I Am Not Happy with my Rhinoplasty? What Can I Do?

asked 4 months ago by aliyaali in new york, ny
Latest answer by Richard W. Fleming, MD
Question viewed 181 times
Tags: 1 week post-op, bigger, bulbous, swelling, unhappy

I had rhinoplasty a week ago. I had a hump in my nose and the hump is now gone. However, my main concern was my nose was too wide and my surgeon agreed to remove some skin around the alar base. I had the cast removed on Thursday and my nose looks even bigger. I have a bulbulos tip and my skin is thick. I am not happy at all with the results. Do I have any rights? I spent over $9,000 to get this. What should I ask my surgeon to do at this point?

8 answers to I Am Not Happy with my Rhinoplasty? What Can I Do?

Unhappy with Rhinoplasty Result 1 Week Post-op

One week after rhinoplasty surgery you have a right to be patient and evaluate your result after healing has progressed and the swelling has resolved. Your nose will continue to change for at least a year, especially in a patient like you with thick skin. Ask your surgeon to continue to answer your questions and monitor your improvement.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Not happy with rhinoplasty

You need to slowwwwww down. Although you have not posted any photos the situation you describe is one that I have seen many times. If you started with a wide, thick skinned bulbous nose and wide nostrils, the combination of nostril narrowing with skin removal and normal tip swelling has created such disproportion that the initial post op result looks worse then before surgery. This is going to take you at least 6 months before you start to feel better and may well take 12-18 months before... more

Michael L. Schwartz, MD
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.palmbeachface.com

Not happy with enlarged nose after rhinoplasty

Being so early from your surgery it is quite normal to temporarily have a larger nose than before surgery. You can imagine that the nose will have quite a bit of swelling after such a complex procedure. I know it's frustrating, but in the end giving your nose time to heal is the important thing to do at this stage. Talk with your surgeon and his or her office staff about your concerns. I'm not they can help you through this part of your healing process.

Thomas A Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Relax and recover

You are one week post op --- you need to let time do it's magic and wait for the swelling to go down. Take a deep breath, cover the mirrors and go on with your life. Follow up with your doctor, and let the swelling go down.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

What about recovery didn't you understand?

At one week you are maximally swollen so why are you concerned? This is not the final result you will see and it will take a year or more to get there. Rather than going to the internet, you need to spend some quality time with your doctor and their staff to get you through this emotional time.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Unhappiness 1 week after rhinoplasty

First of all relax. At this point so soon after surgery, it is not possible to see the final results. It can be very normal for your tip to appear swollen. I normally tell my patients that is takes 2-2.5 weeks after surgery for them to first see what the overall shape of the nose is going to be. The tip is also the structure that "attracts" the most amount of swelling and takes the longest for the swelling to subside. I would first allow 2-3 weeks for... more

Raghu Athre, MD
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.athresurgical.com

One week post rhinoplasty

At one week it is too early to really see the results. There is way too much swelling. You have to give it 6 months to a year to let things settle down. It is hard to see the light at the end of the tunner, but you really need to wait it out a bit. But discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Unhappy With Rhinoplasty at One Week Out From Surgery

At one week out from surgery, you should simply remain calm and patient. It is totally unrealistic to expect the nose to appear as it should at this point - especially if you have relatively thick skin as you pointed out. This is the type of scenario that truly frustrates rhinoplasty surgeons - patients not being realistic about the healing process from such an incredibly complex, challenging operation. And then to intimate possible legal action as you did is even more worrisome. At this... more