Problems after you get home

Most patients who return home after rhinoplasty heal without a serious problem. But if something does go wrong, you are far from your surgeon, and you may not know who to call. This guide tells you which signs are emergencies, which need a call to your surgeon, and how to arrange local help and records. Read it before you travel, not after.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you think you are in danger, call emergency services.

Which signs are emergencies?

Call your emergency number for any of these. In the EU use 112, in the UK 999, and in Albania 127 for an ambulance. Do not drive yourself.

• Trouble breathing. Cleveland Clinic lists trouble breathing among the signs to act on at once after nose surgery, and says to seek emergency care right away for severe symptoms.
• A nosebleed that will not stop. The NHS says to go to A&E if it lasts longer than 10 to 15 minutes, seems excessive, makes you vomit from swallowed blood, or comes with weakness or dizziness. Ask someone to take you, or call an ambulance, and bring your medicines. Cleveland Clinic lists heavy, uncontrollable nosebleed as a reason to call your provider immediately.
• Signs of a blood clot. The NHS lists throbbing pain in one leg, swelling in one leg, and red, blue or darkened skin. If you also have shortness of breath or chest pain, it says to call emergency services or go to A&E. Surgery and long journeys are both listed risk factors.
• Confusion or disorientation, neck stiffness or a severe headache. Cleveland Clinic lists these among its immediate-call signs after septoplasty, along with fever.

Which signs need a call to your surgeon today?

Call the operating surgeon or clinic the same day for these. Cleveland Clinic lists them as reasons to contact your provider:

• difficulty breathing;
• nausea or vomiting;
• signs of infection, such as fever or yellow discharge;
• severe pain, or pain that worsens despite medication;
• uncontrolled nosebleeds.

For septoplasty, Cleveland Clinic gives more detail: a fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit (about 39 degrees Celsius), or a fever lasting two days. StatPearls adds one more: a septal haematoma, which is a collection of blood in the septum, should be recognised and drained promptly to prevent infection.

You should expect some things that are normal. Cleveland Clinic says swelling on one side only in the first weeks is a normal healing response, and MedlinePlus says the tip can stay swollen and numb for months. See swelling month by month.

How do you reach your surgeon from home?

Set up the contact before you leave Albania. Ask the clinic for:

1. A named person and a phone or messaging number that is answered at night.
2. The languages in which they can answer.
3. How fast they reply, and how to send photos.
4. A written plan for what happens if you have a complication, and where follow-up takes place. The NHS advises asking exactly this.

When you contact them, send clear photos in daylight (front, both sides, below), say what day after surgery it is, list your symptoms and temperature, and say what medicines you have taken. Keep their replies.

How do you get your records?

Ask for them before you leave, and ask again if you did not receive them. You need:

• an operation note that says what was done (technique, grafts, where cartilage came from, whether the septum was treated);
• the names and licence numbers of the surgeon and anaesthetist;
• medicines and anaesthetic given;
• your before and after photos;
• the written aftercare instructions and revision terms;
• invoices.

ASPS warns that local doctors may not know which techniques the original surgeon used, which can make treatment hard or nearly impossible. A written operation note solves much of that. If the clinic will not give you one, record that fact too.

How do you find local follow-up?

Use your local emergency service for emergencies, and a local nose specialist for everything else. The NHS says overseas clinics may not have a healthcare professional near your home that you can see if problems arise.

• Emergencies. Go to the emergency department. Take your records and a list of medicines. Say that you had nose surgery abroad and on which date.
• Non-urgent worries. See your own doctor, who can refer you to an ENT or plastic surgeon. If you live in Italy, a surgeon in Italy can do this check.
• Choosing a specialist. See plastic surgeon or ENT surgeon.
• Insurance. The NHS says travel insurance normally does not cover problems arising from surgery, so ask what you would pay for.

ASPS adds that finding a qualified surgeon to treat a complication or do a revision can be difficult, and that revision is often more complicated than the original operation. Plan for this before you book.

What if you are unhappy with the result?

Wait before deciding, unless there is a medical problem. Swelling hides the result for months. Cleveland Clinic says full results usually appear after one year, and StatPearls says revision is generally delayed 6 to 12 months. When it is time, read revision rhinoplasty and ask the original clinic what its written revision terms say. If worry about your appearance is taking over your days, talk to your doctor. That is a health concern in its own right and nothing to be ashamed of.

Next steps

Read aftercare once you are home and rhinoplasty risks and complications. Before booking, use questions to ask a clinic to make sure the follow-up plan is written down.