Rhinoplasty and Riding

[littlemess]

I saw another form in the unrelated regarding a deviated septum but I have some specific questions regarding recovery and riding.

I have a deviated septum, but I have decided to to the rhinoplasty route to fix some cosmetic deformities.

The hardest part of this is I cannot ride my horse. The doctor suggested that I cannot ride for 6 weeks. I was hoping that I could sneak back on after two - and forgo jumping for 6 weeks. Anyone else have any experience with this?

I am considering putting her in full training for for a month, and then 1/2 training for the final two weeks.

Anyone have any input, experiences to share? Or suggestions on how to not go crazy without riding?

[AmmyByNature]

I think you should get one of these:

http://www.pfiwestern.com/pfi/western.wear/itemdetl.html?item=6000-004197&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=feedmanager

And ride!

[FLeventer]

I did not go the Rhinoplasty route when I fixed my deviated septum. After four broken noses, my nose actually looks pretty normal except a small bump in the middle. The inside of my nose though looked horrific with the MRI and I could not drink any bubbly beverage without pain/it coming out of my nose. Breathing was a huge issue and it finally started to effect my life. So I got it fixed. It was four weeks without riding from my doctor.

I was back on a horse within two weeks. Honestly, I’m pretty darn good at keeping my face from being hit while on or around the horses, unlike when I was younger. The two younger horses that I was working with went on a lunge vacation/flatting/walks around the farm instead of jumping because they were a little rambunctious and unpredictable when jumping and I honestly did not want to risk my face meeting their head/neck when I just had the surgery. My experienced horse was psycho, he liked to bolt/rear/act up with little to no warning, so I sent him to spend time with my friend who loved him, for some reason, and he ended up staying there for the rest of his life. I stick pretty darn well and coming off was not the worry, it was the horse slamming me in the face with his head or something hitting me in the face when I rode. It was pretty minimal for the most part, but I lowered the chances even more.

Look at your horse is my first piece of advice. Is the horse calm or is each ride unpredictable? Is he calm on the flat? Could you flat him/light jumping when you are recovering? If you have doubts about him, then look at it this way. Do you want to have to redo the surgery and be out of riding for another long period of time or do you want it to be done once and be done forever and have the nose you always wanted? That is how you have to look at it.

Good luck and I am so glad that I had my septum fixed, it was great for me.

[stolen_virtue]

I had a tough time with the surgery, I did not sleep for 3 days after, since I could not breath. It was very painful, it is a surgery I never want to have again but my sinuses were crushed and I was breathing with only a small portion of my sinuses and having infections that never healed.

Take the time to heal, I rode a few weeks after but if you have the opportunity find a trainer or do other things for 6 weeks.

Edit: I am also so glad to have had the surgery, I did not realize how many sinus headaches I had until I healed up and found no more constant pain.

[PoochPaddock]

[QUOTE=stolen virtue;6881336]
Take the time to heal, I rode a few weeks after but if you have the opportunity find a trainer or do other things for 6 weeks.

Edit: I am also so glad to have had the surgery, I did not realize how many sinus headaches I had until I healed up and found no more constant pain.[/QUOTE]

This^^^ I did not have pain/sinus headaches, but I could not breathe thru my right nostril after a cosmetic procedure to fix a bump that I did not like and had to have 3 subsequent procedures to have the breathing issue fixed.

My first surgery was before I started riding again…the 4th (and last surgery) was 2 years after I started riding again. It was a pain in the a** to not be able to ride during the recovery, but you will be glad you took the time to let your body heal properly. If you bump your nose the wrong way before everything has set where it is supposed to, you could cause enough damage to warrant more surgery. The more scar tissue you create in there, the more residual problems you will have down the road.

FWIW, both surgeons who operated on me only required me to be off for 4 weeks, not 6. As I recall, even after the 1st surgery, when I inquired about a ski trip, the time off was the same 4 weeks.

[sweetiemcdee]

I had a septoplasty to fix my deviated septum a little over a year ago. I wasn’t riding at the time, so it was easy for me to stay away from the horses. Although it was frustrating to not be able to run for a few weeks. My constant sinus headaches and infections before the surgery were so awful you really couldn’t have paid me to go near a horse at the time.

One thing I do remember is that even after my doctor had cleared me to do cardio, I still wasn’t supposed to bend over or do any heavy lifting for a few more weeks. If this is also true in your situation you may find it difficult to ride until further into your recovery for this reason unless somebody is available to groom/tack your horse for you.

[littlemess]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Sorry it took me so long to respond my Internet was out. :mad: My horse is a bit of a hot mess. I am thinking more time might be better… Right now I have arranged for my trainer to ride her the whole month of April (my surgery is the 1st week). Maybe I’ll hop on her for a ride earlier if I feel comfortable. True to what FLeventer said, I’ll keep my nose out of the way. Haha

I never thought my headaches might be connect. It will be interesting to see if they are indeed sinus headaches.

