Fascia graft rhinoplasty. Will it become soft in time?

Question

I had rhinoplasty with a fascia graft (not wrapped in cartilage) inserted to make my radix height "normal", to make my nose longer, and to disguise a bump. My doctor said the fascia graft is supposed to soften up but it's been a month. Will it become soft in time? Also how long does it take the unwrapped graft to settle in it's final position/place and to not be swollen?

John M. Hilinski, MD · Answer

Usually fascia grafts will absorb quite a bit of fluid in the early phases of healing - making it feel quite full and sometimes even dense. This should soften up with time. You are quite early in the healing process so it is much too soon to make any real judgements.

William D. Losquadro, MD · Answer

Soft tissue grafts such as fascia are generally soft unless a large piece has been placed beneath a tight skin envelope. They remain swollen for many months after surgery; prolonged swelling can often be treated with manual compression or steroid injections.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Fascia is commonly placed in the nose/radix for minor augmentation. The fascia is typically in its final resting place a few days after surgery. The fascia will be quite swollen for the first couple of months after surgery but will go down around 6 months after. The swelling will continue to go down over 1 year. At this time, I would be patient and let your nose heal.

Alexander Ovchinsky, MD · Answer

One month is definitely not a sufficient time for the swelling to resolve fully. Soft tissue grafts are usually soft to touch, unless thewre is a significant amount of fibrosis (scarring) around them during healing or unless a cartilage graft was used along with the fascia graft.

	Most, if not all, of free grafts, wether fascia or cartilage, have a tendency to resorb a little over the couse of time; a little overcorrection early on postoperatively may actually be a good thing.

	Just be patient at this point, try to keep your head more elevated during sleep to speed up the resolution of edema, and give it time.  Good luck.

Fascia graft rhinoplasty. Will it become soft in time?

Answers (4)

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