Nose Still Swollen 2 1/2 Years After "Non-Surgical Nose Job" With Radiesse

Hi UBthejudge,

Your nick name reminds be of the old Flip Wilson skit and song "Here Come Da Judge". In your case I would like to be the judge, but without a photo or examination of your nose, this "judge” has to dismiss the case.

I am truly sorry that you are suffering long term effects of the "Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty", which has nothing to do with "rhinoplasty" and everything to do with "non-surgical". We are finding that some fillers are lasting longer than expected in selected patients, whether it is due to new collagen formation, scar tissue, or the product itself.

You should consult with a rhinoplastic surgeon. Your nose should be carefully examined, diagnosed, and then a treatment plan will be created to achieve your cosmetic nasal goals. You may require revision surgery, or may only need "Tincture of Time" (don't look for tincture of time in the pharmacies as one of my patients once did).

I offer complimentary consultations for rhinoplasty if you wish to approach the "bench" regarding your case. Getting as many opinions about your nose is always best. Choose your rhinoplasty surgeon most carefully.

This "court” will now take a recess until tomorrow. Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

Dear Ubethejudge,

I am very sorry to hear that you have had the problems with your non surgical rhinoplasty. Unfortunately, this is one of the complications that can arise with non surgical rhinoplasty done with Radiesse, and it is one of the reasons we concluded in our recent review of non surgical rhinoplasty patients that it is best to use a fully dissolvable filler, such as Restylane or Juvederm, when first considering a nonsurgical nose job.

That being said, at this point it is more likely that you have a mixture of scar tissue and Radiesse that has remained, causing you issues; though it may be possible that you have had some further calcification of the Radiesse into a more solid bony matrix.

When we have encountered patients with this problem, we have often been able to remove the Radiesse during surgery and revise the nose, though it is a somewhat complicated problem.

In fact, recently, we, in association with our colleagues, reviewed the largest series of injectible rhinoplasties done by anyone to date, and we are presenting our findings in a rhinoplasty meeting in Houston next month.

If you are interested in reading more on the topic, feel free to review our blogs pertaining to the subject by searching for non surgical nose job or liquid rhinoplasty in our blog. And if we can be of any more help please feel free to email or call us.