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Too Soon to Have Rhinoplasty After Non-surgical Nose Job?

asked 2 years ago by Shonna
Latest answer by John Philip Connors III, MD
Question viewed 1,021 times

I had Radiesse injected into the bridge of my nose 4 months ago it appears to have dissolved but I'm not completely sure. I want to have surgery to rebuild the bridge with ear cartilage. Is it too soon to have Rhinoplasty surgery? If there is any Radiesse left in the nose, will my doctor be able to find it and remove it during surgery?

18 answers to Too Soon to Have Rhinoplasty After Non-surgical Nose Job?

Rhinoplasty after Radiesse Injections

If Radiesse is used to augment or shape the nose it will take about a year for all the material to dissolve and your nose to resume its previous shape. If you perform surgery on the nose prior to all the synthetic material dissolving the surgeon will not be able to judge the thickness of your tissues well enough to predict the final shape. It is best to wait, and then get it done correctly.

Ira D. Papel, MD
Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon

Radiesse lasts a year or so, but it might be okay

If the augmentation is lost, I think it would be okay to consider rhinoplasty. Radiesse is made up of 30% hydroxyapatite and 70% of the carrier. Much of the carrier dissipates over the course of the year. It might be prudent to wait. But if you think the results are essentially back to normal you could consider rhinoplasty and an implant to raise your nasal bridge. What is left in your nose is likely the hydroxyapatite and this could stay in your nose for years. Biopsies of the bladder... more

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nose Surgery after Injectable

Difficult obviously to give a definitive answer not knowing exactly how much filler was injected; my thoughts though are that the carrier used in the fomulation of Radiesse has dissolved and you are currently left with the Calcium Hydroxyappetite filler component of the filler which gives the volume enhancement and longevity of the product. But again, not knowing the specifics is a sizeable handicap. As such, I would wait as long as you can before embarking on corrective nasal surgery as... more

John Philip Connors III, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Wait 1 year before embarking on rhinoplasty

It is probably important to wait at least a year from the injection of Radiesse into the bridge before proceeding with any reconstructive nasal surgery. Radiesse can last upwards of a couple of years in the nose before it finally dissolves away.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Rhinoplasty options

The Radiesse may have dissolved, but if not your surgeon may see it during your rhinoplasty. It would probably be okay to go ahead with the procedure, just make sure the Radiesse is replaced with cartilage or bone during the rhinoplasty. Good luck!

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Patience is best to insure best result

Rhinoplasty requires accurate evaluation of nasal contours at the time of surgery to obtain the desired result and the difference of a millimeter or two is noticable. Radiesse usually lasts about a year in relatively immobile locations such as the nose and I would advise waiting the full year to avoid any unexpected contour changes later.

Mark Beaty, MD
Atlanta Facial Plastic Surgeon

Radiesse in the Nose

It is very unlikely the radiesse has disolved after four months. If you have surgery now, it will be impossible to effectively remove residual radiesse. Take pictures to document your present profile. Compare them to the photographs taken before radiesse injections. This will help determine when the material has absorbed. It usually takes about one year. Then have your rhinoplasty. Be patient.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Compare photos to determine if any Radiesse is left in radix

You will need to wait 2 - 6 more months for all of the Radiesse to be dissolved. This being said it would be very beneficial to review any pre-injection photos to determine the degree of your original contour deformity and then any post injection photos to determine the degree of correction. This compared to your current photo will be useful.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Radiesse nasal augmentation

I would wait until the product has dissipated fully. This may take 9 to 18 months. Having surgery prior to this will make it difficult for your surgeon to determine the proper height of the graft. Waiting will lead to a more successful surgical outcome. It would be difficult if not impossible to remove the particles after injection as they would be dispersed in the tissues of the skin.

Jennifer Parker Porter, MD
Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgeon

It is probably too soon.

There is probably still some radiesse left over. The appearance you see now is likely due in part to the radiesse which was injected. A surgeon will have a difficult time judging the surgery if radiesse is present. Although it sounds like it should be easy to remove the radiesse, it is actually quite difficult. In fact, it can be impossible. The safest plan would be to wait until your surgeon is sure there is no more radiesse is left before undergoing corrective surgery.

John Diaz, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Timing of nose job after Radiesse

Radiesse can last anywhere from 6 months to 18 months. If you had Radiesse injected 4 months ago, it most certainly is still present. If you were my patient, I would recommend you waited at least 18 months after your last injection before considering a rhinoplasty. A few millimeters can make a substantial difference. It would be extremely unfortunate if someone performed surgery on you too soon and your Radiesse continued to diminish after the rhinoplasty. You might end up with a nose that... more

Sirish Maddali, MD
Portland Plastic Surgeon

You should wait.

Hi! As Dr. Bogdan says, rhinoplasty is a surgery of millimeters, and there is no margin for error. The Radiesse may be distorting the tissues, and I would wait a full year from the time of injection before doing surgery. Also ear cartilage can twist over time. I believe the state of the art which we use in New York City is diced cartilage wrapped in temporal fascia.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Radiesse can last longer than that

Shonrea, I will assume that the Radiesse injection corrected your nasal bridge and that is why you have decided to proceed with surgical correction. The problem here is that Radiesse may persist for a year or more. If your surgeon has photos of your nose before the Radiesse injection you can see if the Radiesse has completely resorbed or not. I would proceed with surgery until all of the Radiesse has gone. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Timing of Rhinoplasty after Radiesse injection to the nose.

I don't think the timing is critical. Radiesse persists for a year or longer in the nose, and I don't think you would have any significant benefit from waiting another 8 months. Were you happy with your profile immediately after the Radiesse was placed? Do you think your appearance might improve with more Radiesse? If you need significant elevation of your bridge, be sure to consult a board-certified, experienced Rhinoplasty specialist with many photos of nasal-bridge enhancement. Although I... more

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Rhinoplasty after Radiesse

It is ok to proceed with ear cartilage grafting if this is your first (primary) rhinoplasty. The vascularity of the nose is the main issue. In primary rhinoplasty if there is any Radiesse left behind, it can be removed at the time of surgery. If it is a secondary rhinoplasty (revision) then I would certainly wait for at least one year before undergoing the surgery. Regards

Tanveer Janjua, MD
Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

Radiesse and rhinoplasty

Radiesse commonly lasts for a year or more when injected into dynamic regions of the face; when injected into static regions, such as the nose, it has been reported to last even longer. Given the precision that is required to obtain excellent results in rhinoplasty, you're setting yourself up for a poor long-term outcome if you proceed with surgery now. Your best bet is to wait at least one year from the time of Radiesse injection, then monitor your nose closely to ensure that the... more

Sam Jejurikar, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty after filler use

Rhinoplasty is a surgery of millimeters - very subtle changes have a big impact. For a primary rhinoplasty, the revision rate runs around 15% due to differences in scar healing, unpredictable cartilage warping, and the fact that rhinoplasty surgeons tend to be very particular. If there is any Radiesse left in your nose, you are setting yourself up for a revision. During surgery, your surgeon will use the external appearance of the nose to judge the final result, and as the radiesse... more