One of the most common questions I get asked from my San Diego nosejob (nose job) patients is what am I going to look like after the rhinoplasty bandages come off? Most rhinoplasty experts do not usually take photos of nose job patients this soon out. However, I think it is helpful for other prospective nasal reshaping patients to get a real realistic portrayal of what they might look like during this first week. That is precisely why I posted this plastic surgery blog entry for my potential rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty patients.
Rhinoplasty San Diego Case Example
This very pleasant young lady consulted with us regarding a possible reshaping of her nose. She mostly wanted to have her bridge height reduced (dorsal hump reduction) but also wanted her nasal tip to be brought closer to her face (called deprojection of the tip). At the same time we performed osteotomies of her nasal bone to narrow the bridge on frontal view once the bridge was brought down.
Nose Appearance 6 Days Out From San Diego Rhinoplasty
The photographs below show the frontal and side view of this San Diego rhinoplasty patient just 6 days out from nasal reshaping surgery. As you can readily appreciate, she is swollen and discolored around the nose region. However, for 6 days out from complete nasal reshaping, she is really quite presentable. Take note that she does not have black and blue eyes despite having her nasal bones broken and repositioned. In addition, the swelling and discoloration that she does have is quite mild overall. I usually tell my nasal reshaping patients that they will likely be ‘supermarket presentable’ (a term used by Dr. J. Regan Thomas) in about 10 days following rhinoplasty. Much of the swelling that this patient has at 6 days will actually resolve by day 10 such that she truly will be quite presentable in the public eye at that point in her recovery. Of course it will take up to a year or beyond for the nose to heal completely. But her appearance is not bad for 6 days out from rhinoplasty.
Detailed Comparison of Rhinoplasty Nose Changes Made
Looking in more detail at her side view, you can more readily appreciate the overall change in shape to her nose. The photo diagram below is provided so that you can visually see how her profile is now quite different. First off, her bridge has been clearly reduced in height to get rid of the dorsal bump. In addition, we took the bridge down even further to give her a more pleasing profile appearance. Even with swelling at 6 days out from rhinoplasty, the yellow line shows how much her nose has been brought down in terms of bridge height. Then take a close look at her tip region. Again, despite surgical swelling at 6 days out, her tip is now closer to her face as indicated by the red line. Now some of you may be thinking that this is not a significant change based on absolute measurement by the yellow and red lines. But keep in mind that rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty are very much finesse operations. A few millimeters here and a few millimeters there can translate into moderate amount of change in the overall nasal appearance. With time, this particular patient is going to see further refinements in the nose with improved definition. I will try and keep you up-to-date as she continues to come in for her follow-up visits over the next year or so. Sincerely, Dr. Hilinski.
