Steroid Injections for Rhinoplasty Swelling at 7 Weeks?

Steroids can be helpful if there is excess swelling and/or you have thick skin. This is really a very personal decision by the surgeon. If used it should be carefully and not less than a month apart,  

At 7 weeks, the swelling is normal. I understand your eagerness to have everything settle down quickly, but your nose should be left alone and allowed to heal on its own without any "push." Steroids can cause damage by thinning the underlying soft tissue, by lightening the skin, and by causing telangiectasias( spider like veins). Let "tincture of time" be your medicine right now and allow your body to heal at its own rate.

Generally the swelling after Rhinoplasty should dissipate in time. The use of steroid injections after surgery is a personal choice from surgeon to surgeon and depends on their preferences. The benefits of steroid injections need to be weighed against the possible risks. In my practice I have not found necessities for it and I have seen patients from other surgeons who have been injected with steroids and have experienced atrophy. This is something you should discuss at length with your... more

Each surgeon has his own approach but I will typically use steroids if I feel swelling is actually increasing rather than decreasing around 6-8 weeks after surgery. This is especially true if the patient is a redo or has thicker, oilier skin. Dosages are low and can be repeated on a monthly basis for several months as needed. You surgeon needs to guide you in this as he might not even believe in using steroids. Best of luck

Steroid injections after rhinoplasty shouldn't be a routine treatment. Occasionally, someone will benefit from steroid injections but these are the exceptions, not the rule.  Let your surgeon evaluate you and decide if you need steroid injections.

There is no correct answer for all people. The treatment is individualized. I have injected very low doses of Kenalog (a steroid) when taking off the cast post-operatively in a patient with very thick skin. Trust the advice of your surgeon who just did your rhinoplasty.    

Hi, Thank you for your question. Some surgeons give steroid injections at this point, while others prefer to let the swelling go down on its own. It really depends on what type of surgery you had done and specifics on what was done. Check with your plastic surgeon and see what he recommends. Its appears that you are healing nicely and your nostrils are symmetric which is always a good sign. Different parts of the nose can heal at different rates and also it can take up to a year to see your... more

The exact timing of steroid injections after Rhinoplasty has not been established. The "benefit" of any intervention including steriod injections needs to be balanced with the potential 'risks" of the procedure. In steroi injections excessive thinning of the nasal tip skin and contour problems needs to be considered.

Hi NATX, At this point you it is too close to your revision surgery to make conclusions about your final outcome. I would advise you to follow your surgeons instructions. A low dose steroid injection may help with the swelling in your tip. At this point hopefully your tip swelling will decrease, and the slight excess over your supra-tip dorsum (profile) will decrease. Right now your upper 2/3 of your nose appears narrow in relation to your tip. Be patient and hopefully everything will... more

I don't think your bridge is too narrow. A narrow bridge on the front view is much more attractive than a wide bridge. I see a little fullness of the lower bridge, just above the tip on your profile view. After examining you, if I thought this was swelling, I would feel very comfortable injecting dilute triamcinolone (steroid), at this stage of the game. Lastly, your nostrils are symmetrical. Enjoy your new nose, and try to keep it out of the Austin sun. Best regards.

You are 7 weeks out. This is the right time to use a very small dose of kenalog 10 in the supratip area. The dose should be no more than 2mg and only given in the supratip. The nostrils look good. The bridge is very symmetric. I cannot comment on the width as your photograph does not show the whole face. Do me a favor, do my six feet test. Look in the mirror while it is six feet away from you. If it looks good, leave it be. Do not look into magnifying mirrors and do not keep feeling... more

Hi, your plastic surgeon may have a preference about whether or not to administer a steroid injection following your surgery. Some surgeons do this routinely, while others prefer to allow the swelling to resolve on its own. Bear in mind that either way it may take one year for you to see your final results. Swelling may also go down in one part of the nose, such as the dorsum, before it completely comes down in another area such as the tip. I would recommend speaking to your surgeon... more

Generally, the swelling after rhinoplasty will resolve on its own. Steroids may expedite resolution of edema, swelling, and fibrosis. Although it may provide some benefits, it is not without risk. Excessive response may result in a depression, atrophy, telangiectasias (spider veins), thinning of the skin and or fat layers, etc. However, it really may depend on surgeon preference.