I am five weeks post open rhinoplasty. I had a tension nose with a pronounced hump and droopy tip. Everything has gone very well, and I was extremely pleased upon removal of the cast, splints, etc... At that time, my hump was gone, the front and sides of my nose were very smooth, and my tip no longer drooped.
However, over the last couple of weeks I have developed bumps on both sides of my nose - on the right side just next to my eye, and on the left side a little lower than my eye. The bump on the left is fairly significant and hard. It makes my nose look crooked - similar to Owen Wilson's nose. I realize that it can take up to a year to achieve final results.
My surgeon has been great, but his response to my bumps is 'we will just wait and see'. However, I need to know if this is common and how likely these bumps are to go away. People are even starting to comment that my nose looks crooked.
Please share your experiences with me, so that I have some idea of what I am dealing with. Is this likely part of the healing process, or should I be concerned?
Thank you,
Nancy
Post-Rhinoplasty is a waiting game. Once the splint is removed, swelling ensues and may change the appearance of the nose. Be patient and you have to give it some time. I would wait 6-12 months before making a decision about doing anything else.
The bumps you describe sound like swelling in the area where the bones are broken to achieve the desired result. The swelling in a rhinoplasty can be slow in resolving.
My advice is to ignore your friends and relax.
Hi Nancy,
Recovering from Rhinoplasty surgery can be a difficult and frustrating time for Patients and Physicians.
Due to the complex anatomy of the nose and the extensive nature of surgery (bone is broken, cartilage removed, etc) the healing time is indeed close to a year. During this time as scar tissue develops and bones heal into place many changes can be seen in the appearance of your nose. The majority of these changes are temporary and as healing occurs a more accurate view of your results will unveil themselves.
In the meantime continue to follow closely with your Physician and express any and all concerns you have with them. He / She should explain to you exactly what is going on, what to expect in the weeks ahead and what other care, if any, would be needed.
Since you have already met with your Surgeon then I am going to assume that any major issues like infection, nasal bones not setting properly or hematoma formation have been ruled out as causing the bumps.
Time, your natural healing process and continued follow up with your Surgeon will all add up to get you through this recovery process in great shape.
Thank you,
Dr. Kamran Jafri
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