KOWON Blog
Day 5 after rhinoplasty — my wide dorsum looks the same. Why it's too early to judge revision
An answer to an actual question where dorsal width looked unchanged after functional surgery plus hump·arrow-nose correction at an ENT clinic — day 5 is a period when swelling makes accurate judgment hard, and judging after recovering at least ~2 weeks until swelling subsides is advisable.
Key points
- Day 5 after rhinoplasty is a period when the nose has swelling, making it hard to judge the result accurately.
- Swelling can remain even around 2 weeks — don't treat that point as the final result; check the recovery schedule per surgical scope.
- Before weighing a revision request or cost issues, time is needed to confirm whether the currently visible look is the final result.
"My nasal-congestion symptoms improved, but the wide dorsum looks the same as before surgery. Should I request a revision?"
After receiving function-improvement surgery and nose-shape correction together, someone was weighing revision because the appearance just days later differed from expectations. The actual question and answer are organized below.
01
The actual question — wide dorsum after rhinoplasty, should I get a revision?
Q. I had sinus endoscopic surgery, septal correction, submucosal inferior-turbinate resection, and hump-nose·arrow-nose surgery at an ENT clinic. My nasal-congestion symptoms improved after surgery, but the wide dorsum didn't improve — it's the same as before surgery, and the hump nose doesn't seem fully resolved either; a bit remains.
Before surgery they explained, "if we incise and gather the dorsum, the nasal bones will naturally fuse over time and the dorsum will narrow — so we'll attach it slightly widened." Is that explanation correct? If only the dorsum improves, I'm even willing to let the slightly remaining hump pass.
It's been about 5 days since surgery. If I request a revision from the clinic, would they do it? If I get a revision at another clinic, would they cover the cost?
02
Can the result be judged at day 5?
If it's been about 5 days since rhinoplasty, waiting until the swelling subsides somewhat is good.
Day 5 after rhinoplasty is a period when the nose has swelling, making accurate judgment hard. While we can't know exactly how the clinic performed the osteotomy, it looks advisable to judge after recovering for at least around 2 weeks — after the swelling has subsided somewhat.
| Point | State | Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Day 5 after surgery | A period when the nose has swelling | Accurate judgment is hard |
| After 2 weeks | Swelling may remain even as it starts to subside | A progress-check point, not the final result |
If you're curious about the recovery course by period, more can be seen in the recovery guide.
03
When is it right to start worrying about revision?
The questioner was already weighing a revision request and even the cost burden — but the answer's gist sits one step earlier: the currently visible look isn't the final result but a mid-process with swelling.
- 01First allow a recovery period — recover while waiting at least ~2 weeks.
- 02See the look after swelling subsides — judge by the dorsal width and hump state then.
- 03If there's still no improvement after that — then concretely review whether to revise.
What should be checked when actually reviewing revision can be seen in the revision guide.
04
Summary — judgment has its timing
At day 5 after rhinoplasty, swelling makes it hard to accurately judge dorsal width and the degree of hump improvement. Swelling may remain even around 2 weeks, so don't treat it as the final-result criterion — check the progress on the check-up schedule per surgical scope. Abnormal signals like severe pain·sudden swelling·color change·worsening breathing should be reported to the operating clinic right away without waiting.
If you have post-surgery progress or revision concerns, your current state can be checked in a 1:1 video-call consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions patients ask before a consultation.
Day 5 after surgery is a period when the nose has swelling, so accurate judgment is hard. Judging after recovering for at least ~2 weeks — after swelling subsides somewhat — is advisable.
By the answer's criterion above, judging after waiting and recovering for at least ~2 weeks is good. Still, progress checking may be needed depending on how the clinic performed the osteotomy — so asking the clinic that operated about anything curious is best.
Before judging whether to revise, checking the result after swelling subsides comes first in order. Deciding revision from only the immediate post-surgery look is difficult.
Responses to treatment and recovery progress vary by individual. Outcomes and side effects vary from person to person. Bleeding, infection, swelling and asymmetry may occur. Please consult our medical team before making a decision.
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