I had a rhinoplasty done just after I turned 16 (I'm 26 now) and have always been pleased with the look of my nose. However, I have also had major breathing problems since the surgery that I haven't been able to correct with medications (including allergy meds and decongestants), mechanical efforts (e.g. nasal washing), or standard/alternative medicine (including acupunture, etc.). I have also had trouble with bleeding - I don't get nosebleeds, but my nose does bleed whenever I blow my nose (which I do about every 10 minutes!) and it's somewhat alarming to see tissues spattered with blood, even after all these years. I have also noticed that when I'm particularly stuffy, I experience burning in my sinuses on inhaling, similar to the burning one would get after accidentally inhaling chlorinated pool water. My regular doctors are perplexed and I think they have decided I'm hallucinating :-) The surgeon who performed the procedure is no longer practicing. I'm wondering how I can determine if my breathing issues are a result of the surgery or if they are unrelated. Do I need to schedule a formal consultation with another cosmetic surgeon, or is there another (i.e. faster or less expensive) way for me to find out if I have any of the standard (uncommon, I know) side effects of surgery?
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March 10, 2009
Answer: Nasal breathing difficulties after rhinoplasty
If you have two different shapes to your nostrils that can signify alot of things including a deviation of your septum. I agree that the only way to make something bigger is to add something there. Typically a cartilage graft is needed and likely a composite graft (composed of two parts, skin +...
This soon after a rhinoplasty you should not even look at your nose! It is definitely swollen, and will change significantly as time goes on. I tell my patients that the swelling will subside to the point where strangers who meet them for the first time will not notice anything one month after...
A short and overly upturned nose can give an unnatural appearance to the nose. Short noses typically have too wide of an angle between the nose and the upper lip. In an ideal nose, this angle (called the nasolabial angle) is in the range of 95- 105 degrees for women and 90-95 degrees for men....