Swelling of the nose after rhinoplasty. How long does swelling of the tip of the nose last after rhinoplasty and how to relieve swelling. technical complexity of the operation

Positive and true results of rhinoplasty do not appear immediately after surgery. It takes about a year to completely restore facial tissue. Swelling after rhinoplasty is as normal as hematomas, scars, splints and plaster. How long does swelling last after rhinoplasty and is it possible to remove it faster?

Mechanism of occurrence

Swelling, oddly enough, after rhinoplasty is necessary for the speedy healing of surgical incisions. The accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the subcutaneous tissue promotes the regeneration process and accelerated cell division. Therefore, swelling after rhinoplasty is a normal reaction of the body and it lasts as long as necessary for tissue healing.

Sizes vary depending on the extent of surgery. If bone structures were involved, then, of course, the area of edema becomes larger. Even after non-surgical interventions, the nose and surrounding tissues swell. Although the doctor just injects a gel with a needle, which pushes the structures apart.

How long does swelling last?

The swelling goes away completely, in most patients, within a year. During this time, the patient goes through several stages of rehabilitation. It is worth remembering that swelling goes away for everyone at different rates; it depends on the characteristics of the body, as well as on the correctness of the rehabilitation.

First stage

The duration of this period is one week. The most difficult time psychologically and physically. Swelling begins to form when the surgeon performs the operation, and after that it only increases. To avoid deformation of the operated tissues, a fixing splint or bandage is applied to the nose, so excess fluid accumulates in the area of the eyelids and cheeks.

The volumes of excess fluid can be as large as desired, and in some patients the eyes are invisible.

Already during this period you need to follow the rules:

sleep in a half-sitting position; a large pillow placed under your back will help with this;
do not tilt your head or body;
Do not under any circumstances visit a bathhouse or sauna, or stay in hot rooms;
apply cold compresses as recommended by your doctor;
do not wet the splint while washing;
do not touch your face, do not use care products.

When the first week of rehabilitation passes, the patient is forced to remain in isolation. Doctors should prepare for this in advance.

Second phase

This period lasts two weeks. During this time, with good regenerative abilities of the body, the swelling quickly subsides and becomes noticeable only to the patient.

For accelerated rehabilitation it is necessary:

do not sleep on your stomach or side;
choose delicate facial care, that is, do not use aggressive cleansers, and do not press too hard on the skin when applying makeup;
avoid heat exposure;
Do not play sports, do not bend over.

At this time, doctors prescribe lymphatic drainage and absorbable gels, but you should not expect a miracle effect from them - the swelling will subside faster, but will not go away forever.

Third stage

This is the period from the second to third month after surgery. In the previous stages, up to 50% of the swelling goes away, which now remains in the form of seals in the tip of the nose and its back. Now it depends on the patient how quickly the remaining part comes off.

To reduce swelling, you must exclude:

smoking;
drinking alcohol;
inactivity;
mechanical effects on the nose (wearing glasses, constant scratching);
tilts of the body and head;
sleeping position on your side or stomach.

As long as the period from the first to the third stage lasts, you cannot expose your face to thermal influences for that long.

Fourth stage

This is the period when inflammation is completely eliminated. Continues from the fourth to the twelfth month of rehabilitation. At this stage, the swelling is no longer noticeable to others; only the patient herself feels the seal in those parts of the nose that were most involved.

For the remaining six months of rehabilitation, you can wait until everything resolves on its own or undergo physical procedures as directed by a doctor. Among them are ultrasound and phonophoresis, which improve tissue microcirculation.

Drugs

Traumeel S (ointment or tablets)

It is used for rapid resorption of hematomas and elimination of edema. Prescribed by a doctor and used twice a day. It is used as long as the second and third stages last.

The gel and tablets contain homeopathic components of chamomile, calendula, echinacea, mountain arnica, comfrey, St. John's wort and some other herbs.

Bromelain

The drug in tablets is prescribed for preventive purposes to prevent severe swelling after surgery. The active component of the product is a pineapple extract containing an anti-inflammatory enzyme.

Taking pills must be agreed with your doctor.

Dimexide

The solution is used to treat swollen areas. The effect of using the drug: pain relief, swelling relief, disinfection.

Dimexide has serious contraindications: kidney and liver diseases, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke.

Traditional methods

From the second and third stages, you can turn to traditional medicine recipes.

A decoction of mountain arnica can be used as tea or compresses. In any case, two teaspoons are poured into a glass of boiling water and infused.

