Dent on the Bridge of my Nose After Rhinoplasty? (photo)

Thank you for the question and your picture. Massage can have a positive role in reducing residual soft tissue swelling, particularly in the nasal tip region. It will not, however, reposition grafts that are deep down under the skin an connective tissues. In any rhinoplasty, particularly a complicated Asian rhinoplasty where the bridge has been elevated, the healing process can be 9 to 12 months. In my opinion, it is best to be conservative in this time period, meet frequently with your surgeon, and plan for revision as needed later down the road. Best of luck!

   The massage may help, but it is difficult to know at one month how much is swelling vs shift without an exam.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

I read your concerns and reviewed your photo:

I see the slight indentation along the right side of your bridge. If this does not improve over the next month or two, an injectable filler procedure may be helpful. My personal preference is to use Silikon-1000, an off-label filler for permanent results.

Hope this helps you.

Dr. Joseph

I would have to feel the bridge of your nose to determine if the graft that was placed there is mobile. If it is mobile you might gain some movement of the  graft toward the center. If is not that you're probably wasting your time and a revision.

After any rhinoplasty there will be swelling which will take a while to settle.

Minor irregularities can take a while to settle, up to one year after the surgery.

My advice to you is to be patient, allow everything to heal (9-12 months after surgery) before assessing your final result.

I do agree with the other doctor that massaging wont have much effect, especially if it's graft misplacement or movement. 

Hope this helps.

I personally do not think massage has any positive role in wound healing. It certainly will not move the cartilage graft from a wrong position to correct position several days after rhinoplasty.

It would be nice to see a side view also. But, it looks like you have a depression of the right nasal bone....massage will not help and although it is too early to make final judgement this type of problem may require a revision (elevation/outfracture of the right nasal bone). The graft has nothing  do with this issue.

From the photo, I can see the depression on the right side. One month is too soon to make any formal judgements about the result, but if there is a migration of the graft it could create this phenomenon. Often fascia can resorb over time and this could create an issue as well. Stay in touch with your surgeon to ensure that things continue to heal and he/she can help make the determination as to whether a review would be necessary or not. 

Best of luck,

Vincent Marin, MD