Dean Toriumi, M.d.: Nose Changes After Rhinoplasty

Dr. Dean Toriumi, a leading facial plastic surgeon currently on the faculty at t he University of Illinois in Chicago, lets his patients know that the shape of t he nose continues to change over the course of their lifetimes. Why is that impo rtant? Most surgical procedures, Dr. Toriumi explains, have a finite healing tim e, after which the results become stable. Rhinoplasties, on the other hand, have two different healing periods. The first period involves the alleviation of ini tial swelling, which may take several years for patients with particularly thick skin. Individuals with thinner skin generally finish the first stage of healing in only a few months. The secondary period involves the scar tissue that forms around nasal structures, which continually and gradually contracts over time. Wh ile the patient may not notice these subtle changes, photos can reveal the sligh t evolution of shape. If the nose is not made structurally stable, nasal breathi ng may become compromised over time, which can occur even decades after the init ial procedure. In general, patients with thinner skin will notice more change th an those with thicker skin. Patients with thin skin will always be at risk of sc ar contracture and thinning of the skin that can deform the cartilage structure and reveal deformities. Dr. Toriumi uses special camouflaging techniques in pati ents with thin skin that effectively decrease the chances of deformity over time .