Take 200 g of pineapple pulp on an empty stomach three times a day. The effect is similar to Bromelain: the active substances contained in pineapple provide an anti-inflammatory effect.

Aloe leaves are applied to swollen areas for several minutes.

Physiotherapy

Microcurrents

The procedure improves metabolism at the cellular level. Microcurrents imitate natural biological impulses passing through healthy tissues of the body. The main advantage is that the device has a targeted effect on specific areas.

Ultraphonophoresis

During this procedure, the skin becomes more receptive to nutrients, blood circulation and exchange within cells are accelerated. The effects are provided by ultrasound. The procedure not only reduces swelling, but rather promotes tissue regeneration.

Swelling of the periosteum

When bones are touched during rhinoplasty, the periosteum, the protective covering of bone tissue, is always damaged.

The danger of injuring the periosteum is that it will swell and, in advanced cases, become inflamed. Due to inflammation, bone growths and calluses form, disfiguring the contour of the nose. You can see the healing process and monitor it from the third or fourth week after surgery. If something goes abnormal, the doctor prescribes hormonal drugs by injection.

The problem can be eliminated only in the first month of healing.

Swelling occurs in everyone who has undergone rhinoplasty. To see your beautiful nose as soon as possible, you must follow all the rules, take prescribed medications, and do not avoid physical procedures.

Remove the hump, raise the tip, narrow the wings and even shorten them - every plastic surgeon involved in rhinoplasty hears all these demands almost every day. Patients dream of the ideal shape and size of their nose, but rarely think about what they will have to go through to achieve their goal. While many complications of rhinoplasty can be avoided by paying sufficient attention to the choice of clinic and surgeon, some are absolutely inevitable. The most “long-lasting” complication, which does not allow one to immediately evaluate the result of plastic surgery, is postoperative swelling observed in 100% of cases. What is the reason for its occurrence, how dangerous is it and how to reduce nasal swelling after rhinoplasty, if at all possible? Let's figure it out together!

Normally, for normal metabolism between all tissues and cells of the body, liquid is needed - it’s not for nothing that our body is 70% composed of it. Most of it flows in the lymphatic and blood vessels, and is also located inside cells. But a small amount is contained in the intercellular space - it is this that is the “connecting link” between all the tissues of our body.

During rhinoplasty, the integrity of not only the skin, but also muscle, fat, cartilage and even bone tissue is most often damaged. Under these conditions, the body devotes all its strength to restoring damaged cells and establishing normal metabolism between them. To do this, the immune system of our body, with the help of special inflammatory mediators, increases the permeability of capillaries and blood vessels. This is necessary so that the maximum amount of useful blood components and nutrients can reach damaged cells and restore them. This is how postoperative edema forms.

Severity of swelling

Many patients, not understanding the mechanism of swelling, blame the doctor for its appearance, but in fact this is fundamentally wrong. This complication is inevitable, and its severity depends on a number of factors:

Scope of intervention– within what tissues the operation was performed. If rhinoplasty involved only working with soft tissues, then the swelling is most often much less pronounced and goes away much faster. If during the operation both cartilaginous and bone structures were corrected, the severity of the complication will be much greater.
Type of rhinoplasty. Most plastic surgeons note that in the case of correction of the shape of the nose using the open method (when the tissue in the collumella area is dissected), the severity of swelling is much higher. They associate this fact with the fact that in this area of the nose there is a powerful vascular bundle, the trauma of which significantly complicates rehabilitation. Some of the doctors who adhere to the closed type of access to rhinoplasty claim that even a year after the intervention, full blood supply to the nose is not restored.
Individual characteristics of the body. The reactivity of the patient’s immune system has a particular influence on the severity of swelling after rhinoplasty in a patient. The more actively the body is involved in eliminating postoperative consequences, the more pronounced manifestations will be observed.
Skin thickness. The denser the human skin, the more veins and vessels it contains - this is necessary to ensure proper nutrition of tissue cells. Accordingly, it will take a longer period of time to restore the integrity of the circulatory network, which means that the swelling will last longer.
Amount of fluid consumed and other external factors. The more water the patient receives in its pure form, or as part of food and medications, the greater the chance that the swelling will increase. Also, in order for the swelling to go down after rhinoplasty, the doctor may recommend sleeping in a semi-sitting position, consuming as little salt as possible, etc.

If the operation as a whole was successful and no additional complications arise, then the swelling gradually decreases. If an inflammatory reaction occurs or an infection occurs, a sharp increase in swelling is possible, in which case you must immediately contact a plastic surgeon! The doctor will determine the cause of the deterioration and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Stages of edema development

The swelling that develops in response to rhinoplasty goes through 3 stages of development and then finally disappears.

