Should I be worried if my cast is crooked post rhinoplasty? (Photo)

Question

My cast is a little bit crooked on the right side and it is making my nostril look distorted. I did not have the shape of my nostrils changed. Will they stay like this because of the cast?

Vartan Mardirossian, MD · Answer

The nostrils are misshaped likely due to the cast and once it is off there will be no problem. The cast titself may look distorted but that does not necessarily affect the shape of the nose. Please contact your surgeon with any concerns - he would be the best person to address them

Christopher Khorsandi, MD · Answer

The splint is not what shapes the nose in rhinoplasty surgery and usually once it is taken off, any distortions go back to normal.  If you feel that there is something wrong with the look after splint removal, be sure to bring it up with your surgeon.

Steven R. Mobley, MD · Answer

There are several reasons that casts
can appear crooked. Sometimes we have to custom cut down a cast (make it
smaller) and in so doing one edge of the cast is not "factory
straight" so the cast looks a little crooked on. Other casts are very sticky
and if the surgeon places it against the skin just slightly out of alignment,
it can get "stuck" and can be pretty hard to get it to come off the
skin. The surgeon must just then compress the cast onto the nose even though he
or she knows it will be a bit crooked in appearance. So, put another way- I
don't think a crooked cast ALONE should give any patient too much concern.

Your crooked nostrils are a different
story. In my opinion, nostril shape more "follows" the cosmetic work
that was done to the nasal tip cartilages. If the nostrils look asymmetrical I
would have concern that the cosmetic tip work may have asymmetries to it.

That being said, like so often in
rhinoplasty, simply being swollen can make things look asymmetrical. I tell my
patients all the time, I am confident I did the operation well and
symmetrically....but that does not mean your body will swell
asymmetrically.

The good news is. If, repeat if, your nostrils are
asymmetric, I (or many other revision rhinoplasty specialists) can usually get them
straight again.

Should I be worried if my cast is crooked post rhinoplasty? (Photo)

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Should I be worried if my cast is crooked post rhinoplasty? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.