Will the slightest touch affect my Rhinoplasty recovery?
I recently had Rhinoplasty (7th Nov) and am very happy with the results. However early this evening, my boyfriend was messing around, and without thinking, threw a scrunched-up tea towel at me, which hit me on my nose. This hurt as it is still so tender even to the slightest touch. But more than anything, I am totally paranoid that this will affect the shape of my new nose as I know that you should avoid touching it unnecessarily within the first 2 weeks of surgery as it is still aligning etc. Am I being ridiculous? Will the slightest touch, or something like the towel hitting my nose have any effect on the results later on?
Answers (4)
Minor Trauma After Rhinoplasty
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Hi Bunny,
You and your nose will probably be just fine. Your experience illustrates why we sometimes recommend using the splint on the nose while at home for the first few weeks (particularly if you are near a tea tossing dude).
Check with your surgeon as soon as possible, and think about finding a new boyfriend. Good luck and be well.
Dr. P
It doesn't take much!!
A small tea towel hitting a fresh rhinoplasty will definitely hurt. Whether or not it has enough force to malalign your healing nose is debatable.
The beauty of being early in your healing course is that the nose is a little malleable still. I would go to your surgeon to get the nose looked at and palpated. It just might need some judicious taping to protect it and help you control its molding better.
That being said, it will take 4-6 weeks for the bones to solidify enough to tolerate a mild-moderate knock so be more mindful to avoid damaging your good results. Revision rhinoplasty is going to be a lot harder than getting it right the first time.
Good luck. Dr. Shah
No horseplay!
You should check with your plastic surgeon to find out if your bones were broken or if any fragile cartilage grafting was done. If not, you probably have nothing to worry about. If so, the bones take 3 weeks or so to become stable enough to withstand minor forces and not displace. Good luck!
Be More careful!
I am not sure that the weight and force of the towel will have any effect on your nose. But, you are correct that small forces on a newly treated nose can displace the nasal bones. You should immediately return to your doctor for examination. And finally, resist the urge to fool around until the bones have set.
Good luck.
Robert M. Freund, MD, FACS
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