Highlight:

The period of primary edema.
Secondary edema.
Stage of residual swelling.

How long each of these periods lasts, what are the features of nose and face care during this time, we will consider in more detail.

Primary edema

As a rule, during rhinoplasty, the nose swells during the operation, the swelling increases over 4-5 days, and then gradually subsides. During this period, it is very important to reduce the amount of interstitial fluid in the operated area. Indeed, often the nose is already deprived of “support” due to excision of cartilage and bone structures, and an increase in the size and weight of soft tissues can lead to deformation of the shape. In this case, repeat corrective surgery may be required.

In order to help the nose maintain the shape specified by the surgeon and reduce swelling immediately after the intervention (while still on the operating table), the patient is given a special splint or plaster. This measure is not able to eliminate the influx of interstitial fluid, but only prevents it from being distributed in the soft tissues of the nose, which is why most often at this time the swelling is concentrated around the splint or plaster cast. Most often, all the exudate accumulates in the chin, eyelids and cheeks.

In order to alleviate the condition and ensure that the swelling goes away as soon as possible, you must follow several rules:

Avoid a horizontal position and ensure that your head is always higher than your body. Even patients after rhinoplasty are advised to sleep in a semi-sitting position.
Avoid physical activity during the rehabilitation period.
Avoid getting water into your nose and bandages during bath procedures.
Refuse to visit the bathhouse (sauna), protect your face from any thermal effects on the operated area.
Do not use any cosmetics, cancel facial massage sessions, and do not touch it unless absolutely necessary.

Cool compresses sometimes help to alleviate the condition and reduce swelling, but doing them without the permission of your rhinoplasty surgeon is strictly contraindicated!

The greatest difficulty for the patient is not even the external swelling, but the internal one, because its appearance seriously complicates nasal breathing.

Secondary edema

As soon as the primary stage of swelling subsides, most often this happens on days 7-10, the plaster or splint is removed - the secondary period begins. At this time, the tissues surrounding the nose (cheeks, eyelids, chin) return to their original size, and the main amount of exudate remains in the nose itself. This stage can take from one to one and a half or even two months.

During this period, swelling of the tip of the nose after rhinoplasty is pronounced, and its dorsum also remains widened. These changes do not allow us to evaluate the final result of the surgical intervention. The tip of the nose is not only enlarged, but also “hard”, compacted, due to the presence of intercellular fluid in the soft tissues. Wanting to evaluate the effect of the operation as soon as possible, almost every patient at this stage tries to overcome the swelling and thinks about how to remove it as quickly as possible.

In order for the tip of the nose, like all other parts of it, to acquire its final appearance as soon as possible, you must follow simple rules:

Sleep in a supine position. When sleeping on your stomach or side, fluid enters the soft tissues of the face and can remain there for quite a long time, changing the configuration of the nose.
Limit heavy physical activity, especially bending to the sides.
Reduce the amount of liquid consumed, try not to overheat the nasal tissue.

As a rule, secondary swelling subsides by the middle of the second to the third month after rhinoplasty; if it persists longer or continues to increase, this is a reason to seek advice from your surgeon.

Residual edema

This period lasts longer than the previous ones - in the normal course of rehabilitation, a maximum of a year. At this time, it is not the entire nose that is hard, but only its tip and back, because it is in them that the remaining exudate accumulates. Despite this, most people around will not even suspect the fact of plastic surgery, because the shape of the nose already during this period is almost flawless.

In order for residual swelling to remain as small as possible, it is important to lead a generally healthy lifestyle: refrain from smoking, alcohol, excessive salt consumption, and follow a daily routine. In addition, many patients resort to physiotherapeutic procedures - phonophoresis, ultrasound and others. All these methods are aimed at improving microcirculation in the tissues of the nose, and therefore at their speedy recovery.

Duration

“How long does swelling last after rhinoplasty?” - This is the question most often heard by surgeons from their recently operated patients. It is impossible to answer this unequivocally, because the duration of this complication is influenced by many factors. The maximum period is considered to be 1 year, which is why repeated corrective operations are not carried out until the expiration of this period.

An ideal nose is the goal of every patient who dares to undergo rhinoplasty, but it is important to understand that achieving it requires a lot of time. Many clinics and plastic surgeons lure clients by promising quick results, but this is impossible. No matter how doctors praise innovative surgical techniques, promising an almost complete absence of edema, the patient must understand that any rhinoplasty is impossible without this complication. At the moment, there are no methods that can significantly influence the rate of resorption of exudate in the injured area. This means that the best thing a patient can do is to be patient and wait for the final result of plastic surgery, following all the recommendations and instructions of his surgeon. Be charming!

