What is the soonest I can get rhinoplasty done after Accutane? I've heard 3 months but others say 6.

Dear johnsmith9 in Los Angeles, California:

This question has been bandied about for years. Accutane is a great drug. The concern is that it will affect
healing. We specialists have discussed
this among ourselves at medical meetings and nobody recalls ever seeing a
patient who had a problem, even while on Accutane. Typically, if you go off Accutane, 3 months
later there should be complete settling down of the tissues.

Generally, in the world of surgery, irregardless to what
kind of surgery one has, wound healing is complete within 3 months. Of course, there is an advantage with the
closed rhinoplasty, should you be the exception to the rule, in that you do not
really have to worry about visible scarring.
There is no such thing as a thickened, heavy scar, which is a concern, when
the incisions are done internally.

You should consult with doctors who have a lot of
experience with nasal surgery, because this subject has certainly come up in
their practice before. I think that a
3-month wait is good.
When you go for consultation, prepare with written questions and spend
time. Be sure you have done adequate
homework in terms of looking at the websites, including the photo galleries,
which are extremely important. Be sure
to have computer imaging, of course. You
need to get a sense of what the doctor has in mind for your, so it is not just
guessing. It should not be
abstract. You need to get a sense of
what can be accomplished. You would not
buy a painting from a painter unless you saw the artist’s work prior.

Best wishes,

Robert Kotler,
MD, FACS

Over 4,500 nasal
procedures performed

  A closed rhinoplasty approach does not make an external incision, so it is probably acceptable to undergo the surgery  3 months after stopping the Accutane treatments. It's also best to check with your dermatologist and your  prospective rhinoplasty surgeon