10 Days Post-op - I Absolutely Hate my Nose? (photo)

First, like I tell all of my rhinoplasty patients, you must be patient!!  10 days after surgery is much too early to tell anything about your final result.  Swelling is significant at this stage and will change over the coming months, with final result typically being around 12-24 months after surgery.  Based on your photos, I think you will be just fine.  Discuss your concerns with your surgeon, but remember to be patient!

While I'm not sure about the specifics of what you discussed with your surgeon before your rhinoplasty, I will say that you absolutely cannot judge the results of your surgery at 10 days after the procedure.  There is still some swelling present, which will affect the appearance of your nose and with more time, your nose will change quite a bit.  It can take 6-12 months for the swelling to resolve.  I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon and to have him or her monitor your progress as the healing takes place.  

Hello Catherine,

Thank you for the question and the excellent photos.  I can tell that you are frustrated and disappointed about the shape and appearance of your nose.  Obviously it is very early in your recovery period and your nasal shape will change with the additional time.  In the meantime you should try and identify what parts of your nose you do not like: dorsum, tiip, width, length, angle, etc.  This will help you communicate to your plastic surgeon what changes might need to be made.  Last but not least you should try the best that you can to not have this impact your life as you describe.  To be honest, the change is subtle and you still have a very good nasal shape and facial appearance.  I am sure there are many people that would be more than happy to have the balance and appearance that you display in the photos.  So, give it some time and try not to be so hard on yourself.

 

All the best,

Dr. Remus Repta

Catherine, 

Thank you for sharing your early result and experience.  Your feelings are not uncommon. At the time of cast removal, the nose is often very swollen and not necessarily representative of your final result. The edema will improve significantly over the next month, but the final contours may take 6-24 months to become fully apparent. Be open with your surgeon during the healing process, but be patient as well. It will likely continue to get better. Take care. 

 

At ten days after rhinoplasty the nose will be very swollen. It will take many months for the swelling to go down. You have to be patient. If you have concerns speak with your surgeon.

Dear Catherine,

thank you for your question and photos.  You are very early in your healing process and still have a lot of swelling.  Your nose will change with time.  You can't judge a result this early.  Once many months have past, you could then start looking at the nose critically.  Also, one of the items that may be causing you to not like your nose is its interaction with the rest of the face, especially the chin.  You may consider talking to your plastic surgeon about a chin augmentation to further balance out your face, this will also make your nose appear more balanced.  Look on my photos is for a gentleman that I did a chin augmentation to after we were not satisfied with the nose.  I had recommended doing both at the same time, but he opted for doing the nose first.

Best Wishes,

Pablo Prichard, MD