4 Weeks Post-Op Revision Septorhinoplasty: When Will I See Final Results?

Every patient heals at a different rate following a rhinoplasty. What happens is lymphatic channels form, allowing swelling to decrease. At the same time a scar capsule forms around the nose that can have a mild compression effect on the nose. All these factors act together to change the appearance of the nose. Typically I see that about half the swelling is gone by 3 months and 70-80% by one year. The scar capsule can take several years to form. I think that if the rhinoplasty is done well and the built with enough strength to stand up to the contractile forces it will be fully healed and stable in 4-5 years. I have performed rhinoplasties on some nurses and doctors that I work with on a regular basis and I am able to see these subtle changes that take place for several years after the rhinoplasty.

I hope this helps.

Final results after rhinoplasty may take at a minimum of one year for swelling to fully dissipate.  In revision cases, however, final results may take 18-24 months or more to manifest, depending on the extent of the revision/reconstruction and the thickness of the skin.   For individuals with thick nasal skin, scar maturation can continue to cause very fine changes even as far as 3 years postoperatively.

In general, the final results of a rhinoplasty may take up to a year. Swelling can persist for a year or even longer in some cases.