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Too Soon After Surgery to Be Worried About Uneven Nostrils?

I recently had open rhinoplasty and am now one week post-op. I realize that the end result is forever away, however, I am a little concerned about the convex shape of my right nostril. I want to know: (1) if this is normal, (2) will this fall away or fade, (3) are there possibly stitches there that are making it keep this shape or something else that could be causing that? I am hesitant to ask my doctor simply because it's his "art" and I can't help but think that his answer would be slightly biased (therefore not succeed at putting me at ease) :) Thank you all so much in advance for volunteering your time to do this -- it means a lot!!

Asked 43 months ago by kacee in Washington, DC

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What I tell my rhinoplasty patients is that they must be patient, and it is O.K. to ask questions.

Dear Kacee, I tell all my rhinoplasty patients many times before the surgery that this particular procedure requires allot of patience on the part of the patient. In my experience this is particularly evident in an 'open" rhinoplasty. I feel that most of this is because rhinoplasty is a "surgery of millimeters". And until the majority of the swelling of the various tissues (skin, cartilage, bone, etc) many of early concerns are dynamic and will change as the healing... more

S.Pasquale Maggi, MD

Austin Plastic Surgeon

Wait until you heal from Rhinoplasty and ask your doctor

You are still in the very early phases and more swelling will have to go away before the final shape. This might take up to 6-8 weeks to occur. The picture shows a small notch in the right nostril. Again,I would wait for sometime and it is ok to ask your doc. Hope that helps!

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Rhinoplasty and Uneven Nostrils

Kacee One week after open rhinoplasty is too early to judge your results. There is still significant swelling, scar tissue is forming, mucosal sutures can pull one alar rim higher than the other and the splints and taping can alter the shape. After 6 to 8 weeks you will have a better idea of any asymmetry and you should discuss that with your surgeon at that time.

Daniel Reichner, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Judging Early Rhinoplasty Results

Kacee, I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon - the current one and any future ones that might arise. The surgeon who performed the rhinoplasty knows precisely what was done and could easily explain to you what is going on with your right nostril rim. In some cases it could be elevated more on the one side due to unwanted scabbing around internal sutures. If this were the case, the nostril rim should settle down with better wound care and simply time. There... more

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John M. Hilinski, MD

San Diego Facial Plastic Surgeon

Talk to your doctor

I would suggest speaking with your doctor about your concerns. No one knows better what was done than the person that did it. Though it is his art, most physicians will be up front and often will say when they get a result that was unexpected or needs revision. Remember, in some patients, results from a rhinoplasty can take up to a year to be seen.

D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Uneven Nostrils After Rhinoplasty

It is normal to have some asymmetry of the nasal tip and nostrils after rhinoplasty. Some may experience unevenness and asymmetric swelling from the procedure itself. The patient needs to know this pre-operatively. This is especially true in secondary rhinoplasty. This may take up to 12-15 months to correct itself. The key element is that it must be symmetrical intra operatively which only your surgeon can tell the patient as this is very reassuring.