients can go back to full activity by about 6 weeks. If you took a hit to the nose during martial arts, it may break. But it will take up to a year and sometimes longer to see the final results.

You ask two questions. We generally say full recovery takes about one year, but this will vary depending on what was done during the surgery; for example, extensive grafting will delay healing. Thick skin may also prolong the healing process. The second question relates to physical activity. I usually lift all restrictions after 6 weeks. It is always best to follow your surgeon's directions.

Most surgeons believe that your nasal bones have healed by six weeks. I don't personally limit my patients from things like martial art after six weeks. However, let the buyer beware: you likely spent a fair amount of money on your nose and you don't want to re-injure it. I encourage patients to limit activty for the first six weeks and to use common sense after that. In my experience it does take a full year to reach maximum improvement from all swelling, soreness, etc. that may exist. It's usually best to follow the recommendations of your specific surgeon.