Why Did my Surgeon Make External Incisions Near Bridge of the Nose?

Well.  Hmmmm.  The small incisions could represent access points use to break and narrow the nose.  Usually these incisions are tiny 2-3 mm.  The columellar incision is standard for an open rhinoplasty. It sounds like there was something loss in the translation during your consult.  The incisions should heal favorably.

Dr. ES

It is not normal to make that big of incision where you describe.  As the other surgeons mentioned some doctors do external osteotomy with a 1-2 mm incision which heals without issue.  That big of an incision is not going to heal very well over time.

I would address this with your surgeon

Good luck.

It sounds like these were external access for breaking the nose itself.  Some surgeons prefer to do this internally, while others do this externally with a small incision on both sides.  However, those incisions should only be a few millimeters at the most, not 1.5cm.  If they truly are that big, then I would discuss this with your surgeon since this is out of the realm of normal.

Skin incisions near the bridge of the nose may be used for external osteotomies, whereby the nasal bones are fractured to straighten the nose. These incisions are usually 1 - 2mm in length, and leave an imperceptible scar. The longer types of scars such as you describe may leave more conspicuous scars, and you should discuss your concerns with your surgeon.

Regarding: "septorhinoplasty done about a week ago to remove a hump, raise the tip, and improve breathing. During the surgery, two small (~1.5 cm) external cuts were made near the bridge of my nose (in addition to the columellar incision). According to my PS, my blood was thin and the cuts were made to drain the nose of excess blood. Only one of the incisions was sutured. Are external incisions typically made to address these uncommon complications? Will I scar from the cuts?"

1.5 cm is NOT a small cut. Are you sure you did not mean millimeter, mm?

When we break the bones at the sides of the nose (Osteotomy) to narrow it, the fracture can be done with a chisel placed through a small incision INSIDE the nose on either side (internal osteotomy) or as a small outside incision through which a 2mm chisel is placed (external osteotomy). These small punctures heal beautifully and leave a barely visible tiny scar.

I have never heard of anyone putting a 1.5 cm incision on the side of the nose to allow for blood drainage.

Dr. Aldea

Occasionally, surgeons will make tiny external incisions  when performing osteotomies to reposition nasal bones, but never 1.5cm in length. I cannot imagine doing this to drain excess blood caused by some bleeding disorder. I'm sorry I cannot provide any insights or explanations.