The nose will be very sensitive for approximately a month and a half. The patient will start to see a difference immediately but it will still be swollen. The swelling starts to generally disappear about a week after the cast is removed. Approximately 80% of the swelling and 100% of the discoloration are usually gone by 2 weeks after surgery. 90% of the swelling is gone by two months after surgery and the rest slowly disappears over the next year. Although the nose is still swollen after the first month, most people would not recognize this fact. The patient will not notice this swelling. Instead the patient will notice that the nose becomes more refined with better definition over the first year. The inside of the nose may be swollen for approximately three weeks after the surgery. Nasal breathing may be difficult during this time. If surgery is performed to straighten the nasal septum, an improvement in breathing will be appreciated at about 3 weeks.
