Over the years, I've learned to explain to my rhinoplasty patients BEFORE the operation that noses tend to hang onto swelling for a while after nose jobs. That's just the fact, and not an excuse. Patients need to know about this before surgery, so that they're not disappointed afterwards.Once the swelling goes away, around 1-2 months after surgery, particular areas of the nose might start to build scar tissue under the skin (especially just above the tip). This is not a good thing, since if allowed to progress over time, it'll detract from the nice results and the detailed plan of our rhinoplasty operations.In our practice, we usually inject steroids into particular areas, so that we can continue to help the shape of the nose settle into place based on our expectation. It is my practice NOT to charge for these injections when the patient is a cosmetic rhinoplasty patient, and we include them as part of our routine post-op care. In our office, all office visit after the operation are included for 1 year after the operation. Only if a procedure (including cutting/sewing or revision) is needed do we charge for the instruments, etc.If a case is covered by insurance however, the rules are different (not our rules, insurance company rules and federal rules). Each insurer has their own rules, and if patients need steroid injections after a procedure that was covered by insurance (not cosmetic), many insurance carriers will cover the cost of steroid injections in my experience.
