Is This Polly Beak One Week Post Op?

Question

I had rhinoplasty one week a go with the goal of defining my tip and making my profile less concave. As you can see from my photos, the tip is hard and swollen which I understand to be normal at this point but I am concerned about the profile as it has not improved much. Can I expect the profile to improve once the swelling subsides or is this polly beak so soon after surgery? Additionally, since I'm early post op any suggestions you have for improving my outcome would be appreciated. Thanks

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Pollybeak is a term used to describe supratip fullness.  However, early on in your recovery, especially at one week, your nose will experience swelling.  In some patients with thicker skin, the nose may take several months for the supratip to improve.  In addition, in some cases the skin has some memory of the old nose and may take time to conform to the new nasal structure.  Give your nose some time to heal before judging it so quickly and seek close postoperative care with your surgeon to ensure your swelling reduces in your supratip.

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD · Answer

I notice the changes to your bridge since having your surgery. This early from your procedure it is normal to have some swelling in the supratip area. In some instances injection of a dilute steroid or 5-FU can be done to soften up excessive scar. This would need to be assessed in person.

Jon F. Harrell, DO, FACS · Answer

Judging by your pre and post operative photos, even though you have some nice improvements, it appears you still lack as much tip projection as you would like. The postoperative swelling may be contributing to this and so time will tell. If there is an unusual amount of soft tissue swelling above the nasal tip then treatment with a steroid may improve the appearance. Ultimately you will need to wait at least 6 months to make a final assessment. If there has been no significant improvement then tip grafting would likely be the solution. Best of Luck  Dr Harrell

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

The polly beak refers to fullness over the tip, with tip underprojection after rhinoplasty. Most now refer to the situation as a 'supra-tip' rather than a polly beak. After one week it can be early to tell, though it would have been nice to see better tip projection in your one week pictures. Still, the improvements are easy to see. Wait out the healing six months before you judge.
	Best of luck,
	peterejohnsonmd

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Hi,

	1 week post -op its difficult to say whether you have a pollybeak. If it persists at 6 months, then maybe you can consider that.

	Best,

	Dr.S.

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Is This Polly Beak One Week Post Op?

Answers (5)

Answer: Polly beak after rhinoplasty

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