In Response to recent posts, MYA’s Clinical standards team have released the following statement, If you have any questions regarding the below please contact your MYA clinic nurse or Patient Coordinator.
With ANY Rhinoplasty surgery there has always been an emphasis on the healing time being longer than most other elective surgeries.
The nose is very intricate, built up with soft tissue, cartilage and bone; the healing time for each of these alone differs greatly; add to this the trauma of the actual operation including the bruising and the swelling and this can mean that at least for the first 6 weeks your nose may not feel your own.
Swelling is important in healing; while we use the splint to control this; we still need a certain amount of swelling to assist with the nose regaining strength, form and shape. Swelling takes place because all of the good nutrients and cells in the body travel to the area affected by surgery to help regenerate and repair.
While the splint is in place, the nose can look an odd shape or out of proportion; you cannot make any judgements at this stage as you are looking at a very early result. Once the splint is removed, for a period of up to 7 days the swelling will increase in the nose, this is because the splint was once controlling this and now removed; it cannot do this. Naturally, this swelling subsides and is reabsorbed in the body.
This takes us to around 3 weeks post-surgery before even the immediate effects of surgery are starting to settle. Following this period, you then have to consider the long term repair and healing of the soft tissue, bone and cartilage; this can take up to one year and in rare occasions even longer. Often the nose settles quickly so long as the patient doesn’t touch, poke, blow and prod the nose, avoiding hot baths, swimming pools and rigorous exercise also helps this.
It is so important to give your nose time, there will be days in the first year where the swelling may return (heavy intakes of alcohol or large amounts of exercise can cause this) but it will settle and with time, the shape described to you by your surgeon will become visible.
MYA Moderator
