I had a septoplasty almost a month ago. Prior to the surgery, my nose was a bit bent to the side.

Question

At about a month the doctor said my nose appears to be bending back again and that the cartilage has memory. He suggested that a few times daily I bend the cartilage slightly toward the other direction. Does this sound correct? How many times would you recommend daily and how long to hold the nose?

Farhad Ardesh, MD · Answer

Cartilage does have memory but it is difficult to perform exercises to correct this memory along the septum. I have patients with subtle external deviations after rhinoplasty perform exercises to manipulate the outside of nose in the first 3 months. Afterwards I do not think it helps much. I usually ask they apply pressure with their fingers 3x per day for 15 minutes, or more often. I recommend you follow the instructions of your surgeon. If the septum does not correct you will need to considers a revision surgery which Is more complex. I recommend you consult a board-certified facial plastic surgeon. I hope this helps. Dr. Ardeshirpour

I had a septoplasty almost a month ago. Prior to the surgery, my nose was a bit bent to the side.

Answers (1)