I am five weeks post open rhinoplasty. I had a tension nose with a pronounced hump and droopy tip. Everything has gone very well, and I was extremely pleased upon removal of the cast, splints, etc... At that time, my hump was gone, the front and sides of my nose were very smooth, and my tip no longer drooped.
However, over the last couple of weeks I have developed bumps on both sides of my nose - on the right side just next to my eye, and on the left side a little lower than my eye. The bump on the left is fairly significant and hard. It makes my nose look crooked - similar to Owen Wilson's nose. I realize that it can take up to a year to achieve final results.
My surgeon has been great, but his response to my bumps is 'we will just wait and see'. However, I need to know if this is common and how likely these bumps are to go away. People are even starting to comment that my nose looks crooked.
Please share your experiences with me, so that I have some idea of what I am dealing with. Is this likely part of the healing process, or should I be concerned?
Thank you,
Nancy
Answer
You are correct that it typically takes about 1 year to see the final results following rhinoplasty. At this stage of your recovery, the bumps that you are describing may very well be swelling created by osteotomies (the controlled breaks that are made to reshape the nasal bones). It is common for patients to feel a small 'pea-sized' bump on each side of the nose in the locations that you are describing especially after percutaneous lateral nasal osteotomies (using a very small and sharp instrument that is actually passed through the nose/cheek skin instead of internally to make the osteotomies). The bumps are the result of swelling in the skin where the instrument was passed through. If your bumps are secondary to the osteotomies, gentle massage of this area will help these bumps to resolve in a few weeks and this is normal following rhinoplasty. Alternatively, an irregularity in the location you described could be the bones themselves. You should discuss this again with your surgeon.
Dr. Jamil Ahmad, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answer
Hello and thank you for your question. The hard bumps you are referring to may be your nasal bones. If those are your nasal bones, it may not get better with time and may even worsen as the swelling resolves. The final results take at least 1.5 years for the swelling to fully resolve. This can require lots of patience and waiting. Steroid injections performed by your surgeon can be extremely helpful. I usually start steroid injections around 1 to 2 months after surgery and continue as needed. I recommend that you maintain close follow up with your surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Dr. Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answer
Thank you for your questions and as hard as it might be to hear your surgeon say “wait and see,” it really is the best strategy as five weeks post rhinoplasty is too soon in your recovery to know exactly what is causing the bumps. Once the swelling resolves after the first year, the bumps should have resolved. You could talk to your surgeon about lymphatic massage, which helps reduce the swelling at the site. Try to be patient and give your body time to heal after rhinoplasty, which can be a very technically challenging procedure.
Dr. Barry M. Weintraub, MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answer
Dear Nancy67Thanks for the question. A couple of weeks is too early to make a comment about the healing process. You should wait your rhinoplasty operation result because a year later we can evaluated. I wish you all the best.
Dr. Ozge Ergun, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answer
The areas you describe may be where your osteotomies were performed, and the skin at the top of your nose is much thinner than on the bottom. Consider re-asking your query with modesty photos, or if you are not satisfied with your surgeon's response, consider getting an opinion from another rhinoplasty specialist.Thank you.Dr Joseph
Dr. Eric M. Joseph, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Answer
The bumps near your eyes are very likely swelling from the osteotomies. These may be asymmetric and can feel quite hard initially making it difficult to differentiate from bone. Unfortunately, its too early to make any determination and certainly too early to do anything about it even if it were something like a "Rocker deformity". Keep in communication with your surgeon as a hands on exam from an experienced rhinoplasty specialist is going to be the best way to evaluate the recovery and expected results. All the best!
Dr. Sirius K. Yoo, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
