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Crooked septum after rhinoplasty (Photo)

I had corrective rhinoplasty 10 days ago to repair my nose that was crooked from being broken 7 years ago. Now as my swelling is decreasing, I see that my septum is almost exactly in the same spot that it was before. As you can see, the nose is still swollen, but a bottom view shows how crooked it still is. I'm devastated. Is there anything that my surgeon can do in the short term, or do I have to wait 18 months & have another surgery? Will I have to pay? I was not warned about this possibility.

Doctor Answers 4

October 3rd, 2016

Crooked Nose

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Hi Lizzy,

Thank you for your question. Truly, fixing a crooked nose is one of the most difficult things in rhinoplasty surgery. In my experience, once the cast is removed the nose should be dramatically straighter but not always 100% straight. You are very early in the game. Even though you are anxious to see the final result, I would not recommend any intervention right now. You need to wait (not 18 months) many months before the swelling will come down and you will be able to see the result, 6 months at least. Please go to our website and look at the before-and-after gallery for some examples of crooked noses corrected. 

Learn more: http://m.drjohnbitner.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drjohnbitner.com%2F&utm_referrer=#2987

John Bitner, MD


Salt Lake City Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 92 reviews

October 1st, 2016

Crooked septum after nose surgery

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It is very early yet to assess your surgery results. Swelling inside the nose, including the skin lining over the septum, can create the appearance of a persistent septal deviation that ends up improving quite a bit as the area heals.

Learn more: http://www.rhinoplastyinseattle.com/functional-rhinoplasty/septoplasty

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 22 reviews

September 29th, 2016

Swelling left nostril

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The fullness in your left nostril could well be swelling of the mucosa where all the work was done on moving the septum  -especially considering it is only 10 days since surgery - by 6 months this should have settled

Andrew L. Greensmith, MBChB, FRACS
September 28th, 2016

10 days post op, some advices:

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Thank you very much for enquire.

It's too early to make value judgments with only 10 days after a rhinoplasty. Swelling after a rhinoplasty depends of the surgery complexity. In this regard, the nasal swelling Post-op It can last from two weeks to two months. To reduce this swelling, I recommend you perform delicates daily lymphatic drainage massage therapy over the face (around the nose) avoid sun exposure, and take pain/inflamation pills, as your surgeron precribe you. Kind regards,  Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-  

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD

Emmanuel Mallol Cotes, MD
Dominican Republic Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 367 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.