Question:
Is it normal for the tip of the nose to appear somewhat upturned after a nose job? I’m a few weeks post op and my doctor says this is normal and will get better.

Answer:
A slight upturn of the nose after rhinoplasty is common and should not be of concern. This upturn is mostly due to swelling and should improve as this resolves. Keeping your head elevated and limiting activities will help. With time this should improve. If revisions would be necessary, they should not be performed until a full year from surgery.

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Question:
I’ve been told by a doctor that I have thick nasal skin. How will this impact my rhinoplasty surgery?

Answer:
Thick skin can definitely affect rhinoplasty. The advantage of the thick skin is that it is more forgiving. Minor irregularities or assymetries will be less visible with thick skin. The disadvanatge is that it makes getting a well defined nasal tip more difficult – the thickness prevents the full affect of what has been done to the cartilage from being realized. An excellent rhinoplasty surgeon can adjust his techniques to compensate for some of this, but there are limitations. Consulting with a facial plastic surgeon is the first step to evaluating your nose and finding what your options are for achieving the look you want.

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Question:
Can a deviated septum be fixed during rhinoplasty surgery and how is this achieved?

Answer:
Absolutely- A great time to correct breathing and other functional nose problems is at the same time as rhinoplasty. First off, the surgeon is working in the same area- some of the same incisions may be used. Many facial plastic surgeons use cartilage from the septum anyway during rhinoplasty. Doing so adds little to the procedure or the recovery. Second, if the septoplasty is covered by insurance, this can help defray the cosmetic costs. Rhinoplasty and septoplasty are often combined for many good reasons. Meeting with Dr. Hamilton to evaluate if you are a good candidate is the first step towards improving the appearance of your nose and improving your breathing.

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The days of packing the nose after nasal surgery are fortunately over! With today’s less aggressive and more functional techniquee, bleeding and drainage are far less than in the past. With this, the need to fill the nose with uncomfortable packing has ended.

Occasionally, Dr. Hamilton place a very small piece of gauze just inside the nose for the first night. Most patients also have tape and a splint applied to the top of the nose for the first week, but neither of these contain latex. Dr. Hamilton does typically apply bacitracin ointment to the incisions after surgery, so it is important to let us know if you are allergic to that as there are alternatives.

Posted by Mark M. Hamilton M.D. FACS

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