[islgrl]

I would say you will find youself quite protective of your face for a bit so you may find its a bit of a relief to have someone else take over for a bit…

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

[QUOTE=islgrl;6885515]
I would say you will find youself quite protective of your face for a bit so you may find its a bit of a relief to have someone else take over for a bit…[/QUOTE]

This. I had a septoplasty last year. I don’t remember exactly how long before I was back to riding, but it was at least a couple of weeks. I had to wear a surgical mask for barn work during that time, and even with the mask on I was supposed to avoid large quantities of dust. Also, since it was winter when I had it done, I had to wear a balaclava over my face for at least 6 weeks whenever I was outside, to keep my nose warm. The dr said that the septoplasty stripped out the mucus membranes from inside my nose and it takes that long for them to grow back.

[Sing_Mia_Song]

[QUOTE=islgrl;6885515]
I would say you will find youself quite protective of your face for a bit so you may find its a bit of a relief to have someone else take over for a bit…[/QUOTE]

Agreed. My nose hurt for a looong time afterward. I made the mistake of pulling a turtleneck on without holding the neck away from my face and nearly fainted from the pain. Get good pain meds and be prepared to be pretty wiped out for a week or so.

My surgeon (who is also a rider) recommended wearing my helmet whenever I was handling my horse, even if just on the ground. He said that would help if a horse swung its head into my face–which was, in fact, exactly what happened, and I was glad I was wearing said helmet!

I also had a LOT of bloody drainage from my nose the first week. When I woke up from the anesthesia, my surgeon had rigged up this Macgyver-esque sling across my face to keep the gauze pads in place. Imagine a long rubber band knotted in the middle so that it looks like a figure-8. They then taped the ends to my cheekbones so the knot crossed in front of my nostrils and held the gauze pads lightly against my nose. It looked laughable, but it meant I didn’t have to hold a gauze square to my face for days while it dripped blood.

[littlemess]

[QUOTE=BigHorseLittleHorse;6885648]
I had to wear a balaclava over my face for at least 6 weeks whenever I was outside, to keep my nose warm. [/QUOTE]

What’s a balaclava?

[littlemess]

duplicate post

[littlemess]

[QUOTE=Sing Mia Song;6885719]
Agreed. My nose hurt for a looong time afterward. I made the mistake of pulling a turtleneck on without holding the neck away from my face and nearly fainted from the pain. Get good pain meds and be prepared to be pretty wiped out for a week or so.

My surgeon (who is also a rider) recommended wearing my helmet whenever I was handling my horse, even if just on the ground. He said that would help if a horse swung its head into my face–which was, in fact, exactly what happened, and I was glad I was wearing said helmet!

I also had a LOT of bloody drainage from my nose the first week. When I woke up from the anesthesia, my surgeon had rigged up this Macgyver-esque sling across my face to keep the gauze pads in place. Imagine a long rubber band knotted in the middle so that it looks like a figure-8. They then taped the ends to my cheekbones so the knot crossed in front of my nostrils and held the gauze pads lightly against my nose. It looked laughable, but it meant I didn’t have to hold a gauze square to my face for days while it dripped blood.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the helmet idea. I wouldn’t have though of that - this is something I will most certainly put into practice.

Your figure 8 face thing sounds too funny! It sounds like I will only have the splint and some small piece of gauze that will need to pulled out on the second day.

I went to the doctor today and he said that I can ride in 3 weeks! Hurray! That is a lot less time then I was expecting. However, I plan on taking it easy - perhaps not jumping for 6 weeks. He also said that for some reason after you have had your nose done it’s almost instinctual for things (large dog, horse, baby) to want to grab/hit it. I guess it’s the Murphy’s law! Maybe I should ware the helmet at home. haha.

[BreathEasy]

Bought my OTTB about 5 weeks after my nose job. Hopped up and rode him around the farm, lol. He was very calm though, and my DR had cleared me for working out (just no sunglasses for 6 months). I would just say not to push yourself, and listen to your body. I was feeling pretty good after a week and a half and hopped on the eliptical for a light workout, and regretted it afterwards! My nose had this deep dull ache. So that was too soon to ride. Main thing is get a GREAT surgeon! Preferably one that specializes in facial plastic surgery. Mine was purely cosmetic, and the best money I have ever spent. I LOVE my nose, have never once thought I made the wrong decision for a minute. Prepare to be zonked on meds the first week and figure out a comfortable way to sleep sitting up.
Good luck!

[rockonxox]

Old post… seems like an advertisement for the link listed.

[Vrr123]

I would recommend to everyone who underwent a nose job to take good amount of rest before stepping out. The skin of the nose is very sensitive to the sun following surgery and it is important that you wear sunscreen (factor 30 or more) and a hat for at least 6 months. The nose may feel a little stiff and numb for up to 3 months, particularly around the tip. Aftercare is very important to avoid suffering in the long run.

http://nosecontour.com/plastic-surgery-nose.html