Increased Swelling 4 Months After Rhinoplasty - Just Swelling or Excess Cartilage?

I undergone asian rhinoplasty and septoplasty about 4months ago to fix a deviated septum and to narrow/sharpen my bulbous tip, using my own nasal cartilage. 1-2 weeks ago, I had a cold and there were mucus & congestion. I blow my nose rather heavily sometimes and pick my nose several times throughout. Now I noticed increased swelling at the lateral sides on the nasal tip area, making my tip look rather bulbous now. Swelling? Cartilage fell off to the side? How can I know the difference?

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by Aloysius

Doctor Answers (3)
Community Comments (1)

Periodic swelling followed by resolution is typical after rhinoplasty.

For an entire year after your surgery, your nose is continuing to heal and take on its final appearance. During that period of healing, it's not unusual to see your nose fluctuate in size and the amount of swelling. You manipulated your nose quite vigorously, so that is the most likely explanation for the sudden increase in swelling. It's unlikely that at 4 months out cartilage would have been displaced, but also a possibility. Give the swelling some time to settle... more

Any new significant swelling 4 months after rhinoplasty should be evaluated.

Although it may take many months for the swelling to resolve after Asian rhinoplasty, any new obvious swellings should be evaluated by your surgeon as this can be a sign of infection.

Rhinoplasty issues

Swelling after rhinoplasty is common and this can last up to a year. Without an exam in person it is very difficult to comment about exaclty what you are feeling or seeing. It is always best to review this with your surgeon.