How Can I Help Reduce Columella & Tip Swelling Post Rhinoplasty?

It takes 6-12 months for the swelling to go down and doing the things you mentioned will make little difference. Only time--be patient and the swelling will go away.

The swelling is still going to take some time to go down after your rhinoplasty. At this point, sleeping position or dietary changes will not make much difference. 

Sometimes, injecting a small amount of steroids into the swollen regions can help the swelling to resolve faster, particularly if you have thick skin.

Talk to your surgeon to see if that might be an option for you. Otherwise, hang in there and give it time.

Best wishes,

-Dr. Jamil Asaria, FACE Cosmetic Surgery, Toronto

 

 

In most cases, there is not much that will reduce swelling other than patience and more time. Keeping the head elevated may help with swelling somewhat, but for mild swelling a month or two after surgery, this is going to make a minimal amount of difference. Keep in mind that the nose can take a full year to see the final results after a rhinoplasty.
Be sure to discuss any post-surgical concerns with your surgeon. 
All the best,

It’s not unusual for patients undergoing rhinoplasty to have
prolonged swelling.Several factors,
including the use of open rhinoplasty, fracture of the nasal bones, thickness
of the nasal skin, and a previous rhinoplasty have been associated with
lengthened swelling.Most
patients will note significant swelling for about two weeks following
surgery.After two weeks, most patients
are comfortable resuming their normal lives and going out in public.Swelling
will persist in most patients for at least one year following surgery with the
nasal tip being the last site to experience resolution.In the immediate post-operative period, nasal
splints, elevation of the head, low salt diet, ice and rarely steroids can be
used to minimize swelling.

 The amount of swelling in the nasal tip is dependent upon the skin type and the surgical procedures performed on the nasal tip.  To reduce swelling in the nasal tip there is a combination of procedures that can be performed in the postoperative healing phase. These include Blenderm  tape applied across the nasal supratip at night to help prevent fluid retention in that area. Cortisone shots by your surgeon can also help reduce swelling to limit the lymphatic edema present in the supratip area of the nose. A low-salt diet will also help prevent fluid retention in the nose as well.

Swelling after rhinoplasty takes months up to 12-18 months to fully subside. Initially elevation, ice and perhaps small amounts of cortisone injections can help. But in the long run you just have to be patient and keep following up with your surgeon to assure that you are on the right course.

There is little that you can do at this point in time to accelerate the reduction of nasal swelling. Realize that it can take up to a year for the swelling to maximally resolve. Sleeping with your head elevated will probably have little effect on the overall swelling.

As you have mentioned, one of the drawbacks of open rhinoplasty is prolonged swelling of the nasal tip.  In the early postop period, several measures are used by surgeons such as sleeping with the head elevated, cold compresses and oral steroids in order to try and minimize the swelling.  After the first 1 to 2 weeks, these measures do not provide any measurable benefit and it becomes a matter of time to allow for the normal healing processes to proceed.  Steroid injections can be used for isolated areas of prominence starting at 3 to 4 weeks but are not without risk such as dermal atrophy which can result in permanent contour deficiencies.  They should be used with caution.

Mario J. Imola, MD, DDS, FRCSC.

 

 

 

Only a generous application of tincture of time will releave swelling.No diet or ice or positon will help now. I have used medrol dosepak and flonase which have helped in some caes..Patience patience

At this time the best treatment for your swelling, in addition to what your doing, is patience. You do not mention when you had your surgery, but it sounds like you have a good understanding of the healing process. Follow your surgeon's instructions.