The patient is allowed to go home about 2 to 3 hours after surgery once the recovery is complete. During the first 24 hours, ice compresses are applied to the eyes 10 minutes for every hour while the patient is awake. This helps to reduce swelling and bruising. Typically, there is no pain associated with this procedure. The nose may be stuffy for several days and this gradually resolves.
The patient is seen the day after surgery to make sure he or she is doing well. The patient is then seen again 5 days after surgery. At this time the splint is removed. While the nose may be swollen, it will look better than it did before the surgery. About 70 % of the swelling resolves in the first 3 weeks. The remaining 30% takes about 6 months. This 30% is rarely perceptible to the patient or public.