3 weeks post-op Rhinoplasty, bumped the tip of my nose as I was raising my arm accidentally! Any suggestion?

Question

I had the hump on the bridge of my nose shaved down w/ osteotomies & the tip defined. Last night I raised my arm as I was getting up and bumped the tip of my nose from the under-side. It probably was not a hard hit bc it was absent-minded raising of my arm and not a directed hit to the face, however it did hurt when it happened, but did Not continue to hurt after. I did Not notice any bleeding, or change in the shape of the nose. I am so worried I ruined it. I am really trying to be so careful!

Kevin M. Robertson, MD, FACS · Answer

I would not worry if I were you.  Minor bumps are almost the norm after surgery, and almost everyone also fears they have compromised the result.   That rarely happens.  But concerns like that need to be investigated with your surgeon to put both your minds at ease.  In general, the nose is more delicate than an unoperated nose for about 6 weeks.  At that point, the bone and cartilage start to settle down, and become more rigid.  So after 6 weeks you really have to have a significant amount of trauma to disrupt the new nasal architecture.

Sirius K. Yoo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Minor trauma after rhinoplasty is very common.  It would be unlikely for a minor bump that only causes mild pain to cause any structural damage to the work that was done by your surgeon.  Having said that, I would let your surgeon know about it.  Only they know how stable your nose was after the operation was complete.  If you have your nose taped and a splint on, there is little utility in trying to assess the nose for subtle changes because the shape is only grossly indicative of the structural shape under it.  In general, there is nothing to be done at this point unless there was a major blow to the nose that caused significant and obvious shift in the bones or cartilage.  Its good that you seem vigilant about protecting your nose.  I hope you end up with the results you were hoping for!

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

This is something we hear about quite often, and even a minor bump can be painful. It is unlikely that you did any damage if your nose is now comfortable and there was no bleeding, and it looks the same. If in doubt have your surgeon take a look.

Stephen E. Metzinger, MD · Answer

Dear NKnewnose:      Please follow up with your surgeon. This will reassure you and put your mind at ease and allow your operating surgeon to check for any structural changes. In all likelihood your nose is fine but it is better to be safe than sorry. Hope this helps and good luck!

3 weeks post-op Rhinoplasty, bumped the tip of my nose as I was raising my arm accidentally! Any suggestion?

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