How indicative are immediate before and after rhinoplasty photos (in the operating room) to the final result? (Photo)

Question

I just got before and after photos from the operating room for my rhinoplasty. It seems the doctor was overly aggressive and has made my nose too small and feminine (I'm male). I had asked for a strong masculine nose: radix depressed, sharper tip, slight deprojection, keep straight bridge. It looks like my radix wasn't touched, bridge made smaller and curved, and tip over-rotated. Will my final nose look like this? Can I make my bridge fuller and lower my tip (e.g. taping, making scar tissue)?

Nizar Taki, MD · Answer

I see why you are concerned, but I want to reassure you that the intraoperative photo is NOT representative of the final outcome. Swelling is progressively increasing throughout the rhinoplasty surgery, and some parts of the nose swell more than others (due to gravity, differing blood supply, thickness of tissues, etc). So while you may be concerned about the appearance in the intraoperative photo, this does not represent the final outcome. Hypothetically, imagine if the base of the nose (the part attached to your face) was more swollen than the tip / bridge because gravity pulled the swelling down. This could make the bridge look smaller comparatively to the rest of the nose. Also, the tip usually appears slightly over rotated after rhinoplasty, and rotates down slightly during the healing process. Finally, scar formation in the soft tissues of the nose could result in areas that look small / thin becoming thicker as healing progresses.
These are all hypotheticals to illustrate that it's too early to worry. Ultimately, you will have to wait and see what the final outcome looks like. There is not much you can to do change things other than avoid stressing out about it and do the best you can to have a good recovery. Good luck, I'm sure it will look great!

Vasdev Rai, MD · Answer

Final rhinoplasty outcomes depends on many factors. Most of those factors come into play as you heal. The final outcomeis achieved in about 18 months. Taping etc does not change anything. If you think your nose is too petite it will not get larger.

How indicative are immediate before and after rhinoplasty photos (in the operating room) to the final result? (Photo)

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How indicative are immediate before and after rhinoplasty photos (in the operating room) to the final result? (Photo)

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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