Rhinoplasty Aftercare: What to Do About Glasses

You’ve had your rhinoplasty consultation, scheduled the procedure and know how to prepare yourself for the big day. While you may be excited to relieve yourself of your nasal problems, you need to direct some of your focus forward, to the aftercare that follows the procedure. Rhinoplasty is used to change the appearance and function of the nose by altering its very structure, so you know to expect some swelling and discomfort for some time after. If you’re a glasses wearer, this adds an extra consideration that you can’t afford to neglect.

Glasses are important, of course. Life is significantly more challenging when you can’t see, and not everybody chooses to wear contact lenses when their glasses can’t be worn. Unfortunately, it can take up to six months before a person can comfortably wear their glasses after rhinoplasty. The swelling alone could prevent the glasses from fitting properly, so wearing your usual frames could even become impossible for the initial healing period.

Even worse, wearing glasses during initial recovery can compromise the end result. And nobody wants to go through all of this time, pain and expense only to have their outcome ruined post-op.

So, what is a person to do? You can’t spend your entire recovery period running around blind, after all. Here are some tips to help you out, just in case you insist on wearing glasses and cannot make the transition to contact lenses.

• Choose lighter eyewear. Thin, wire frames are much lighter than thick, plastic frames.
• Wear your glasses only when you have to. It may be uncomfortable to take your glasses off at any time, but it pays to do so when you don’t necessarily need them in the moment.
• Position your glasses lower on your nose. The bridge of the nose is often what swells the most, so avoid wearing glasses higher up toward the bridge.
• If it hurts, take off your glasses. Yes, seeing is important, but so is your comfort. You may have to resign to not wearing your glasses for some time.
• Always, always follow your doctor’s instructions! The importance of following their aftercare plan cannot be overstated. They will know what may and may not compromise the outcome of your rhinoplasty, so listen to the professionals.

Rhinoplasty is a common surgery, but that doesn’t mean that the aftercare can be an afterthought. Wearing glasses after rhinoplasty may be possible for you, but at the end of the day you need to listen to the instructions of your physician.