Asymmetrical swelling (?) 5 months post rhinoplasty (Photo)

Question

I am almost 5 months post-op for a (closed) septorhinoplasty. I'm concerned about the appearance of the tip of my nose. I don't think my skin is that thick but I'm not 100% sure. On the right side of my tip, the alar crease is bigger and more round than the left side and makes my nose somewhat bulbous. The alar crease on both sides is not hard or stiff. Does that mean my swelling has resolved and I'm left with an asymmetric tip?

Donald Groves, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. After rhinoplasty (nasal surgery), the nose can become REALLY swollen, and this swelling can take a LONG TIME to resolve (up to 1-2 years to fully resolve). Even though most of the swelling should resolve within the first 2-3 months after surgery- at 5 months postop there would still be some swelling present. I constantly remind all my rhinoplasty patients how important it is to be patient after rhinoplasty surgery as it can take months to even years to see what the final nose will look like. I recommend continue to observe things for now, and stay in regular contact with your operative surgeon to help gauge expectations. I hope this helps! 
Best, 
Dr. Donald Groves 
Plastic Surgeon

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

When evaluating the tip, we really don't think about what the alar creases are doing. Rather we think about how big/wide the tip appears, because the tip is made up of cartilage, cartilage that can be modified during a rhinoplasty, and the alar creases are just folds of skin that sit next to the tip cartilages. It's the cartilages that can make a tip look bigger than we like, or make the nose look longer than we like.
It's true that five months isn't enough time to lose all the swelling, but it's usually enough time to lose 80-90% of the swelling, and to get an idea of what's going on and whether the result might not be most of what you were hoping for. With a more complete set of photos, it's often possible to make a reasonable assessment of how much might be swelling and how much might be an inadequate change.
Read my essay on how to try to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. If you do eventually find yourself in the position of seeking a revision, you need to determine whether your original surgeon is the one who should be doing the operation.

Pasha Mostofi, MD, DMD · Answer

Hi there, 
Nasal tip swelling can take a year to resolve, however, I do agree with you (at least from what your picture shows) - that your nasal tip is bulbous. For better assessment I would try sharing some pictures with clear lighting against a solid background (frontal, profile and oblique) for starters. Perhaps this way we can better visualize what's going on!

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Most plastic surgeons usually go by one year that’s how long it takes before. True results are final. That said the amount of swelling at the 11 month is far less than at the first month.
To make a quality assessment regarding the outcome of a plastic surgery procedure especially rhinoplasty we need to see a complete set of proper before and after pictures. If you don’t have before and after pictures and ask your surgeon to forward the pictures they took. All people have a symmetry in their faces, and to some degree in their noses as well. Because the nose looks the way it does in relationships to the rest of the face facial asymmetry can sometimes make the nose look asymmetrical. Without having a reference to preoperative pictures, we can’t begin to make an assessment. Follow up with your provider and have him or her address your concerns.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

Asymmetrical swelling (?) 5 months post rhinoplasty (Photo)

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Answer: Rhinoplasty results at five months

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Asymmetrical swelling (?) 5 months post rhinoplasty (Photo)

Answers (4)

Answer: Rhinoplasty results at five months

Answer: Rhinoplasty results at five months

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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