Swelling from Closed Rhinoplasty

In general, almost all noses are numb right after a rhinoplasty. In most cases its the tip that is numb, but this numbness can extend down to the upper lip, and in rare cases some of the teeth. There are nerves that are cut and stretched during a rhinoplasty, and it takes a long time for those nerves to start working again. This is true of an open as well as closed rhinoplasty, although it tends to be more extensive in open rhinoplasty. This could also be more extensive if a septoplasty is performed at the same time. A revision rhinoplasty is a much harder surgery with a lot of internal scarring to cut through. This can also be a reason for prolonged numbness. This, along with the swelling, gives you a stiff, plastic type feel, and can give you an odd smile. However, the nerves will start working and again, and your nose stiffness will go away with time. As the nerves grow back, you may feel some tingling, itchiness and on occasion pain. This takes in most cases months, but can take years in rare cases. Extremely rarely, the numbness is permanent, although I have never seen such as case.Best Wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD

This all sounds very normal, as depending on what was done, there might be a fair amount of tissue settling and rearrangement that needs to occur before you have the "final" result you want. I always tell patients that it takes 6-12 months for the tissues to really settle in, and because rhinoplasty is generally considered the most difficult of all plastic surgery procedures, because of it unpredictability, you might need a minor revision. Though it is unlikely, I try ot prepare my patients for reasonable eventualities so that they are not "blindsided" so to speak.