Chances of Scar Tissue and Other Complications from Rhinoplasty?

asked 2 years ago by kenzo4000 in Toronto Ontario
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 1,149 times
Tags: nose, complication, scar, scar tissue

Hi, I was wondering what the chances are of scar tissue build up and other complications after Rhinoplasty.

I have heard several stories of individuals who have gotten scar tissue build up. Another story of an individual who was happy with his rhinoplasty for 15 years and suddenly the nose started taking on a weird shape.

This is my biggest concern and no doctor has answered this question fully. Considering Rhinoplasty is a complicated procedure and nose can be totally altered, wouldn't it take stranger shape after so many years due to genetics?

10 answers to Chances of Scar Tissue and Other Complications from Rhinoplasty?

Complications after Rhinoplasty

Complications are possible after any operation. Scarring after rhinoplasty may occur, but this is rarely a significant problem when done by an experienced surgeon. Remember, all body parts change during the aging process. Occasionally, I'll see senior citizens who want a revision of a nose that was done many years before. I recently saw two relatively young women whose noses I did 25 years ago. These two friends still looked good, but there may be changes as they age.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Potential complications of Rhinoplasty

Hello, Rhinoplasty is a complicated procedure that takes a true professional to perform correctly. A good surgeon will be familiar with the way the nose may respond to the surgery, and plan for how the nose will look for years down the road. What may look good on the table immediately following surgery may not look good 15 years later and further. Shrink wrappage of the skin and three dimensional healing can alter the future shape of the nose especially if an aggressive surgery was... more

Paul S. Nassif, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Complications after rhinoplasty

Your concern with complications following rhinoplasty surgery are certainly valid. There are both short and long term complications associated with the procedure and your surgeon will make you aware of these. We take these complications very seriously even if they are only minor and spend a great deal of time during surgery to insure that they do not occur. I have treated many patients for revision rhinoplasty and although there can be some bad initial work performed, people heal with... more

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD
Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgeon

Possibility of scar tissue after rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty can be a difficult operation to perform, and you need to make sure your surgeon has performed thousands of rhinoplasties when doing your research. The revision rate or touch-up rate for rhinoplasty is approximately 10% to 20% depending upon the surgeon’s qualifications and abilities. The most common area for scar tissue to build up in the nose after a rhinoplasty is in the supratip area, which can be addressed through multiple cortisone injections, which, if not... more

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Scar tissue other complications from rhinoplasty

With any surgical procedure, there are always chances of complications. The degree of subcutaneous scar tissue that develops leading to prominence, especially in the region just superior to the nasal tip, is unpredictable. Subcutaneous scar tissue is usually treatable and does not present as a serious problem. There are numerous other potential complications from rhinoplasty that may include breathing problems and disfigurement. Extraordinary bleeding is also a potential problem. Although... more

Sigmund L. Sattenspiel, MD
Freehold Facial Plastic Surgeon

Long term complications of rhinoplasty are rare

There are very few complications of rhinoplasty such as infection, bleeding, etc. The aesthetic complications show up in the first 1-2 years. The better the surgeon, the fewer complications like these he will have-but all surgeons have them. As the nose ages we loose fat and there is thinning of the skin and we then can see the more irregularities. This happens to all noses.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Thin skin and strong nasal cartilage can lead to tip irregularities after your Rhinoplasty Surgery.

Scar tissue forms in everyone after Rhinoplasty Surgery. This is the main reason why Revision Rhinoplasty is such a difficult operation. I have seen some patients that developed thick scar tissue (seen at Revision Rhinoplasty) after their original nose job. When you refer to irregularities in the nose seen years after surgery, this is typically seen in white patients with thin skin, and firm tip cartilage. It's not scar tissue, but irregular cartilage. I have found this... more

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Scar tissue after rhinoplasty

Excessive scar tissue after rhinoplasty is something that I have never encountered. I suppose that it could occur with placing grafts that can warp or curl if not properly placed. But, actual scar tissue from a non-grafted nose, I have never seen unless there was some underlying medical condition that could cause nasal erosion.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty Changes are Rare After 1-2 Years

Assuming that your Rhinoplasty is performed by stabilizing the various parts of the nose with cartilage grafts, then the result should be stable after 1-2 years. What you see in a few months will almost certainly remain that way for your lifetime. I have not seen noses spontaneously "collapse" 15 years later. Did this other individual have skin cancer? Need facial radiation? Use cocaine? Sometimes we don't know the whole history of the stories that circulate on the internet.... more

Michael C. Pickart, MD
Ventura Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty Complications Over the Years

HI Kenzo, As with any surgical procedure there are risks and complications associated with rhinoplasty. The key to avoiding late, long term changes in the nose ("shrink-wrap " pinching after a few years being most common) is to maintain strong, stable support of the nasal boney and cartilaginous skeleton at the time of the surgery. Some patients are more prone to scar tissue formation than others. Those with thick, oily skin are more likely to develop scar tissue than those with... more