Must be prepared for some unpleasant consequences. One of the most common is facial swelling, which cannot be avoided. Only six months after the operation you will be able to notice the result: This may be caused by swelling that lasts up to 3 months. No surgeon can say exactly how long swelling lasts after rhinoplasty, since it depends on the characteristics of the skin and the complexity of the procedure performed.

Swelling after rhinoplasty in the first weeks

Immediately after the operation, special fixatives and a plaster cast are used, due to which the swelling is not noticeable. At the same time, it can fall on the cheeks and area around the eyes. The patient should know that the following consequences of rhinoplasty are absolutely normal: they arise due to damage to facial blood vessels and, as a result, difficult blood circulation. This swelling goes away after rhinoplasty in about a week. After the bandage is removed (this happens after 7-10 days), the patient's face remains swollen for another 2-3 weeks. Swelling after rhinoplasty will go away faster if you follow a few rules:

avoid excessive amounts of liquid,
alcohol,
sleep on your back and do not subject your body to physical stress.

For a person with thick skin, whose recovery takes longer, the surgeon may prescribe special medications.

How long does swelling last after rhinoplasty?

A few weeks later, when the swelling of the face subsides, the patient notices that the nose is swollen after rhinoplasty. Its shape will not be ideal for another couple of months, so it is impossible to say exactly how long it takes for swelling to go away after rhinoplasty. The wings and tip of the nose can be deformed for up to six months, but this will be almost unnoticeable.

It is important to know that the recovery period does not depend at all on how many days it takes for the sutures to dissolve after rhinoplasty. Any medications must be taken under the supervision of a physician on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

So, how long does it take for swelling to go down after rhinoplasty? Primary swelling lasts 1-2 weeks, you can achieve the desired result after 3-6 months.

Swelling of the superficial and deep tissues after rhinoplasty is observed in 100% of patients to varying degrees of severity. Associated with the body’s natural reaction to traumatic outside interference. Postoperative swelling involves not only the nose, but also neighboring areas of the face. Superficial swellings go away quite quickly, deep ones - up to 1 year. That is why it is better to evaluate the final result of rhinoplasty after its expiration.

Tissue swelling after rhinoplasty not applicable to complications caused by the actions of the surgeon or patient. Although, without taking into account the doctor’s recommendations during the rehabilitation period, a person can aggravate his own situation.

What is edema?

Edema is the excessive accumulation of body fluids in soft tissues. They consist of water, protein compounds and other substances. Edema equally affects the skin, mucous membranes and connective tissue.

Stagnant processes after rhinoplasty somewhat deform the nose, giving it visual massiveness, disrupt nasal breathing, and make the voice nasal. You should not be afraid of this - the listed ailments disappear on their own after a short time.

Swelling after rhinoplasty is classified into four types:

Primary
Secondary
Residual
Periosteal

Facial swelling after rhinoplasty: what are the causes?

During the operation, the surgeon peels away the skin from the cartilage and soft tissue to create a full surgical field and gain access. This manipulation is also necessary for the subsequent correct distribution of the skin in the desired position.

Detachment of the skin necessarily damages the blood vessels, which naturally has a negative impact on the blood supply. It is this problem that is the catalyst for the occurrence of uncomfortable swelling.

The organization of the blood supply system in different layers of the skin is shown in the diagram:

The outflow of blood is slower than the inflow. Therefore, the tissues swell, and the nose itself seems to swell. As blood circulation is restored, the swelling neutralizes on its own.

Primary edema: combat tactics

Intraoperative, or primary edema, begins during the intervention. It often interferes with the surgeon’s ability to work normally and complicates his actions. Since the popularization of rhinoplasty, doctors have been using various tricks to control swelling during rhinoplasty.

To reduce primary postoperative swelling, the surgeon places a supporting splint (plaster) on the patient’s face, and inserts splints or turundas into the nasal passages. If these steps are not taken, the swelling will reach enormous proportions.

Primary edema is visible to the naked eye. They disappear within 5-12 days after rhinoplasty, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.

Swelling increases sharply after removing the immobilizing bandage. Quite often this frightens patients - they expected a miniature nose, but see the opposite in the mirror. There is no need to worry - remember that any temporary side effects will soon subside.

What is the difference between secondary edema?

