Swelling at this late stage can possibly be due to poor lymphatic drainage after several previous procedures. If it is only related to activity, then this is the likley diagnosis. If it happens at other times for no specific reason, then perhaps it could be infectious in nature. Is there any... more
Swelling 4 years after rhinoplasty - how can I determine what's causing it?
Hi,
I have undergone four consecutibve rhinoplasties, first 2 at a gap of 6 months, and last at a gap of 4 years. The second last rhinoplasty involved cartilage graft and lot of other changes, like filing of bone of nose. After that rhinoplasty, I have always felt my nose to swell as soon as I experience exposure to heat, even minor exertion, eat spicy or hot food. This also causes a condition like chording where the skin inside my nose feels pulled.
Finally sleeping, fresh air gets back my skin to normal. Moisturizing the skin also helps a bit.
I contacted a lot of doctors, including my PS and all they could diagnose is that due to subsequent rhinoplasties, there is excessive scar tissues in my nose, which causes disruption of lymph flow.
I came across this question on RealSelf about rhinoplasty swelling and I'm wondering if the cartilage graft is the real problem? I never had a infection, but the swelling is recurrent even after 5 years of my second last surgery.
Can somebody please clarify, if there are some tests to identify the real cause behind the swelling?
3 answers to “Swelling 4 years after rhinoplasty -...”
A: Nasal Swelling After 4 Rhinoplasties
Hi itzz, There is no test to determine the "real" cause of your nasal swelling. It seems that your swelling fluctuates and is worsened when there is increased blood flow to your nose (exercising, etc.). The doctors that advised you are likely correct in explaining that what you are... more
A: If truly swollen you should see another surgeon
What you describe sounds like you "feel" it is swollen. That's different than it is swollen and changes shape. Sometimes patients have strange feelings from there nose after surgery. These paresthesias usually last only a few months but may last longer. There is no treatment for this. If there is actually... more
Comments
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1 post
30 Jan 2009
Permanent chronic edema of the nose after rhinoplasty is possible. I know because I have lived with the problem for 25 years. I had a small silatic saddle-shaped implant removed from my nose a year and a half after it was placed because my nose contantly swelled under the same conditions you describe here. Un fortunately, removal of the implant did not help the situation and this pretty much ruined my face which would have been very much above average without this highly unusual problem. So unusual, in fact, that plastic surgeons refuse to believe me and I no longer even try to do anything for it. Not that there is really anything that can be done. I am a pharmacist and have tried every obvious and not so obvious remedy without success. I am also a biomedical scientist with access to and understanding of the medical literature and know that there is not anything that would help except for possibly microvasular surgery and no one does such surgery on noses. I wake up every morning with a nose that looks like it was operated on 3 days ago. Heat, sunlight, and other factors make it worse. There is only one such recorded case in the literature. This happened to a man in Australia who had to have a silastic implant removed for similar reasons and his edema remained. I believe my lymphatic system never recovered from the trauma and chronic irritation of the implant. I do not form a lot of scar tissue so I do not think this is due to scarring nor is it due to infection. So your edema of 4 years could well be permanent. Sorry to tell you that.
4 posts
17 Feb 2009
Can i also receive literature. Two years after my rhino surgery I still have swelling that is more pronounced in the morning and less by the evening. Its very hard and wide when i wake up and smaller and softer with my defined definition by the afternoon. I noticed that i always have constant forgive my crudeness, but snot in my nose. So the idea of poor lymphatic drainage might be the case. I want to know. I mean by end of the day my nose looks good and fits my face, but when i wake up I want to scream.
1 post
11 Mar 2009
RK1, I want to ask you if you still have this problem and how exactly it manifests itself. I had surgery 1 year and a half ago and since the second month I have been experiencing swelling and pain around the bridge of my nose.Sometimes I feel good but most of the time I don't. I also feel pulsations on the bridge. I would like to know if you have the same symptoms.Can you tell me what exactly you've tried in order to solve your problem? Thank you!
24 posts
1 Apr 2009
Removal of a hump; would it make my nose in general appear smaller?
1 post
5 Apr 2009
Would Kenalog injections help?