Side Profile Looks Big and Long After Septoplasty

Question

I had a septoplasty two weeks ago, as the cartilage on my tip before operation was pushing to one side and needed correcting. My front profile has improved a little so I'm pleased with that, but my side profile still looks big and long. My tip looks too large for my bridge and is very upturned, which makes it stick out, so I'm disapointed with the results at the moment. Is this normal? I also have slight insertions that are visible in natural light at both sides of my bridge. Will these go?

Shervin Naderi, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi,
You had a septoplasty not a Rhinoplasty.  A very crooked septum can make a nose also crooked.  Think of a house with crooked walls - most likely the roof will be crooked too. Once the walls are straightened, the roof should be much straighter as well.
 So a septoplasty on a very crooked septum may improve your frontal view and straighten out a crooked nose but it should not greatly affect the side profile or the tip or anything else for that matter - usually.
The only reason I say usually is because if your surgeon removed too much septum then your profile can show a "saddle deformity" of the bridge.  If he placed grafts in the septum to prod it up then your tip position can change.  But these are not usual issues.  If you do not like the shape of your nose the answer is a rhinoplasty and not a septoplasty.  Hope this makes sense

D.J. Verret, MD · Answer

It would be interesting to know exactly what was done for your nose. In general, a septoplasty will not change the shape of your nose. A more invasive septorhinoplasty will change the shape of the nose. Sometimes a rhinoplasty is necessary to fix a severely deviated nasal septum. In either event, discuss with your surgeon your concerns and determine exactly what was done with the procedure.

Side Profile Looks Big and Long After Septoplasty

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Side Profile Looks Big and Long After Septoplasty

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Everything you need to know about Septoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.