My nose appears crooked after open rhinoplasty/septoplasty - will this go away? (Photo)

Question

I has an open Rhinoplasty/Septoplasty in September (approx 5 months ago) and my nose appears crooked with bumps in it. Will this go away? Is it swelling?

Stefan Mark Szczerba, MD · Answer

In reviewing your photos, I agree there are a few irregularities in the appearance of your nasal dorsum, but without seeing where you started, it's hard to give you an informed answer.  I would sit down with your plastic surgeon and review your "before" photos and the plans for surgery i.e. any morphing that was done on the computer to plan your surgery.  Sometimes this is just swelling and other times a quick touch up will get you where you want to go.  Best Wishes!!

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

I say this because you appear to have thin nasal skin, and the bumps are on the upper 1/3 of your nose which tends to lose swelling the quickest. The best way to gain Clarity is to discuss your concerns with your surgeon and to review your before and after photos. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Selcuk Inanli, MD · Answer

Hello! Thank you for your question.
As far as I can see from your photos, bump lasting more than 6 months is permanent, so I recommend that you consult your doctor and have a revision operation.
It would be better face to face consultation
Bes regards!

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

The bumps we see on the 3/4 views, and the width of the upper part of the nose on the frontal view, indicate that the nasal bones probably have not been narrowed, or the attempt wasn't successful. Also the 3/4 views, to my eye, make the nose look long-ish. More swelling will go down in the next 5 months, but at this point you're done with 80-90% of the swelling, so the change won't be dramatic. You might be considering a revision, if the nose is far from your original ideal goal.

How *much* to elevate the tip, or narrow the nasal bones, or make other changes? We figure that out with morphs, well before surgery. I'd love for you to see some excellent professionally-designed morphs of what could possibly be done with your nose. Morphs could also help you identify better just what's bothering you, and help you set a goal for the rhinoplasty that's accurate for your tastes. Profile and three-quarter views would be particularly important in morphing your nose. (Side note: in my opinion, morphs should really be done by the surgeon, or he should direct an assistant as she makes the morphs. Morphs should be made with a constant eye to what actually *can* be done in surgery, for that particular nose, and the surgeon has that information and judgment best.)

Finally, remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills. The changes that your nose needs require advanced techniques, and skill that most plastic surgeons don't possess with expertise. It's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. And it also discusses how to take photos that are best for online evaluations.

And for those who have had previous surgery, it also discusses how to tell whether your first surgeon should be performing your revision.

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you are well. Thank you for posting your photos and questions! To assess how crooked your nose was/is, you really would need to provide standard medical photos taken without your head rotated to the side (A-P view). Nevertheless, the oblique views are what accentuate the appearance of the bumps that I believe you are referring to. Those will probably not go away because they appear to be projections of the nasal bones. At 5 months we can assume there is still some swelling, but that only effects the soft parts of the nose (skin-soft tissue envelope--not the bone). In any case, you should wait until about a year after surgery before an honest assessment of your results. If you are dissatisfied because of ongoing issues like this, you could seek revision rhinoplasty to correct them.
Best,Dr. Tower

Jordan Kaplan, MD · Answer

Hi and thank you for providing photographs with your question. 
Swelling after a rhinoplasty takes approximately 1 year to fully resolve. However at 5 to 6 months post op most of your swelling is likely gone. The irregularities that you see will likely not change over the next 6 months to 1 year. 
It is important to realize that it is not a good idea to re-operate for at least 1 year since your previous surgery. Do not rush into a revision procedure. If a surgeon recommends intervening sooner than 1 year I would be cautious of that plan.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Based on your nicely posted photos you needed revision of your rhinoplasty for better improvement best to do virtual consult. Expect fees to be $15,000 in revision.

My nose appears crooked after open rhinoplasty/septoplasty - will this go away? (Photo)

Answers (7)

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