Tip Lifted but Now Drooping? Can Removing the Cast Hurt the Results?

Since it is so soon after your procedure, it is difficult to come to any conclusions about the final result. The tip may drop slightly in the weeks following your procedure. In general, the final result of rhinoplasty is not evident for 18-24 months following surgery. 70% of the swelling is resolved after the first 3 months, and the remainder goes down over time. Swelling can be influenced by the following: thickness of the patient's skin, whether the procedure was a revision, whether tip work was performed, and whether the procedure was open or closed. It is possible for swelling to give the illusion of asymmetries and irregularities. The nose continues to change throughout the healing process, and you should see improvements over time. I would give it a little more time and see how you continue to heal. Your surgeon should be able to answer any questions, as they know the extent of your surgery and exactly what was performed. If your cast was removed carefully, you should not have a problem. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck.

    The tip can sometimes be massively swollen one week after rhinoplasty, particularly in the open approach if multiple maneuvers were employed.   It is very difficult to make a judgement call on the tip at this early date.   It is also not uncommon to have swelling that can look like a residual hump.   Your plastic surgeon can be a great source of comfort at this early time.  You will need several weeks to months to even get an idea of the final result.   Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

The splint and taping after rhinoplasty can often hold the tip upward and make it look overshortened. This will control swelling and fullness in the 'supratip' area. The tip will drop into position as the splint is removed. Will the tip raise up after splint removal? We think this is unlikely.

 Rhinoplasty does certainly cause some post op swelling especially once the semi-rigid nasal cast is removed.  However, if the nasal tip is rotated downward, post-op healing will not raise the tip.  In some cases, the tip can drop somewhat, after a Rhinoplasty as the healing takes place but there is no healing mechanism that will rotate (raise) the tip upwards against gravity.