What happens if I wear glasses after septorhinoplasty?

Q: Can this affect my breathing? It’s been a week and a half since my surgery and I thought wearing glasses would be okay after the first week. I’ve noticed these dents on the bridge of my nose though, my breathing isn’t as good as when I got my nose splint inserts taken out, is this normal? Is your breathing supposed to deteriorate after your nose splints get taken out? Once the swelling goes away, will my breathing get better? or do you think my glasses are a cause of my breathing problems?

A: Touch base with your surgeon regarding his/her protocol of wearing glasses.  Most surgeons, myself included, prefer to have patients avoid glasses for at least a few weeks after surgery (if the dorsum was reshaped).  It’s unlikely though that your glasses are responsible for your breathing issues.  You may have some intranasal swelling once the splints were removed, causing your breathing to be temporarily worse.  Follow up with your surgeon to best address your concerns.

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Obtuse naso-frontal angle and bulbous, upturned tip post-rhinoplasty

Q: At 19 days post-rhinoplasty, my bridge appears low & scooped, not high and straight, as in surgeon’s pre-op computerized projection. Nasofrontal angle is extremely obtuse, though the surgeon said he’d use a ‘notching’ tool to retain the angle between my forehead and bridge. The tip is pointy, which I wanted, but appears over-projected and a little bulbous/upturned. Is all this just the result of post-op swelling? Might the shapes and angles of my nose still change for the better?

A: The appearance of your nose will certainly change from what it looks like 19 days after surgery.  Your nose will continue to undergo changes for the entire year after surgery, while 60-80% of the changes will be evident in 3-6 months.  Follow up closely with your surgeon to ensure the best result, and try not to fixate on the day to day variations of your nose while it heals.

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Fix my deviated septum and make my nose look prettier – can one doctor do both?

Q: I’m a 17 years old girl and want to get a nose surgery to fix my deviated septum, the small bump on my bridge and maybe make the tip of my nose smaller. I was wondering if a doctor can fix all of these problems at once or if it takes more than one surgery. Also, can a cosmetic doctor fix my medical problem (deviated septum) or do I need a certain type of a doctor to fix the medical problems and another to make my nose prettier? My nose isn’t really big or ugly but I just feel insecure about it.

A: Addressing both the functional issues of septal deviation and nasal obstruction, while also reshaping and improving the appearance of the nose, is commonly done during septorhinoplasty.  Seeking out a rhinoplasty specialist will ensure the best cosmetic and functional result.

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What is the likelihood that I will vomit after rhinoplasty?

Q: My surgery is scheduled for Friday May 30th, and my biggest fear is vomiting post op. My Dr. is loading me up with anti-nausea meds including the patch to wear on my neck. Will this reduce the chance that I will vomit after surgery?

A: A number of factors will affect your level of nausea after surgery.  One of the keys is having an excellent anesthesiologist who is familiar with rhinoplasty.  The type and amount of anesthetics you are administered during surgery plays a big role in how you wake up from surgery.  Nausea in these cases is rare.  For your case, your recovery nurses and your surgeon will be the best people to ask regarding how much nausea to expect.

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Which has more swelling? Primary surgery or removal of implant and grafts?

Q: 2.5 months post op after open rhino. Goretex on dorsum and nasal septum was harvested for tip height and added ear cartilage for projection. I am planning to have all these removed since I don’t want anymore unnatural implant on my nose but scared of what it will look like after. Its ok if it will just go back to pre op structure or better but I hope not worst than my original nose. Will there be more swelling after removal compared to what I experience during primary? Hope its swells less.

A: The synthetic implant on the bridge of your nose can be removed with minimal swelling, but removing the septal and ear cartilage grafts from the tip of your nose will create significant swelling.  After revision surgery, the nose will take longer to heal and for the swelling to fully resolve.

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I have a bump and line in the middle of my nose after rhinoplasty. How did this happen and can it be fixed?

Q: I had rhinoplasty about 4 months ago but I started noticing a bump and a horizontal line developing in the middle of my nose. This wasn’t much initially because of the swelling I guess, but it became more obvious with time, especially when I look at the mirror… My doctor said he never saw something like this over his 25 years of experience and suggested that I massage my nose and bone and wait for a while… He mentioned filler too but I want to know what happened and what my options are.

A: Although it’s difficult to provide a definitive, there may be an irregularity in the bone and cartilage of your dorsum.  At 4 months you are still fairly early in your recovery so your nose will change in appearance, so your bridge may or may not improve.  Revision rhinoplasty may be necessary to smooth the contour, but shouldn’t be considered until the nose is fully healed.

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11 days post op – Crease of nostril bleeding after crying, should I be worried?

Q: I’m 11 days post op and found out some bad news and cried for ~ 2 hours. After I saw the crease of my left nostril where my outer stitches were is slightly open and bleeding. This was the area where my stitches were and it was nicely healing before. No blood or open wound. I’m worried that perhaps my nose ripped away and may be at risk for infection, etc. Should I be concerned and what should I do to best remedy this?

A: There may have been a very slight separation in your incision line which resulted in the bleeding, but it should heal fine with appropriate care.  Cleaning the incision line gently with peroxide diluted in distilled water (1:1) and keeping the incision line covered with antibiotic ointment should allow it to heal quickly.  Certainly do follow up with your surgeon with any concerns to ensure the best healing.

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My nose tip is slanted and leaning towards the right, Is this abnormal?

Q: I had a rhinoplasty 15 days ago. I know I should be patient when it comes to my results, but this has got me very worried. A few days ago I noticed that my nose tip is slightly slanted to the right. I’m praying that my nose is just very swollen from my right side and that it will eventually subside. Also, the right side of my nose tip is more numb than my left side does this say anything to my concern?

A: It is very early in your recovery and too soon to be concerned about the symmetry of the results as swelling is always asymmetric and will resolve differently from side to side.  Numbness and “weird” sensations are a normal part of early recovery.

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My nose looks like a boot after rhinoplasty. Do you think it’s swelling or a deficiency of the surgery?

Q: I had a rhinoplasty refining the tip and using ear cartilage to add to the bridge. My nose looks like it comes from forehead directly. My bulbous tip is higher than the rest of the nose – my profile is not straight. It looks like saddle nose or a boot. It’s 10 days now, but there is not much of a difference. I’ve never seen this level of swelling in other people’s pictures before. Do you think it’s swelling or a deficiency of the surgery?

A: Augmentation of the nasal dorsum (bridge) often results in significant edema and swelling.  For some patients it will take 3-6 months for the majority of the swelling to resolve, and especially for you at 10 days post-surgery, you can expect the bridge will settle and lower.  The radix – the portion of your bridge connected to your forehead – will lower as the swelling resolves.

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I have a small ball on the top of my nose bridge after rhinoplasty. Should I be worried?

Q: In September of this year I underwent rhinoplasty to remove a hump on my nose bridge. Aesthetically I’m very pleased with the way my nose looks but I’ve noticed that there’s a small ball-like thing in the top of my nose bridge on the right side. It feels like if you press it, it moves slightly up and down. I don’t think you can see it but you can definitely feel it. Should I be worried or is this a common thing that will go on its own? Thanks.

A: Your nose will continue to undergo changes as it heals over the course of this year and the swelling decreases.  The “ball” you are noting should likely improve as the swelling resolves.  You will achieve the best results by following up closely with your surgeon.

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