Bump to Nose After Rhinoplasty. Will it Effect My Final Results?

After rhinoplasty, it is important to keep clear of heavy lifting and contact sports for about 3-4 weeks.  This helps decrease the risks of bleeding and trauma to the healing nasal bones. 

However, it is very common to have moments of fear that you have caused harm to your new nose in the first month after rhinoplasty.  This is because even tiny bumps to the nose causes an extreme sensation.  In general, we are unaware of the amount of times you bump, rub or brush your nose throughout a normal day.  It is after surgery, where you start to notice these little bumps to the nose.

Extreme pain and bleeding are the signs of true trauma.  Also, if your nose appears to be deviated as compared to the moments before you bumped it, it is important to seek out your surgeon. 

Overall, it is important to follow up with your surgeon for an examination of your healing bones and nasal tip to be certain.

Since you did not experience nasal bleeding, and you are not seeing a significant change in your nasal appearance after either trauma, it is unlikely you have affected your outcome. If in doubt, visit your surgeon for a formal evaluation. Hope this helps! Dr Joseph

Dear Noblenose,

 

Thank you for sharing your concern and I am sure that it has not been easy worrying about a possible damage to your nose after your recent rhinoplasty.

At 2 weeks post operation, your nose is fragile to a given extent. That said, I cannot provide you with a definitive diagnosis without a physical examination after knowing the full details of your surgery, the details that your surgeon already knows.

Therefore, I recommend that you have your surgeon examine your nose to make sure the bumps did not make a direct damage to your results so far.

It is important that patients take all precautions necessary to avoid possible nasal trauma. Your post-op ambulation is essential to achieve the best possible results.

 

Thank you for your inquiry.

The best of wishes to you.

Dr. Sajjadian

It certainly must be stressful for you after two accidental bumps on the nose.  We always cringe when a patient calls with a similar story.  Post-operative rhinoplasty care cannot be overemphasized.  It is imperative that during the early to mid post-operative periods all possible trauma is avoided.  A child’s head is a common story.  Although minor bumps are unlikely to affect the outcome, the nose is never as resistant to these bumps immediately after rhinoplasty.  We counsel all patients to avoid situations that can cause trauma for at least 2 months as the nose takes quite some time to fully heal.

 

Rule #1 of plastic surgery - whatever body part was operated on, kids have a magnet to that area and they will hit it. 

 

I am sorry you had two bumps to your recent rhinoplasty.  This is probably unavoidable and as already stated by other responders, you need to call your plastic surgeon and get an in person exam.  That being said, probably these bumps won't affect the final result.  However, they may increase the short term swelling which, needless to say, will be disconcerting to you (if I just had my nose done and got bumped, it would be disconcerting to me). 

 

In my practice, sometimes replacing the nasal splint will decrease swelling after minor post op trauma, sometimes taping, sometimes pills to decrease swelling, ice, etc.  This is a great question for your plastic surgeon.