I had a Rhinoplasty 2 weeks ago and have NO air flow in one of my nostrils. Is this normal?

Thank you very much for enquire. It's too early to make value judgments with only 2 weeks after a rhinoplasty.Swelling after a rhinoplasty depends of the surgery complexity.In this regard, the nasal swelling Post-op It can last from two weeks to two months.To reduce this swelling, I recommend you perform delicates daily lymphatic drainage massage therapy over the face (around the nose) avoid sun exposure, and take pain/inflamation pills, as your surgeron precribe you.Kind regards, Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-  

At 2 weeks, you are very early in your recovery period and the nose is expected to be quite swollen at this point. The majority of the swelling will resolve in 3-6 months, and will continue to resolve as your nose heals for up to 1-2 years. You have not reached your final shape as the nose will continue to heal and reduce in size for up to a year. Once it does reach its final shape you may be more pleased with the appearance of your nose.Certainly express your concerns to your surgeon, and follow his/her treatment recommendations to ensure the best result.

Most people can't breathe well after nose surgery. Particularly if internal work was done. However usually with the removal of the stents (if they were placed), there's a sudden and marked improvement, almost supernormal breathing for a short while. Often hours to maybe a day later the nose becomes congested as the swelling which was being held up with the stents now narrows the nasal channels. Then it's several days to several weeks till this internal swelling resolves and breathing is normalized again.

Dear chenchel12, It is too soon to assess the final outcome of your surgery. As there is swelling on the exterior, there is also swelling on the inside of your nose that should improve with time. That being said, you should express your breathing concerns to your surgeon and he or she should examine you and should be able to tell if there is a persistent deviation or other cause for your symptoms. Good luck to you.

Recovering from rhinoplasty is a process. Swelling that causes puffiness on the outside and stuffiness on the inside goes away in stages. In the first 6-8 weeks, the majority of swelling goes down.Over the next 6-9 months, it's a downward trending rollercoaster ride of swelling going down and up. The nose may continue to refine over years.Swelling will go down on one side and then the other side will catch up. This may give an uneven appearance to the nose or one sided stuffiness. The tip is the last area for swelling to resolve.Healing is a process and your surgeon is with you for the journey. Follow-up appointments after rhinoplasty are important. Tell your surgeon about any issues/questions so she/he can guide your care for a safe and happy result. Safety comes first. 

Dear Chentchel12, Typically when the stents are removed the patient should have markable breathing improvement and then you can have some swelling that occurs in the next 24 hours that may cause some congestion. To determine the cause of your current air flow issues i would suggest seeing your surgeon for an intra-nasal examination and then a proper diagnosis can be given. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.