On and off swelling post rhinoplasty 1 year and 2 months later. Should I continue taking steroid injections?

Question

So I had rhinoplasty a little over a year ago, and I still have alot of on and off swelling. By that I mean some days my nose looks super small and amazing (mainly at evening time) and other times it gets super swollen, thick, and bigger. I have thick skin and I’ve gotten the steroid injections but they didn’t do much to help this issue. I’ve already talked with my surgeon he said swelling can take up to 2 years but it’s just very strange. Should I continue steroid injections or suggestions?

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

Maybe 1 or 2 injections of steroid can help swelling but I would not recommend much more.  This can cause skin atrophy and telangiectasias to appear so it is risky if too much is used.  If after 1 year you still have the appearance of swelling, it may be that residual tissue or cartilage needs to be removed and a revision rhinoplasty is needed.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

The other thing you can do is to take your nose at night. You can learn how to do this from many videos online. And it really works.

Joseph Shvidler, MD · Answer

On and off swelling after rhinoplasty Is more common in individuals with thicker skin soft tissue nasal envelope. Most patients will recover from this in 6 to 8 months after surgery. In some patients, however, swelling may persist beyond one year. This could be managed with several rounds of nasal steroid injections, taping and sometimes use of other medications to calm down the inflammatory process. Positional changes may affect the amount of swelling in the nose and face and I usually recommend that patients sleep upright to reduce accumulation of oedema of the lymphatic fluid within the nasal tissues. Massaging the nose may help as well.

Jeffrey C. Hamm, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
A rhinoplasty involves separating the entire nasal skin structure from its underlying soft tissues, muscles, and bones, and then fracturing those bones to straighten, lower, and refine nasal shape. It is quite traumatic to these tissues and will take a long time to heal (up to 2 years). The nasal tip is notorious for taking the longest time. 
It is my policy to treat refractory nasal swelling with injectable steroids only if a year has passed since the procedure without subsidence. I limit the number of injections to three, as repeated injections may lead to skin atrophy and pigmentary skin changes.
Allow your tissues to heal...
Best wishes...

On and off swelling post rhinoplasty 1 year and 2 months later. Should I continue taking steroid injections?

Answers (4)

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