Swelling after rhinoplasty

Yes - it is very normal to have significant swelling at 3 weeks.  Generally at 1 month, most people you meet for the first time will not know that you have had nasal surgery, but the swelling will take much longer to resolve.  Typically, it takes 6 months for swelling to disappear from the bridge, and 1 year or longer for tip and sidewall swelling to resolve.  An easy way to watch the resolution of swelling it to monitor the dents caused by sunglasses.  They will become smaller and smaller with time. 

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The amount of swelling and how long it persists after rhinoplasty depends on several factors such as the surgeon's technique, open versus closed approach, whether the nasal bones were broken, and the number of prior nasal surgeries. 

Patients in whom open rhinoplasty techniques were used, cases in which the nasal bones were broken, and a history of one or more previous nasal surgeries often will have more prolonged swelling.

During the first week, most patients will have moderate swelling . Usually, by the end of the second week, much of the bruising and swelling have subsided to the point that it is not obvious to the casual observer that the patient has had surgery.

However, the nose will look swollen or puffy to the patient for 3 to 4 months. It usually takes a full year for the residual swelling to resolve and the final result be apparent.

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For patients undergoing rhinoplasty, swelling is not uncommon. In some approaches to rhinoplasty, swelling may persist for a year or longer. In general, most of the swelling will be gone in about a month. There are many factors which can aggravate swelling and can change this timing though. If you have a concern, I would suggest visiting with the surgeon who performed the proedure to ask them if this is something that is normal.

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