Uneven Nostrils After Rhinoplasty (Photo)

Question

I had an open septoplasty and rhinoplasty 8 days ago. As you can see from the photo, one of my nostrils is turned way upwards and is very visible from the front. My dr says this is because the nostril was drooping after surgery and he needed to add stitches inside the nostril to over-compensate, so when the stitches dissolve, it will fall into the correct spot. I know I need to wait for swelling to go down but I feel at this point the nostril will never fall into the correct spot. Thank you

Philip Solomon, MD, FRCS · Answer

It is to early to evaluate your result.  That being said I do agree there is significant nostril asymmetry.   As swelling settles over months things will change hopefully for the better.   In some situations nostril asymmetry does occur from primary rhinoplasty.    This often can be touched up with a secondary procedure if needed.

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD · Answer

It is very early after surgery right now so it would be best to follow your surgeon's advice and wait for the nose to heal. It's hard to say whether your nostrils will become more symmetric over time. Often as the swelling resolves there can be quite a bit of change, though.Continue to follow up with your surgeon so that he can assess your progress.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

It is too early to make a determination about the final result.The nose 
can be swollen for up to a year or more.  Swelling will depend upon the 
nature of maneuvers employed, presence of grafts or implants, thickness 
of skin, open vs closed, revision vs primary,  etc.	Kenneth Hughes, MD	Los Angeles, CA

Roy A. David, MD · Answer

If the nostrils were symmetric before surgery, there is a good chance this asymmetry will resolve with time. Follow up with your surgeon so he can follow the progress of your rhinoplasty recovery.

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

HI,I would say that ultimately you will need an alar rim graft to correct this asymmetry. I dont think any stitching will suffice. You should wait 2 to 3 months before doing anything but I dont think anything will change.Best,Dr.S.

Uneven Nostrils After Rhinoplasty (Photo)

Answers (5)