1 year and 9 months post op, nose tip is still persistently swollen - will this improve? (photos)

Question

Following open rhinoplasty 21 months ago, my nose tip remains persistently swollen. Surgeon attributes it to my thick skin and slow lymph vessel recovery. Is this typical for open rhinoplasty? Could internal scar tissue contribute? How much longer can I expect improvement before the final result?

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Your nose looks okay overall. However on your side photo I see that the bridge cartilage just above the tip has not been lowered enough and your septum may have been left too long. Pretty simple revision that could be done by closed rhinoplasty

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you are well. A lot of time has passed since your primary rhinoplasty surgery. Generally speaking, minimal change is expected after 12 months in terms of recovery and reduction in swelling. Scar tissue is often responsible for poor definition in the nasal tip when the skin fails to conform to the cartilaginous framework. Steroid injections can help somewhat in some cases, but a revision rhinoplasty may be in the cards to reduce the size of the tip if you are motivated. 
Best,Dr. Tower

Lexie Wang, MD · Answer

Hi Cathy. It's hard to know for sure what this is due to. If it were me, I would ask my surgeon to at least consider trying a steroid shot to see if it can help quell down swelling/scar tissue response, esp to your supratip area. But if you are this far out from a rhinoplasty, I would assume most of your swelling is out.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

The results have been final for quite a while, and they aren’t going to change by waiting any further. This is the outcome of your procedure, which is based on your candidacy for surgery combined with how the procedure is performed.
Rhinoplasty is a very general term, and under the umbrella of rhinoplasty are many different individual procedures.
If you want an assessment regarding the outcome, then you need to list exactly what was done during the procedure.
At this point, I suggest getting in person second opinion, consultations with plastic surgeons, who have decades of experience, doing quality, rhinoplasty surgery.
Always bring a complete set of before and after pictures and a copy of your operative report for second opinion consultations.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

1 year and 9 months post op, nose tip is still persistently swollen - will this improve? (photos)

Answers (4)

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