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When Should Cast Be Removed After Rhinoplasty?

asked 2 years ago by Heather73 in NYC
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 1,839 times
Tags: cast

Also my cast would be removed 5 days after rhinoplasty surgery. I thought it was a minimum of 7 days after. Was also told I can fly 5-6 days after my surgery. Am I getting positive information?

18 answers to When Should Cast Be Removed After Rhinoplasty?

Nasal cast left in place for 6-7 days after Rhinoplasty

I usually leave the cast in place for 6-7 days after the operation. Depending on your particular surgery, 5 days is probably appropriate. Our patients can fly after the cast is removed.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Flying after rhinoplasty

I tend to leave the cast in place for 6 or 7 days post-op. As for flying, remember that the cabin is a very dry place, so I recommend the frequent use of a saline (salt water) nasal spray throughout the flight (most bottles are way less than the 3 oz. limit imposed by the TSA). If the flight's longer than about two hours, I also recommend getting up and walking the aisle a few times to minimize the risk of deep vein thrombosis (clots in the deep veins of the legs). But flying after a week... more

David C. Pearson, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nasal cast off in 5-7 days.

Most surgeons leave the cast on for 5-7 days. It is only the preference of each surgeon. It keeps swelling down and protects against trauma.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nasal Cast for 7 days

Most surgeons would agree that casting the nose after Rhinoplasty (especially if osteotomies are performed) is a good idea to protect the nose and serve as a reminder of the procedure. However, the length of time a cast should remain on is more a product of surgeon preference than real science. I typically leave the cast (fiberglass) on for 7 days, after which I tape the nose (brown paper tape) for another week. The nasal bones take a full 6 weeks to heal after osteotomies, so care should... more

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

Cast can be removed 5 to 7 days after rhinoplasty

As you can see, the range is 5 to 7 days. And yes flying would be acceptable in 1 week. Hope this helps you in making a decision. Best of Luck!

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

The cast in rhinoplasty is to help with swelling more than maintaining correction

The cast in rhinoplasty in my opinion serves two main purposes. The first is to keep the swelling down so that it does not shift the bones or grafts for the first five to seven days. The second is to serve as a reminder not to bump your nose. The timing of removal may be more dependent upon the extent of rhinoplasty you are having and if it is smooth and uncomplicated those two days should not make a difference. The only reason not to fly sooner is because of the risk of bleeding. If you... more

Scott Trimas, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty splinting

Heather, Five days for nasal splinting is the norm. The splint is used primarily to decrease swelling, which is most severe in the first few days following surgery. After that time it doesn't serve much purpose. Flying is most frequently delayed for one week following surgery. When you do fly, if it is longer than a two hour flight make sure you get up and walk several times and exercise your calf muscles to prevent blood clots from forming in your legs. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty and splint

A rhinoplasty splint is usually removed about 1 week after surgery. It is ok to remove it a bit earlier or a bit later. I would not worry about that.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty, When is Cast Removed and When Can Patient Fly?

Hi Heather, I remove nasal splints or casts from my rhinoplasty patients at 5 days after surgery (i.e. surgery on Friday, cast off on the following Weds). It does no harm to leave it on for 7 days. I have had patients fly after they had their cast removed, 5 to 7 days after their surgery. Good luck and be well. Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cast not important after rhinoplasty.

Hello, again. 1) We keep the "cast" (it's really a splint) on for 5 days after a rhinoplasty. Some excellent surgeons don't use a splint at all. 2) We like out of town patients to stay in New York for one week after surgery before they fly. This is the period of risk for a nose bleed.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty cast can be removed after 6 to 7 days

Hi Heather, The cast is mainly to reduce postop swelling. It can be removed 6 to 7 days after. I usually let patients fly at 7 days postop and have never had any problems. The most immediate concern is postop bleeding and/or infection. By 7 days these risks are greatly reduced. Best, Dr. S.

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD
New York Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facechange.org

Ask your doctor for cast removal after Rhinoplasty

People have individual ways of doing surgery. That is why medicine is an art, not an exact science. I remove splints 3-7 days after surgery and do not suggest flying for over a week -- but then again, if you are having problems after surgery, then flying could be delayed further. This is surgery not a trip to the beauty parlor.

William B. Rosenblatt, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Cast removal after rhinoplasty

The answer as to when to remove the splint (or cast) should be left up to your doctor. They know what was done and how long it needs to stay on. Sometimes after an infracture (braking) of the nose, the bones are so stable that the cast is only used to help decrease swelling. I would say 5 days is average for many surgeons.

Dean Fardo, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty cast should be removed 5-7 days after surgery

The cast from a rhinoplasty is usually removed anywhere from day 5 to day 7 following a rhinoplasty surgery. In our office we remove the cast usually on day 6. Anywhere from five to seven days is an acceptable time period.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Your nasal cast is less important than your internal stents

But yes, its there for the first week. Why? The usual answers are to protect your new nose and to reduce the post operative swelling. However if you look with a critical eye, a nasal cast doesn't really do either of these functions very well. Its too small to really protect and post operative swelling is more effectively treated by the taping beneath the cast. So the third reason is probably the best; its traditional. Surgeons are by and large conservatives. Surgeons do what they were... more

Oakley Smith, MD
Toronto Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.droakleysmithrhinoplasty.com

Nasal Cast Removal

Hello, With my patients, I have a cast on the nose for the first week, then the nose will have tape on it for the second week. I prefer my patients avoid flying for a minimum of two weeks. Hope this helps answer your question. Thank you and best of luck. Dr. Nassif

Paul S. Nassif, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

The nose takes a month to stabilize after Rhinoplasty

Most surgeons use tape and or firm splint or cast for 5 to 7 days. I have patients mold the nose with their fingers (in a mirror) for weeks after. This offers more control of the final shape of the nose, especially asymetry.

J. Smythe Rich, MD
Columbia Plastic Surgeon

Nasal cast removal after Rhinoplasty

Heather, It's true that the nasal cast is more often removed after 7 days. However, removing the cast a little earlier will almost certainly not change the long-term result. Flying 5-6 days after the surgery is ok so long as your post-operative recovery is smooth. Hope that helps.