Could a Retracted Columella From Surgery 4 Months Ago Change in Appearance Over Time?

Without seeing your nose, it's hard to say if your columella would change after 4 months. It may evolve further as your nose continues to heal. It's still fairly early in the healing process, though, so I'd recommend a conservative approach and continue watching the area to see if it changes further.

Great Question.  First, I would absolutely give this some time.  You are right that you will see changes over months if not a couple of years when you are considering tip refinement.  Second, you have to trust your qualified experienced plastic surgeon.  That individual knows more about your nose at this point than anyone.

Having said that, I suspect your columella likely needs a bit more volume.  Ear cartilage works great.  Sometimes there is a bit of settling that can occur and blunt the angle between the upper lip and columella.  Plumping grafts are awesome and will likelyl support that tip in a way that the columella strut (and more likely batten graft) is more visible and effective.

Thanks for such a great question.

Dr. Hobgood.

Swelling of the nasal tip can mask some of the final result. As for a retracted columella, this can be the result of several things and may require different procedures to correct this depending upon the cause.