The first week after a nose job in Brazil, day by day.

Why the first week matters more for traveling patients

A patient who lives in Maringa can wake up, rest at home and come back to the clinic in ten minutes. A patient flying in from another state or another country is planning hotel nights, a companion's time off work and a return ticket. That is why the first week deserves a precise map.

The good news is that early rhinoplasty recovery is fairly standardized. Pain is usually mild. The real limitations are congestion, swelling and the external cast. Nothing in that list requires a hospital bed beyond the first night, but all of it requires being close to the surgical team.

If you are organizing the trip itself, the practical checklist for exams, documents and length of stay is detailed on the international patients page.

Day 0: surgery day

You arrive at the hospital fasting, with preoperative exams already reviewed. Rhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia, or sedation in selected cases, and usually takes 3 to 5 hours. Revision cases and structural grafting take longer.

Surgeries are performed at the Saine Health Complex, a boutique hospital in Maringa with eleven operating rooms, adult and neonatal ICU and intensivists on site around the clock. Inpatient stay after rhinoplasty is 12 to 24 hours, which means most patients spend one night and go back to the hotel the next day.

You wake up with an external cast on the dorsum. In most cases there is no nasal packing. A thin silicone splint may be placed inside the nose in some cases and stays about ten days.

Days 1 and 2: congestion, ice and sleeping upright

This is the most uncomfortable stretch, and discomfort comes mostly from the stuffiness. Breathing through the mouth at night dries the throat. Light bleeding or pink discharge in the first 48 to 72 hours is expected, and a temperature up to 38 degrees Celsius in the first two days can occur.

Three habits matter more than anything else:

• Keep the head elevated around 30 degrees, including while sleeping, for at least ten days.
• Use cold compresses on the cheeks and around the eyes during the first two weeks, never pressing on the nose.
• Never blow your nose. Saline rinses and gentle cleaning of the nostrils replace it.

Walking around the hotel room is encouraged. Long walks, heat and bending forward are not.

Day 3: the peak, and then the turn

Swelling and periorbital bruising typically peak around the third day. Eyelids can look purple and puffy, and the upper lip may feel stiff. Numbness of the upper lip, nasal tip and front teeth is common and can last up to three months as sensory nerves recover.

This is the day patients most often worry. It is also the day the curve starts turning. From here, bruising fades a little every morning. Most of it is gone by day ten to fifteen, and makeup can usually cover the rest after the surgeon releases it.

Days 4 to 6: feeling human again

Energy returns. Most people stop needing scheduled pain medication, sleep better and start eating normally. Short walks outside are fine with sun protection, since the cast and healing skin should not be exposed to direct sun.

This is also when the first in person follow up usually happens in Maringa, so the team can check the cast, the suture line in open approach cases and the internal splint when one was used.

Still off limits during this window: glasses resting on the nose, gym, pools, beach, alcohol in excess and any activity with risk of impact.

Day 7: cast removal and clearance to fly

The external aquaplast cast comes off around day seven. The nose underneath looks swollen and often slightly upturned. That is normal and temporary. Taping is then used for about one more week to help control edema.

After cast removal, flying is generally released. Many patients schedule the return flight for day eight or nine, leaving a margin in case the surgeon prefers one extra check.

What you see at this point is far from the final result. Rhinoplasty results settle over 6 to 12 months, and up to 18 months in thick skin or revision cases. The digital simulation discussed in the consultation reflects roughly 60 to 70 percent of the final shape, which is why it is used as a conversation tool and not as a contract.

Week one at a glance

Day	What to expect	What you can do
0	Surgery, cast placed, one night in hospital	Rest, ice, head elevated
1	Discharge to hotel, congestion, light bleeding	Saline rinses, short walks indoors
2	Swelling rising, possible low fever	Cold compresses, soft diet
3	Peak bruising and swelling	Patience, hydration, no bending
4 to 5	Bruising starts fading, energy returns	Short outdoor walks with SPF
6	Follow up visit, cast check	Light routine activities
7	Cast removed, taping started	Flight usually released

Normal versus worth a call

The team is reachable by WhatsApp during the whole stay, in Portuguese, English or Spanish. Use it without hesitation.

Expected in week one: stuffiness, pink nasal discharge, bruising, mild headache, numb lip and teeth, crusting inside the nostrils, a nose that looks wider or more upturned than you imagined.

Worth contacting the team: bleeding that soaks gauze repeatedly, fever above 38 degrees after the second day, increasing one sided pain or swelling, calf pain or shortness of breath, or anything that simply feels wrong to you.

Planning the stay in Maringa

The recommended plan for patients coming from outside is to arrive one or two days before surgery, allowing time for the in person evaluation, final photographs and preoperative review, then stay about seven days until the cast is removed. A companion during the first week is strongly recommended.

Maringa has direct flights from Sao Paulo and Curitiba, and is reachable by road from inland Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraguay. The clinic is on Avenida Cidade de Leiria, in Zona 01, with partner parking next door, and the team can suggest hotels close by.

Later follow ups at one, three, six and twelve months can be done in person or online. The surgical plan itself, whether it involves dorsal preservation, ultrasonic instruments or structural grafting, influences swelling and taping time, and is always defined individually.

When to see Dr. Sella

If you are considering rhinoplasty and will be traveling for it, the first step is a teleconsultation. It covers your goals, breathing complaints, previous surgeries and medical history, and gives a realistic idea of technique, time in Brazil and recovery before you book anything.

Dr. Sella is an otolaryngologist with a doctorate from HCFMRP-USP and published work on preservation rhinoplasty, and he evaluates both the function and the shape of the nose in the same consultation. Indication, risks and the recovery plan are individual and defined only after a full assessment. You can reach the team through the contact page.