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Recovery following rhinoplasty for most patients is less difficult than they expect. In the immediate post-operative period, they can anticipate pain, swelling, bruising, and congestion associated with difficulty breathing through the nose. Pain following rhinoplasty is easily controlled with narcotic pain medications in the first 48 hours. After 48 hours, most patients are switched to double strength Tylenol.
Patients typically have bruising and swelling following rhinoplasty and this is more noticeable if the nasal bones are fractured. This typically lasts one to two weeks following surgery. The swelling and bruising obviously affects the patient’s appearance postoperatively. It also leads to swelling of the internal nasal structures, which leads to congestion and difficulty breathing through nose.