saddle nose surgery???

[freakyschizogirl]

Hi Leigh

[mama2005]

Hey nessa, I have not had the surgery yet but am schedule for it in febuary and like you I have to have the floating rib removed and rib cartlidge to build me the nose. I am having it done by dr fritz in cc. Now it started out that my insurance wouldn't pay but then after reading my insurance policy book it states that cosmetic surgery is covered as long as it was created by a disease. My nose is the worst that my dr has seen so he said that by rebuilding it, it may help with the breathing but he is not able to fix the septum yet so he said that there is no gaurentee that I will breath better. He is keeping me over night and said the most pain that i will have is at the rib site. Brusing and swelling will be in the face but not been complained about being overly painful this is what my dr has told me. hopefully this helps good luck.

[JanW]

I am now scheduled to have the surgery 2/1 so if anyone knows anything more about it, let me know. You guys have pretty much been echoing what Dr. Lebovics and the plastic surgeon Dr. Khosh has said. Painful at the harvesting site, and it takes about 5 hours (Dr. Khosh says it's very exacting trying to shave down the cartilage to get it exactly right. The weirdest thing I thought was that you won't have feeling on the front part of your nose any more, and that it will feel stiffer than a normal nose. Still I am nervous/looking forward to it although my saddle isn't very severe. Insurance will certainly pay - it is considered reconstructive, not plastic/cosmetic, as my wonderful Dr. L. pointed out many times.

[Brooke]

I had it done a couple of years ago. My ENT took cartilage from behind my ear. Hardly any pain, short surgery, easy recovery. I can feel my nose and it looks good so far! Good luck to you!

[Sangye]

ROTFL Brooke just blew all your concerns outta the water, Jan!

[elephant]

Good luck JanW! I am everything will go well for you.

[Ashley]

I had saddle nose surgery on December 15th and was a lot less painful than I though it would be. My doctor used rib cartiledge to rebuild my nose and I love how it turned out. The rib site is sore after surgery and was for about 5 days. My nose wasnt very painful either. I had a cast on it for about 5 days which was then removed by the doctor and basically kinda popped off. All the stitches in my nose and at the rib where dissolving so I never had to have any stitches removed. I was put on antibiotics following the surgery - my doctor said he puts all his wegeners patients on antibiotics to prevent infection because that seems to be a problem for us. Luckily, I am doing well and had no post op infections either. It was covered for me bc it was caused by Wegeners. I am so glad i had it done and was a lot easier and less painful than I anticipated. I was able to go back to work 2 weeks after my surgery with no problems thus far.

Good luck to those having the surgery!

[mama2005]

Thanks for your post ashley I go on 2/28 to have the surgery done with rib bone and cartlidge. Did they keep you over night? My doc wants an over night stay? the cast is it hard or soft? I know these are odd queations but I have a little boy who is autistic so I am trying to get an idea of what it may look and feel like so I can make one to show him before the surgery so that I can introduce it to him before all the swelling and brusing. he doesn't deal with change well.

[Brooke]

I wonder why some docs use rib cartilage vs ear,,, seems like ear would be easier?

[mama2005]

I know why my doctor is doing the rib for me is that he also needs the bone. Some reasons why they use the rib is that it is a stronger cartilage and there is moore to use. If you don't have a sever saddle nose and only need small amounts the ear is a much easier location but for others they need more cartilage.