One year after rhinoplasty/septoplasty and my nose is undefined. Should I wait it out or have another surgery? (Photo)

Question

I had rhinoplasty and septoplasty surgery 13 months ago and I feel, due to having thick skin, the final result of my nose is going to look very round, uneven and even thicker than before. I've had two steriod injections within the last 8 weeks and the swelling only went down on the the top part of my noes. My doctor's advice is to be patient but the results im seeing so far has me feeling anxious. Just wondering if I should wait it out or have another surgery?

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS · Answer

You have brought up some excellent points.  Generally speaking, one year is enough time to decide on whether or not a revision rhinoplasty surgery will be appropriate.  Having said that, you mention that you have thick skin, and this apparent in the photo that you have provided.  In rhinoplasty cases with thick skin, it can take considerably more time for the tip edema to subside and may not improve significantly more which I presume your surgeon has discussed with you during your initial consultation.  Discussing with your surgeon what more can be done to better define your nose would be of benefit at this time.

Matthew Bridges, MD, FACS · Answer

Based on the photo you submitted, I think you have what is called cephalically oriented lower lateral cartilages.  This is an anatomic thing where the cartilages that make up the tip point upward toward the inner corner of the eye vs outward along the nostril rim.  This causes the fullness  you see in the photos around the tip as well as the arched nostril appearance.  This would have to be fixed surgically.  I don't know if this was diagnosed or treated with your first surgery, but I would suspect not.

Michael T. Somenek, MD · Answer

At this stage in your recovery, most of the swelling should be subsiding. There will continue to be small changes that will happen to your nose but these are very minor. If there are obvious asymmetries present, this may be due to the underlying structure in the nose rather than the nasal skin envelope. Steroid injections are worthwhile to treat swelling. If you see no response from this then it is likely due to the underlying cartilage and bone. If you feel your concerns are not being addressed to your liking, then it is always in your best interest to seek a second opinion to get someone else's thoughts on the issue. Hope this helps and best of luck.

One year after rhinoplasty/septoplasty and my nose is undefined. Should I wait it out or have another surgery? (Photo)

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One year after rhinoplasty/septoplasty and my nose is undefined. Should I wait it out or have another surgery? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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