Internal scar tissue after multiple nose surgeries

Question

I have had several revision rhinoplasties since my primary failed dramatically. My nose was overgrafted and later collapsed after careless graft removals. Each surgery has left me with more and more heavily bulging scar tissue inside the nostrils. You can see the bumps just by looking inside my nose, and they block my breathing severily. I have had kenalog injections - zero help. I had surgery to remove the scar tissue - more scar tissue grew. Do I have to accept I will not breathe ever again?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars. 
 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Internal scar tissue after multiple nose surgeries

Answers (1)