Diet

          There is no restriction on your diet.  You may resume your regular diet immediately after surgery.

Activity

          You will be asked to keep the head of your bed elevated while you sleep.  You should also keep your head up during the day and avoid bending over.  This helps with the swelling.  You should avoid strenuous activity for the first two weeks.  It is also important to wear sunblock and to stay out of the sun for several months.  In terms of your return back to work, this depends on the extent of your surgery.  You may have a little longer recovery period, if your surgery required breaking the nasal bones.  You are usually able to return back to work in ten days to two weeks with make-up.  If you wear glasses and your surgery required breaking the nasal bones, you will need to refrain from wearing glasses for several weeks.  However, after several weeks, you are able to exercise vigorously and do your normal daily activities.

Wound Care

          After nose surgery, you will be wearing a dressing (splint) on your nose.  This will be removed after seven to ten days.  You may notice a small amount of bleeding from your nose after the surgery.  You may also notice that you will be breathing out of your mouth for the first week after surgery.  If you had stitches placed on the outside of your nose, they will be removed within the first week.  The stitches placed on the inside (nostrils) will dissolve by themselves.  You will notice that your nose will be grossly swollen after your surgery.  The swelling may  become worse after the first week of surgery, but after that time it will continue to decrease and improve.  It may, however, take several months for the swelling to completely resolve.   The sensation of the skin of your nose may be dulled.  The sensation also usually returns with time.