Is packing the nose needed after Rhinoplasty and Septoplasty?

This varies among surgeons. To simplify the explanation I will use an analogy: Think of the septum as a sandwich of two layers of mucoperichondrium (bread) and the cartilage between them (meat). A septoplasty involves lifting the mucopericondrium from the cartilage (lifting the bread off of the meat and... more

No one likes packing the nose. Not the patient or the surgeon. It makes breathing more difficult and is uncomfortable for the patient. In general, most surgeons will avoid using it if they don't need it. However, sometimes when we are fixing the septum, we realize that the septum is much more deviated than we... more

Packing should be kept to a small piece to help control bleeding, not to do the surgery. This requires only a small piece of Telfa, not the old method of long strips of gauze! 

Packing of the nose has been out of vogue for over 20 years. The only reason to pack the nose is for a sudden nosebleed that will not stop with other methods. Packing the nose is painful, and stronger narcotics will then be required if packing is in place. Antibiotics will also have to be taken if packing... more

Internal Splints: Inside the nose, most surgeons place some sort of internal splints after rhinoplasty. The internal splints do several things: (1) put mild pressure on the septum to prevent a septal hematoma, (2) help hold the inside straight during the early healing process, and (3) prevent scar bands from... more