I think excessive heat, even after four months, could cause a lot of swelling. Try to keep cool, maybe even revert to ice packs if need be to get the swelling down as quickly as possible. I agree with Pauluk- it takes a heck of a long time to completely heal - more than a year. I have not had a rhino but do understand the trauma the face goes through after surgery.

Hope you are OK and I am sure you are not being paranoid:)

I hope the swelling goes down quickly for you. Sorry, I did not know you were not supposed to ice the nose directly. A/C sounds like a good choice!

Thanks for the input, everyone.

kk25 - Unfortunately, I don't react well to Zyrtec. Thanks, though.

Went on a long drive this weekend and my nose swelled up again. Can't figure out why. I had the A/C on and I have tinted windows to prevent UV radiation. It looks like a blotchy sunburn on my nose but I wasn't in the sun or heat at all. Perhaps due to re-circulated air...? Frustrating.

Another update in a couple months. Thanks again for all the help.

-Jon

You pop in and out so quickly Jon!. Nice to hear from you and thanks for the update

Hey Everyone -

It's been just about nine months, so I thought I'd post another update.

Went in for before and after pictures about a week and a half ago. Even though my nose isn't near where I'd like it to be, it does look much better from the profile and oblique angles. I expressed my concerns regarding the frontal view to the docs and they totally agreed with my assessment. For now, thought, it's just "wait and see." Even if I do end up needing a minor revision, it probably won't be until next summer at the earliest.

As far as the chin goes, we're going to have to wait on that as well. There is still some minor swelling so the one-year mark is the earliest we could think about replacement or repositioning. The good news is that the bone erosion from the button-style implant wasn't as bad as the x-ray indicated, so I may be able to just go back to where I was before. Having said that, the before and after pictures show a marked improvement on the profile and oblique views, so I'll have to speak to the docs about maintaining that little bit of extra projection without the added width from the lateral component of the new implant.

Hope you all enjoy the holidays. I'll be back in three months or so with another update.

-Jon

In most cases I would agree with you. However, this was a fairly extensive open revision and I have pretty thick skin, so I imagine swelling lasts substantially longer. After my primary, I looked and felt fine after a few months. This has been a much longer recovery.

Even if it doesn't - nothing I can do for now but wait it out :-/.

-Jon

Nice to hear your update Jonathan. All the best

i have read that people get shots for swelling and scar tissue perhaps that could help

whose rhino?

Had my one year follow up a few days ago so I thought it would be a good time to post another update.

Still having some issues with swelling and asymmetry in the tip and nostrils. Got one last Kenalog injection to see if it will help and to (hopefully) minimize any scar tissue accumulation. Scheduled to meet with the docs again in about six months, at which point we can discuss the need for a revision.

As far as the chin goes, I plan on leaving it alone for now but I may have it removed or replaced this summer or winter. It's a relatively small implant and the docs don't think stretching will be an issue, especially if they were to replace it with a smaller model or one without a lateral component.

The aftercare has been incredible. Docs are under no obligation to continue seeing me for a year or year and a half after my surgery, yet they still seem happy to do so. They are sensitive to my concerns and have not blown off any of the issues I've brought up. Very happy with that.

However, I am considering getting a second opinion before committing to any other procedures. Thoughts on doctors on the West Coast would be appreciated. I'm thinking about Dr. Menick in Tucson and/or Dr. Gruber in San Francisco, but I'm open to suggestions. I figure it wouldn't hurt to see somebody else and confirm that the information I'm getting from my docs is accurate.

Also - has anyone experienced seborrheic dermatitis around surgical sites? Since the surgery, I seem to get really dry, flaky skin on my nose and my chin. Docs can't figure out why. It's not painful, but it is annoying.

Thanks for any feedback.

-Jon