1 and half year post rhinoplasty, scar tissue that wont dissolve with steroid injections, will surgery remove it for good?

Question

I had my rhinoplasty 1 and half years ago, I have so much scar tissue surrounding the tip area my nose looks bulbous and puffy. I showed my surgeon and he said worst case scenario he will perform a surgery to remove it, however he said it might not be gone permanently and it might come back, is this true? Please someone help, Im so confused .

Michael A. Epstein, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Without an examination, it's difficult to say what can and cannot be accomplished.  Scar tissue is unpredictable, and can certainly re-form any time there is trauma to an area (such as during surgery).  I recommend continuing to discuss this with your surgeon.  You may also want to seek out other opinions from experienced secondary/revision rhinoplasty surgeons in your area, if only to give you confidence that your original surgeon has a good plan.Best,Dr. Michael EpsteinMAE Plastic SurgeryNorthbrook, IL

Christopher C. Chang, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question.  Without photographs it is difficult to tell, however if steroid injection has not helped, the only other option to improve the tip shape is to open the skin again.  It is important that the cartilages are shaped appropriately and the scar tissue is removed, if there is thick scarring.  Your original surgeon knows best what is inside and how it was approached previously so he/she should have a good idea of what will be needed to correct the issue.  
Best,
Dr. Chang

Patrick J. Byrne, MD, FACS · Answer

There is always a certain amount of scarring that develops after rhinoplasty. The amount differs from patient to patient, and from case to case. After a year and a half, while there still may be some improvement over time, but it will not be much. Rather than focusing solely on the presence or absence of scar tissue, and the possible removal, I would instead encourage a discussion with your surgeons about options to achieve a result closer to your objective of a nice appearance to the tip. There are other maneuvers that in theory can be performed to achieve greater refinement. Whether or not additional surgery makes sense for you I cant say, but it may be more helpful to communicate what it is about your nasal appearance you dont like, and if there is anything that can be safely done to improve it. I hope this helps.

1 and half year post rhinoplasty, scar tissue that wont dissolve with steroid injections, will surgery remove it for good?

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1 and half year post rhinoplasty, scar tissue that wont dissolve with steroid injections, will surgery remove it for good?

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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