HomeAnswersplastic surgery-reconstructive and cosmetic surgeryrhinoplastyI am experiencing constant nasal swelling for the past three years following rhinoplasty. Why is it so?

Why do I still have nasal swelling 3 years after rhinoplasty?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. A.k.tiwari

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At October 28, 2023
Reviewed AtOctober 28, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am a 21-year-old female with no significant past medical history except for ADPKD (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease). I underwent a rhinoplasty and have been experiencing constant swelling for nearly three years. My nose remains swollen about 99 percent of the time. Sometimes the swelling completely disappears, usually when I am taking a shower, but it comes right back once I step out. Drinking large amounts of water sometimes helps, but not always. I have no pain or bruising around the area. I hate the way my nose looks even more now than before the surgery because it is always fat and swollen. The only treatment I have received for it is infrequent Kenalog injections about every four to six months, which have not seemed to help at all. I started taking an omega 3 algae oil supplement, which helped decrease the baseline of the swelling. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to when my nose will be swollen. Sometimes it will go down when I am jogging, but other times jogging will make it worse. My surgeon says that there is potentially some fibrous scar tissue in my nose, but did not explain how that was related to the persistent swelling. Please provide me with suggestions.

Answered by Dr. A.K.Tiwari

Hi,

I am delighted to welcome you at icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

Sometimes it is difficult to comment following a narration of the condition that is troubling you. You need to visit a plastic surgeon to get a proper examination and evaluation of the area of concern. Also, you have not provided any photographs of your before and after rhinoplasty procedure or the kind of swelling you are experiencing at present. Following rhinoplasty, it is common to have some amount of swelling that generally subsides within a year, but sometimes it may take a little bit longer. You have not mentioned which part of your nose is affected by swelling. The lower part of the nose, around the tip, always takes longer to settle down as the skin over that area is thicker than the upper part, and it is densely adherent to the underlying cartilaginous structure. Remodeling of cartilage takes time to settle following any work done in that area during a rhinoplasty procedure. You just need to closely follow the advice of your surgeon.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at icliniq.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. A.K.Tiwari
Dr. A.K.Tiwari

plastic surgery-reconstructive and cosmetic surgery

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