Permanent Lymphatic Problems After Rhinoplasty???

Question

I'm a 26 yr old male 15 months out from a Primary Rhino (bridge/tip work). I am still having episodic swelling in the tip of my nose daily with: heat, exercise, posture, when I wake up. When this happens the tip of my nose bulbs up and gets noticeably bigger. The good news is that it always seems to return to a "not-swollen" state at some point. But it also always swells back up again. I was just wondering if its possible the lymphatics in my nose have been permanently damaged?

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

The nose is plethoric in vascular supply and lymphatic drainage. Swelling is a normal adjunct of surgery it is not evidence of systemic lymphatic damage.

Jeremy Hunt, MBBS, FRACS · Answer

Tip swelling is often the last resolve after rhinoplasty and it may take more than 12 months.Be patient and it should resolve

	Jeremy Hunt,

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

It would be unusual to have a permanent obstruction to the lymphatic drainage to the tip of the nose due to a rhinoplasty.  There is really no treatment for this issue.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

While tip swelling after rhinoplasty can be very cyclical and episodic and persist for a long time, permanent disruption of the nasal skin lymphatics is not a phenomenon that is a recognized and proven problem in rhinoplasty.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

Lymphatic drainage should not be disrupted from rhinoplasty and there is nothing in published articles to support the theory. All is well if swelling goes down.

Permanent Lymphatic Problems After Rhinoplasty???

Answers (5)