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Help. Over Resected Nose

I've had the worst possible rhinoplasty. I made the mistake of not going to a Plastic Surgeon. My nose has been over resected, leaving me with a scooped out narrow bumpy bridge. It's shapeless under the projected tip and overall it's an extremely unattractive nose lacking structure . I have been told I may need rib graft to restore the bridge which scares me. Is it likely for my nose to ever look normal again - for example, more width and height and a nicer shaped tip given the aggressive over reduction and changes ? Is it also normal to be experiencing pain in the bridge 8 months on from surgery ?

Eli February 13th, 2016 NSW

  • Answer
    Alan Breidahl

    Alan Breidahl

    8 answers

    Plastic Surgeon
    Victoria, Australia

    Hi Eli,


    Thanks for posting. I am so sorry you are not happy with your result.


    Certainly a rib graft can help with an over-resected nose, but if that scares you, there are other options which may help. Placing a dermal (skin) graft under the skin will help to a degree, particularly with the pain and bumpiness, and help to "fill out" the nose. Other options include a finely diced cartilage graft, taking the graft from your ear. A more temporary but simple option is to inject the nose with a filler such as HA. This may need to be repeated every year or two.


    Good luck,


    Alan

  • Answer
    Dr. Raymond Goh

    Raymond Goh

    123 answers

    Plastic Surgeon
    Queensland, Australia

    Dear Eli,
    Sorry to hear that you have been unhappy with your rhinoplasty. 
    It's hard to assess the degree of over-resection without seeing the lateral and oblique photographs. Over-resected noses can be corrected. Depending on the remaining structure of the nose, augmentation of the nose will generally involve cartilage grafts to provide structural restoration and support. The source of this cartilage can be your septum (if this is still available), ear, or rib. I would often also provide some additional soft tissue cover over the top of cartilage grafts in order to prevent contour irregularities in the long term.
    One question that I would ask is whether you have any breathing difficulties at present. Remember that a nose has to not only look good, but function (breathe) well. Some patients with narrowed noses can have internal obstruction, and this may also need to be addressed.
    I hope this information helps. 
    If you would like to discuss things further, please don't hesitate to be in touch with my staff.
    Warm regards,
    Dr Ray Goh