Can a rhinoplasty "touch up" be done in the doctor's office? 3 years post. (photos)

Question

There is a tiny bump on my nose after my rhinoplasty that bothers me (see photos). I had the surgery 3 years ago. My DR said he can do a "touch up" in office. How will he do the "touch up"/should I be worried, or is it a simple procedure? Stitches? He said it should take 1 hour and he will use lidocaine to numb me. Can I go back to work on Monday if I have it on a Friday? Any advice or recommendations you can give me to make me feel more confident/prepared for this would be appreciated.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

Even though this is a tiny bump on the bridge of your nose, it's very difficult to remove that under local anesthesia  without enduring a lot of  Painful injections.  There are lots of nerve endings in the nose, so for that reason we perform all of our touch-ups under a brief general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. Under general anesthesia, this should take no more than 5-10 minutes. In our practice, we would still perform this in our outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia monitored by a physician anesthesiologist for patient safety and comfort

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

It depends on what will be done and the surgeon's facility. Many of us have accredited operating rooms in our offices. If that is the situation I do feel it would be appropriate.

David Alessi, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Simple nasal procedures can be safely done in the office under local.  It depends on the surgeon's comfort with nasal blocks.  We have done many minor nasal procedures this way and have a high degree of patient satisfaction.  It also is dependent on the patient- some thrive with straight local and some don't.  An experience surgeon can determine this fairly accurately in the pre-op visit.  Seek out an opinion from a surgeon who is a revision expert and performs surgeries under both local and general anesthesia.  Best wishes.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear Hdazzle, I personally would not do any nasal touch ups in an office setting under local anesthesia. I have a private fully accredited surgical center where I would use my anesthesiologist to ensure that may patient was comfortable and safely monitored. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Can a rhinoplasty "touch up" be done in the doctor's office? 3 years post. (photos)

Answers (4)

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