I Can Feel Something in my Nose After Rhinoplasty?

It's not unusual for silicone implants to be palpable after Asian rhinoplasty because they are quite stiff compared to your native cartilage.  Watch your nasal skin for changes that could signal an infection or pending extrusion such as: redness, pain, tenderness, or implant visibility. 

You'll almost always feel something in the tip after augmentation of that area. If it was an L implant or some other foreign material at the tip, you should monitor it periodically. If you can see it or the skin is thinning out, that would be concerning.

If the skin is thin, you could feel cartilage or implant material under it.  Since you are one year out from surgery it is less likely to be actively extruding at this time, but monitor for any changes.For more information, please go to my website at:WirthPlasticSurgery.com

First of all, don't panic. If you feel something pointy, it is possible you are simply able to palpate the implant or graft. Especially if you do not have thick skin, it is conceivable that you can feel the edges and this is not necessarily an indication of imminent implant extrusion. However, if the skin is red or sore or if you have purulent, malodorous discharge in the nose, there could be a problem. Your safest bet is to have your nose evaluated by a surgeon who has experience in Asian rhinoplasty.

If your skin is quite thin and/or the material is configured with sharp edges then clearly you be able to feel it. If it is the edge of the silicone implant that you are feeling, the chance of extrusion is not low whereas cartilage grafts are less likely to erode through the skin.

You best bet would be to seek a consultation from a board certified plastic surgeon in your area who does have experience in evaluating and operating on Asian noses.

 I have performed Rhinoplasty for over 20 years and I suspect that you may have an L-shaped silicone graft in your nose from your previous Rhinoplasty.  I see these nasal implants, on occassion, and remove the vertical section (of the L shape) as it is positioned between the tip cartilages in the middle of the nasal tip.  This section, of the implant, is too hard for the thin tip skin and is known to become hard, discolored and erode through the skin. 

 You should get clarification from your Rhinoplasty surgeon about exactly what was used in your nose during your Rhinoplasty and if an L-shaped graft was used, it should be removed sooner rather than later to avoid the complications that have been well documented in the medical literature.

It is a well known possible complication that an L-shaped silicone implant can extrude through the nasal tip skin after rhinoplasty. If cartilage  was placed to augment the tip, you may feel a sharp edge of that graft, but extrusion is very rare. In fact, after doing rhinoplasty surgery for over 30 years, next week I will for the first time remove a tip cartilage graft  placed by another surgeon over 20 years ago  because it is now starting to extrude through the skin.