Can Cartilage Bumps or Lumps Form After Dorsal Hump Removal?

Cartilage bumps and lumps can form after rhinoplasty for different reasons:
1. When the skin and soft tissue swelling resolves over time, small bumps and lumps left over from the surgery can be revealed (like the rocks on the shore during low tide). Non-surgical rhinoplasty filler treatments can help small defects and irregularities. Surgery may be necessary larger problems.
2. During the healing process the soft tissue can contract and thicken especially above the nasal tip, to leave a supra-tip fullness. Compression strips and sometimes steroid injections will help improve this problem.
3. During the healing process the cut ends of bone and cartilage can form a healing scar tissue ridge or bone callus. A callus is an exudate and connective tissue from bone edges that forms during the healing process. In my experience the size of this scar tissue or callus varies from patient to patient. Compression strips can help with small ridges, larger lumps may need a second surgery.
4. Buckling of cartilage due to scar tissue contraction - especially in the tip. These “Bossae” form bumps in the nasal tip that usually require additional surgery to correct.
The best rhinoplasty surgeons understand these causes and attempts to prevent them or treat them appropriately once they form. If you develop these problems, I recommend seeking a Board Certified Rhinoplasty Surgeon comfortable performing revision rhinoplasty.

However, often as the swelling goes down after nasal surgery the patient may notice the normal tip cartilages which may be more prominent. The same is true over the prior hump. One may feel or see the bone more than before depending on what was done. You should discuss this with your surgeon.

Cartilage bumps can come after a hump removal. This is usually related to osteogenesis of both bone and cartilage from the removal site. It also occurs as the nose settles in and down, where bumps can become more apparent, especially in thin-skinned individuals.