Secondary edema, unlike primary edema, is not too noticeable. But the patient clearly feels them.

They are characterized by thickening and expansion of the tissues of the nose from the back to the tip. They can persist for 1-1.5 months and partially block free nasal breathing, especially at night.

Sometimes this provokes real panic in patients - it seems to them that the surgeon did something wrong. Be patient and calm - I guarantee you that this will not last long.

What are the signs of residual swelling after rhinoplasty?

“Residual” edema, as its name suggests, remains after the secondary edema has subsided. It is absolutely invisible, because... localized in deep structures. May manifest as hardness of the tip of the nose. Neutralized within 4-6 months.

In people with thick skin, all swelling takes longer to go away.

Residual swelling goes away more slowly even after secondary rhinoplasty - the surgeon has to work with scar tissue, which is characterized by an already heterogeneous blood supply. The duration of their regeneration is long.

By following your doctor's recommendations, you can stimulate the process of eliminating swelling. But know that you won’t be able to remove it yourself. As a rule, this requires a course of physical therapy.

All photos before and after rhinoplasty V.S. Grigoryants and patient reviews.

Factors influencing the level of swelling

The intensity of edema is dictated by various factors:

Technical complexity of the operation

- Osteotomy. A technique that involves both soft and hard tissues. In everyday language, this is a controlled fracture, after which the face swells with appropriate force. If the surgeon acts incorrectly during osteotomy, inflammation of the periosteum can be provoked, leading to the formation of bone calluses.

- Plastic surgery of the tip of the nose. From an anatomical point of view, this area of the nose is complex. Trauma to its structures leads to a long recovery. In this case, much depends on the talent and professionalism of the surgeon - the more accurately and carefully he works, the fewer negative consequences the patient expects.

- Plastic surgery of the wings of the nose. This procedure is the simplest. The tissue is damaged minimally, the discomfort is insignificant, and the swelling goes away within 4-6 months.

- Septorhinoplasty. During the procedure, both external tissues and the septum are involved, so the traumatism of the operation is average. Therefore, the timing of swelling reduction is standard.

- Secondary rhinoplasty. Swelling is the most intense. Due to slow regeneration, it takes longer to go away than with the initial correction.

Principle of implementation

- Closed rhinoplasty causes almost no swelling. But its results are also called into question.

- Open rhinoplasty is a classic. Swelling after it persists in the traditional manner.

Patient's current age

Young people are rehabilitated much faster - this is explained by the age-related slowdown of regenerative processes.

Skin thickness

A nose with thick skin takes a long time to heal. It has more blood vessels than the thin one. Consequently, injuries are more widespread.

Well-being and health status of the operated patient

Any problems with blood vessels significantly slow down overall healing.

Conscientiousness of compliance with rehabilitation standards

The patient may increase swelling by ignoring the surgeon's recommendations. This occurs due to playing sports, sleeping on the side or in a pillow, tilting the head down, smoking, drinking alcohol, and a large amount of salt in the diet.

Surgeon's skill and experience

Using special medications during surgery, a competent surgeon prevents severe swelling.

Measures on the part of the surgeon to prevent swelling after rhinoplasty

The manifestation of edematous processes depends 80% on the anesthesiologist, and not on the surgeon! During the operation and immediately before it, the anesthesiologist administers adrenaline-based drugs that cause transient vascular spasm.

A “dry surgical field” is an ideal option for a surgeon to consistently and correctly achieve the goals and objectives planned before rhinoplasty. And this is the merit of an intelligent anesthesiologist, working with whom is real luck.

It is very important that the surgeon has a professional anesthesiologist! Good surgeons take pride in their team. The bad ones skimp on it.

Conscientious specialists during the manipulations introduce special solutions that neutralize swelling. This is beneficial for both the surgeon and the patient.

Vladislav Grigoryants talks about this in detail in an interview:

What can the patient do to reduce discomfort?

It will not be possible to eliminate postoperative swelling in a week, so you should not count on a miracle.

But in order for the swelling to go away faster, you need to follow some rehabilitation standards:

Preparations for rapid tissue healing after rhinoplasty

Traumeel S (ointments and tablets)

Apply the gel to problem areas of the face twice a day. This will speed up the regeneration process.

Preparations "Traumeel S" belong to homeopathy. They contain extracts of chamomile, calendula, comfrey, mountain arnica, daisy, St. John's wort, yarrow, echinacea, belladonna officinalis and other medicinal herbs.

Important! Despite its over-the-counter availability, you cannot prescribe medications without permission!