Numbness after rhinoplasty 1 year post op I am devastated. No improvement?

Question

I had rhinoplasty 11 mo ago, and ever since the DAY I stepped out of surgery, I have had extreme numbness on my left nasal sidewall, the entire tip of my nose, & complete numbness down to my teeth. 2 teeth. The front left tooth and the tooth to the left of it. THERE HAS BEEN ZERO IMPROVEMENT since the day after my surgery. Provide what may have happened during the surgery, I've asked this question before but didnt get any help. PLEASE HELP ME I went to an amazing board certified surgeon.

Jeffrey Joseph, MD, FACS · Answer

Numbness after nasal surgery is extremely common.  It usually resolves in a year without any medical intervention.  Usually what happens is a gradual reduction in the area that was numb.

Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

Numbness after cosmetic surgery is very common. Rhinoplasty involves use of local anesthesia medications to help with postoperative pain and swelling and particularly to reduce bleeding. The approach to anesthetizing the nose (in addition to general anesthesia for sedation and pain management) may include nerve blocks. There is a nerve called the infraorbital nerve that comes out the cheek bone and provides innervation to the side of the nose, part of the tip, and eventually to the upper teeth. It would be very unusual to actually injure/lacerate this nerve with an injection nerve block. Some people's numbness may take a year or more to resolve. However, if you remain concerned at this juncture, you could ask to be referred to a neurologist for some testing. There may or may not be corrective procedures that might be considered, as permanent numbness from this surgery is very rare, but at least you may find some reassurance in getting additional information.

David A. Sherris, MD · Answer

Numbness takes a year to reolve, and sometimes even up to 2 years. Diabetic patients take longer in general. The numbness is caused after any surgery because of a separation of the skin from the underlying structures. The nerves need to recover and regenerate, and there is no treatment to speed the process up. If you only had rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty then permanent numbness would be extremely unlikely. Best wishes in your recover.

Mark Chariker, MD · Answer

Numbness after rhinoplasty is common. Sensation can take 1-2 years post-op to come back. If you have twinges in the area or sensations of pressure, that can mean that the nerves are starting to wake back up. I suggest following up with your surgeon to document the level of sensation you are currently having.

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

Numbness is common after rhinoplasty but should return to normal with time (usually by 1 year). Numbness of the teeth is caused by injury to alveolar nerves that run in the septum. These can get injured during the septoplasty. All you can do is give it more time

Numbness after rhinoplasty 1 year post op I am devastated. No improvement?

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Numbness after rhinoplasty 1 year post op I am devastated. No improvement?

Answers (5)

Answer: Numbness after Rhinoplasty

Answer: Numbness after Rhinoplasty

Answer: Numbness of the teeth

Answer: Numbness of the teeth

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.