Nose Swelled Up After Splint Removal - Normal?

Hello, I am today three weeks after Rhinoplasty, and I feel that when my splint was removed I had the nose of my dreams, well, the day after. The first day I was more swollen than ever. The next day my nose was PERFECT. Tiny, extremely symmetrical, all around a beautiful nose. Two weeks later, I fee like my nose looks puffy, swollen, bigger, and lacks the definition it had before. Is it normal for the nose to swell up after the splint removal? Do the nostrils reopen and get wider? Will it return

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by Elle12517 in Miami, FL

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Nose swelling after splint removal

You are experiencing the normal process of healing after a rhinoplasty. It is entirely normal to have swelling occur after the splint is removed. There is nothing you can do to make it go away faster. In fact, the tip of the nose will take about a year for all of the swelling to go away. Be 6-8 weeks after your surgery you should be able to get a good idea of what it will look like. When you first saw it after the splint was removed is also a good indication of... more

Nose does swell after cast is removed

Yes, the cast (splint) controls swelling and stabilizes the nasal bones after fracture and other surgical manipulation of the nose during a Rhinoplasty. Once the cast is removed, typically at 1 week, there's nothing to stop the nose from swelling. I tell all of my Rhinoplasty patients that the following 3 weeks after cast removal is the most difficult and frustrating time after a Rhinoplasty. I advise them to limit physical activity to prevent more swelling and to... more

Nose Swelling After Splint Removal

Some degree of swelling after the splint is removed is normal, that's why I tape noses for three weeks after I remove the splint. Most likely you will look great when the post op swelling gradually subsides.

Swelling after Rhinoplasty Splint Removal

It is extremely common to see increased swelling after your splint/cast is removed after nose surgery. While it is on your nose, the cast acts like compression shorts or spandex and helps reduce the smount of swelling. When it is taken off, the body can now expand without any resistance. There is a lot of healing which takes place under the skin after rhinoplasty and this causes swelling over the nose, especially over the tip where the skin is thicker. This will continue to improve with time... more

Gregory J. Vipond, MD

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Pasadena Facial Plastic Surgeon

Swelling is normal after rhinoplasty

Thanks for your question Elle, It is normal for swelling of the nose to occur after removal of the splint. Most of this goes away within a few months, but some may persist for up to a year. Fortunately, if you were happy with the nose you saw immediately after your splint was removed, that should be what you see when the swelling resolves. If you have any other concerns please follow up with your surgeon. All the best, Jason C. Lichtenberger, MD more