My Plastic Surgeon Said That my Cartilage Collapsed or Shifted on the Right Side of my Nose After my Rhinoplasty Procedure.

asked 1 year ago by Jamiee in Warren, NJ
Latest answer by Elliot M. Heller, MD
Question viewed 337 times
Tags: cartilage, collapse

My plastic surgeon said that my cartilage collapsed or shifted on the right side of my nose after my Rhinoplasty procedure. Is it a complicated procedure or can it be easy to fix the cartilage on the one side of my nose? What would the procedure entail?

6 answers to My Plastic Surgeon Said That my Cartilage Collapsed or Shifted on the Right Side of my Nose After my Rhinoplasty Procedure.

Revision Rhinoplasty to fix shifted cartilage

Honestly, there's just no way to know without seeing pictures of your nose to see what it looks like at this point after your Rhinoplasty. What cartilage, upper lateral, lower lateral, onlay cartilage graft to bridge, tip? Without knowing that, i have nothing to go on and make a decision on what's required to address the issue. Sorry. Wish I could be of more help, but I need more info.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

drfrancispalmer.com

Rhino Reconstruction

Rhinoplasty procedures involving removing a significant hump can occasionally cause a retraction of the upper lateral cartilages or the septal cartilage. This can result in a visible deformity in the middle third of the nose. This can usually be corrected by cartilage reconstruction, but a graft from the nose or ear may be necessary in order to get the best result.

Elliot M. Heller, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

Shifting of cartilage

It is difficult to give you a response without seeing your pictures - many cases of shifting are actually collapse related to weakening of the cartilages. Also a deviated septum may cause nasal asymmetry

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

seattleface.com

Shifted cartilage can be an easy fix

If you are talking about a graft on the bridge, it is possible to make a small incision on the inside of the nose and carefully reposition the graft. That is also true if the graft is on one side. Wait long enough to make sure that the shifted graft is the only thing that needs a revision, and that the tissues are soft enough to permit a safe operation. I have seen patients whose surgeons panicked and revised very early--so early that the skin split during the dissection... more

Mark B. Constantian, MD
Nashua Plastic Surgeon

Revision surgery for collapsed or shifted cartilage

Photos and examination of your nose are necessary to determine what to do about your "collapsed" or "shifted" cartilages. Solutions can range from minimal revision work (such as shaving down any asymmetric cartilage) to having to re-open your nose and reshape native cartilage with grafts. Asymmetry following rhinoplasty can indicate significant structural issues with your nose. Make sure to obtain several opinions from surgeons who perform this type of surgery... more

Grigoriy Mashkevich, MD
Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon

Revision rhinoplasty

It would be necessary to examine you, and preferably see before-and-after pictures for your first rhinoplasty, to determine the need and technique of revision to achieve your goals. Revisions are fairly common after rhinoplasty even in the hands of surgeons who ONLY do rhinoplasty (of which there are relatively few). The procedure could entail taking cartilage grafts from your septum or ear to provide a supporting strut to the right side, or other techniques with sutures, or both. You... more

Tim Abou-Sayed, MD
Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

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