You’ve done your research, had several consultations, selected your surgeon and scheduled the surgery. Now what? Following some prudent “rhinoplasty before and after" suggestions can shorten your recovery, help to protect and preserve your health and improve your outcome. Here’s a typical scenario of things to keep in mind before your rhinoplasty surgery.

The night before the procedure, do not eat or drink anything after midnight. If your doctor has more stringent protective measures, by all means follow them – he’s only looking out for your health and safety. Some patients take this as a license to eat as much as they possibly can until the cutoff time. This is not a good practice as most of what you eat will still be in your digestive system at the time of the surgery. So eat lightly, rest well and go into the surgery at your best.

Arrive early. Your doctor will give you an arrival or check-in time. Whether or not you are having the surgery done as an office procedure or as a hospital patient will affect the amount of time necessary for your check in. Hospitals require more hours for pre-op examinations than offices merely because of the volume of patients they see on a typical day. Most hospitals, these days, have established less formal, lower traffic operating rooms to accommodate plastic surgeons and separate rhinoplasty patients from more serious surgeries. At this point, regardless of your location, you will probably be asked to give blood, perhaps urine samples and to complete any unfinished paperwork. Then you’ll be undressed and placed on a gurney to await anesthesia. Your doctor will visit you before the anesthesia is administered to allay your fears, briefly discuss the surgery about to be performed and to make you feel at ease about the course of events about to unfold.

Prior to the surgery your doctor will have taken “before" photos of the way your nose looks prior to the surgery. As many angles as necessary will be incorporated depending upon the work being performed and the requested final result. In addition, computer simulations of the “finished product", morphed onto your face will be prepared so both you and he are on “the same page" regarding exactly the outcome you are expecting. The doctor will use these photos to plan the sequence of events in the surgery and to guide his artistry in creating your “new look" to the best of his ability.

Once these steps are taken, you will be ready to begin surgery. Soon after, you should have the nose and face that you desire.