2 Months Post-Op Rhinoplasty - Nose is Now Crooked and Longer Than Before

Hello Paola,

First of all, I absolutely agree with the other surgeons who have responded to your question, in that at 2 months after rhinoplasty, there is still a great deal of healing to go. Ideally, one would wait until around 12 months following prior nasal surgery before considering a revision rhinoplasty, though there are exceptions to this rule.

All that being said, there are a few issues that are identifiable in your photos. Obviously, a physical examination of your nose would provide the best opportunity to assess your nose fully. First of all, the bump along the left side of the nose gives me the impression that the left nasal bone has lateralized or moved to the side. At this point swelling over the entire nose is probably accentuating this particular issue but if it persists, that nasal bone can be refractured and pushed towards the middle of the nose.

Secondly, the "bumps" you are describing at the tip may be the result of changes in the shape of the tip cartilages, or lower lateral cartilages. Bumps visible in the nose, sometimes called bossae or knuckles, can be the result of underlying cartilage poking irregularly underneath the overlying skin. This could be the result of cartilage grafts or simply the way in which the underlying cartilage was reshaped. These are not very well visualized in the photos you uploaded but again, an in-person examination would be helpful. In some cases, these bossae can become more prominent as the swelling in the tip decreases. In other cases, the bumps may simply be swelling-related and may improve with time. 

The third issue I am noticing on your front-view is that the middle portion of your nose appears narrower than your nasal bones and nasal tip, what we call the inverted-V deformity. This can happen if the upper lateral cartilages fall towards the middle of the nose. If this persists, it can be corrected with placement of spreader grafts, which are long, thin pieces of cartilage taken from the septum to repair this internal valve of the nose. This technique may improve your ability to breathe as well and may therefore be covered by your insurance. 

My advice would be to address these issues with your primary surgeon but if you feel you would like a second opinion, seek the advice of a rhinoplasty specialist.

Best wishes,

Dr. Mehta

even though you have some concerns about the early appearance of the nose it is better to wait before seeking a revision - 2 months is still very early in the course of healing.  The problems you see now may very well not get better with time (sometimes they will get worse)

You are still early i the healing phase so I would recommend waiting at least a year to see how your nose healsbefore considering a revision procedure. Asymmetric swelling can contribute to crookedness as the nose heals.

If the persistent bump you see is still present that can certainly be address as well. It's hard to comment on the tip bumps without an examination. Cartilage grafts are commonly used in rhinoplasty and are usually not palpable. The cartilage can be removed or revised if needed, though.