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Is It Too Soon to Be Worrying About a Notched Columella? (photo)

I think the incision on the columella was not stitched closed correctly. The two sides (above and below the incision) do not appear to be aligned, and it looks like they are on two different levels. I am 8 days post opp. Is it too soon to be worrying? I thought I had chosen a good surgeon and the rest of my nose looks great (dorsal hump gone) but I am really freaking out now that I will still hate my profile because it will look like there's a notch in the columella.

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6 Doctor Answers | Asked by Rhinoplasty in SD

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Notched Columella After Rhinoplasty

After only 8 days you should not worry about a notched columella. It takes up to nine months for the nose to take true shape and size, and up to one year to completely heal. Throughout the healing process the nose will change significantly and the minor notch will most likely resolve itself. Jaime Perez, MD Rhinoplasty Specialist Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa

Notched columella after open rhinoplasty can be prevented!

None of my colleagues have mentioned the main reason the tissues anterior to (in front of) your columellar incision are swollen, and the tissues posterior to (behind) the incision are not swollen (or less so), causing the "notch" you see (Thanks for the photos). When an open rhinoplasty is performed, the skin and soft tissues from the incision anteriorly towards the tip of the nose are separated form the underlying cartilages, in order to access, visualize, and operate on these... more

Notched

Eight days become sixteen and so-forth, until 365 days give you the nice results we all are hoping you receive!

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Too Early To Assess Your Final Results

Hi, Thank you for sharing your photos. As you have mentioned, at 8 days post-op it is way too early to assess the results of your surgery. I recommend that you be a little more patient and make sure to follow your surgeon's instructions religiously. Keeping your nose safe from any possible nasal trauma is crucial as it may affect your end-results considerably. I hope this helps. Thank you for your inquiry. The best of luck to you. Dr. Sajjadian more

Notched Coloumella 8 Days after Rhinoplasty

At 8 days it is impossible to evaluate your result. Even if the columella does not improve, which is unlikely, it is very easy to revise this under local anesthesia.

Richard W. Fleming, MD

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Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Columellar scar

It is way too early to look at your scar so closely. Remember that healing involves gravity pulling swelling downward. Your columella will be the last spot to heal completely. Be patient....it will take months for things to settle and for you to judge the final result...9-12 months with noses.

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