Nose is Too Short After Rhinoplasty, 1 Week Post-Op

Do not be alarmed.  It is so common to have the tip raised a bit after surgery that I always notify my patients and my patient's family not to be concerned when they see the tip turned up with the tape on.  The tip will rotate down after the tape comes off and for a few weeks thereafter.  Totally normal.   Best, Dr. Phil

Being only 1 week out from your surgery you will have swelling to your nose. This can often cause the tip to rotate up temporarily. You really need to give it time for your nose to heal. Maintain your follow up appointments with your surgeon and discuss your concerns with him or her.

You need to be patient as you are still healing.  It will take months to see the final result of your surgery.
 

At one week post op, you most certainly have some post-surgical swelling. It is too early in the healing process to know or see your final results.  As hard as it might be, try to relax, step away from the mirror, and allow yourself time to heal.

Need side view and before photos. Way too early in recovery/swelling to comment if to short of a nose. Be patient. 

There is nothing about your nose that makes it look too short or turned up at this stage and there shouldn't be any judgments made at one week.  Your nose is swollen and will begin to take shape over the next few months. Be patient and give your body time to change.

Best of luck

Vincent Marin, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
 

The rule after rhinoplasty is to let things heal and settle, especially after the first week. The exception we have found is that if the nose is over shortened, or the tip over rotated, then revision during the first week or two can save the day. An over shortened nose can become more difficult to lengthen as the skin envelop shrinks around the new frame. Good news though, your photo looks fine so you should hang in there.
Best of luck,
peterejohnsonmd

1 week post op is too soon to worry. It takes time for the swelling to go down and things to look better. Stay in touch with your plastic surgeon, and let them help you through this period of time that you need reassurance.

It takes time for the nose to drop and the swelling to go away. discuss this with your surgeon. Stop looking at it. When you leave the beauty parlor you can go to the wedding. When you leave the OR you need time to recover. It can take a full year and sometimes more for all of the swelling to go after a rhinoplasty.
 

What makes rhinoplasty such a difficult surgery is that the nose NEVER ends up looking identical to the appearance immediately after surgery.  As the nose heals and scar tissue develops, the shape of the nose changes.  There are certain things that are predictable and one of those things is that the rotation (pushed up appearance) always decreases somewhat.  Surgeons will compensate for this at the time of surgery by over-rotating the nose.  The skill of the surgeon is in knowing how much to overcorrect so that the position of the tip is ideal after the nose has healed.

It is difficult to have patience.  I know that my patients want to look great now, not in 3 months.  That said, there is really nothing that can or should be done now.  Time will definitely correct the rotation problem you are seeing now.