Unhappy with Rhinoplasty Results After One Month - What Should I Do?

First and foremost, do not panic. Early changes after rhinoplasty are influenced by swelling and do not necessarily reflect the end result nor what was done during your operation. Trust your instincts and talk to your doctor about your concerns. There may be a perfectly good explanation for what you’re seeing. Sometimes, reassurance is all that is needed. Once the cast comes off your nose, the natural tendency is to stare in the mirror for far too long- looking for the smallest of... more

One month after surgery it is impossible to determine the final result. Even if you are correct, and the nose will not satisfy you or your surgeon, nothing can or should be done until the swelling has resolved. At this time, be patient and share your concerns with your surgeon. 

At this point, reassurance from the surgeon’s standpoint is most important. Remember there is still a large amount of swelling present in the nose even after one month and full healing has not even begun to take place yet. Consult your surgeon about cortisone shots in the nose tip to decrease swelling, and reevaluate often with your surgeon for the first year. Do not consider revision rhinoplasty for at least a year after the surgery.

Hopefully your rhinoplasty surgeon reviewed the recovery process with you prior to having undergone the surgery and you are just seeking some reassurance. Rhinoplasty healing can be frustrating for some patients as the nose goes through various phases of healing. In most cases, it takes about 10-12 months for the nose to evolve into its final shape. Judging your rhinoplasty results at the one month mark is simply premature. Give it more time to morph and heal. Intervening this early in... more

   Be patient you are still very swollen. Talk with your physician and let him/her know that you are unhappy. Try to explain the things that are bothering you and see if the explanations given seem logical to you. You should not have surgery for at least 6 months to see where your results will finally land. If after the facts your physician is not very cooperative seek a second opinion.  Good Luck

It is still too early to tell what your final results will be. Some portions of the nose will take longer to heal then others, and the type of techniques used to improve your nose will vary in how long they take to heal. I would suggest that you return to your surgeon for further advise as he/she would know what was done to the nose. The link below will take you to a rhinoplasty recvoery video journey that will show you one patient throughout her recovery process.

In another post I discuss the three phases of healing after a rhinoplasty. In short, the first phase is 2-3 weeks, then 2-3 months, and finally up to one year. You are just getting through the second phase. Your nose is still very swollen. You need to remain patient (not easy to do) and allow more time to see the real results. It can take up to a year for all the swelling to go down. Don't be quick to judge the results. And definitely do NOT rush into a revision. Give it a full year. If... more

 Patience...It is very early in the post-operative recovery period. Over the next 2 months, a significant amount of swelling will be reduced and you should start to see improvement in the results. it is important to follow up with your surgeon during this time, as occasionally steroids may be (cautiously) used to help control post-operative scar tissue. Good Luck.

It can take up to six months, sometimes even a year, to see the final result in the tip of the nose. But there are many other causes of dissatisfaction. However, I do not advise that you consider revision surgery for a minimumof six months after the initial operation. After that, get another opinion.

1 month is way too early to make a determination regarding your rhinoplasty result. It can take a full year to see your final results.