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Rhinoplasty Cast/Splint Removal on Day 10 - Good or Bad Idea?

asked 1 year ago by Butterflyinthesandpit
Latest answer by Michael A. Jazayeri, MD
Question viewed 853 times
Tags: delay, disadvantage, removal, splint

Currently day 5 post op of closed rhinoplasty. I was supposed to be going Wednesday morning to have the cast/splint removed (day 7) but my husband cannot make it during the day (nobody else knows of my surgery) and the surgeon isnt available in the evening. Are there any disadvantage/advantages to delaying the removal till Saturday (day 10)?

14 answers to Rhinoplasty Cast/Splint Removal on Day 10 - Good or Bad Idea?

How Long Should Nasal Splints be Left on the Nose?

Removing the splint for an extra 2-3 days should not affect your result. However, if you have packing inside your nostrils, you should have enough antibiotics to cover the extra days, as the packing will increase your risk of toxic shock syndrome.

Michael A. Jazayeri, MD
Santa Ana Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty Cast Removal

Hi Butterflyinthesandpit, Plastic surgeons typically remove the nasal cast or splint after approximately 7 days from rhinoplasty surgery. Waiting a couple more days before removal should not affect your rhinoplasty results. Speak with your cosmetic surgeon. Best of luck. Dr. Chaboki

Houtan Chaboki, MD
Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinopasty Cast Removal 10 Days after Surgery

It will make no difference if the cast is removed 10 days after rhinoplasty as oposed to the normal 6-7 days. After extensive nasal revision surgery with placement of multiple grafts I will occasionally leave the cast in place several extra days.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty Cast Removal

There should be no problem with leaving the cast on a couple days longer. If your surgeon feels it is OK, then go with it!

James Bartels, MD
Manchester Facial Plastic Surgeon

Best Time to Remove Nasal Splint After Rhinoplasty

Hi Butterfly, There is no need to keep your nasal splint on beyond 5 days. Other than skin irritation, leaving it on for 10 days is like chicken soup, "it won't hurt". If you would like your splint off, a nice long shower after 5-7 days should loosen it enough that it almost falls off. Speak with your surgeon, good thing that he isn't going away for 3 months. Hope that you love your new nose. Good luck and be well. Dr. P more

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nasal splint off at 10 days is just fine!

I actually prefer to wait for 10 days (as long as there are no sutures to remove), since there has been additional time for durable healing to occur, and less potential for inadvertent damage to the just-barely adherent tissues. For years I removed my nasal splints at 6 or 7 days, and may have in several cases actually caused some minor bleeding under the healing skin that turned into scar tissue. This scar tissue may have caused some visible irregularity or distortion and less ideal results... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

10 Days Is Not Too Long To Leave A Rhinoplasty Dressing On

The purpose of tapes and splint after a rhinoplasty is to largely control the swelling of tissues. Whether it is removed at 7 or 10 days does not make any difference in the final outcome. One could argue that a few days longer may be even slightly beneficial. Usually most patient's nasal dressings are starting to get loose after one week and some have trouble staying on that long. This is particularly evident in thicker more oily skin.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Rhinoplasty splint removal and potential skin irritation

Dear butterflyinthesandpit I agree that the rhinoplasty splint itself can remain for 10 days if that is necessary, but I prefer to clean the nose and check the incisions after a week of healing. You may consider asking a close friend to take you or drive yourself on day seven though. On a rare occasion, the adhesive on the tape will occlude your pores and a temporary rash is possible. Having one other person for support during your recovery is never a bad... more

Travis T. Tollefson, MD, MPH
Sacramento Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drtravistollefson.com

Rhinoplasty Cast/Splint Removal on Day 10 - Good or Bad Idea?

Splint removal after rhinoplasty varies from surgeon to another with the majority of noses splinted for one week. Extra few days won't change the outcome..

Erel Laufer, M.D.
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

Remving nasal splint at 10 days

There is absolutely no problem in removing your nasal splint after 10 days. Yes, most remove it within about a week but a few days more should not be a problem.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Taking offf splint on day 10

There is no problem with removing spint on day 10 although it is usually removed on day 7. On day 7 you also need to have your columellar sutures removed if you underwent an open rhinoplasty. Please note that leaving sutures in on your columella past 7 days may result in stitch scars, called railroad tracking.

Arian Mowlavi, MD
Laguna Beach Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty healing

Dear Butterflyinthesandpit, There should be no problem waiting until the tenth day after surgery. If it was a problem, I am sure your surgeon would have been more insistent, and it will be fine. The cast helps keep things (bones, cartilage) in place as you heal. It also helps keep the swelling down as well. Best, Nima Shemirani

Nima Shemirani, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty cast removal

The cast that is put on after rhinoplasty is usually removed on POD 7 since the healing has progressed far enough that there is a lower risk of moving any grafts or bone. It is not detrimental to delay removing the cast for a few days though it may be uncomfortable for you.

Kristin Egan, MD
Manhattan Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cast Removal day 10

Hi, The only disadvantage I can think of is that the skin under the tape and cast may be sightly more irritated. Sometimes the skin can react to the tape and or the cast. Otherwise I think you'll be ok at day 10 for cast removal. Best, Dr.S.