Playing an instrument after rhinoplasty?

Great question! With regards to post-rhinoplasty recommendations, it’s always best to ask your surgeon directly in case they have any recommendations that are specific to your case. Generally speaking, I would consider playing an instrument, similar to other physical activity after surgery. I recommend that my patients allow for about a month before resuming exercise (or in your case playing the clarinet). It’s important to allow your body time to put any extra energy it has into healing. I always tell my patients that when they do begin to exercise (or play the clarinet) to start off slow and be aware of how their body is feeling. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s important to listen to those cues and back off. My patients always have success with resuming their normal activities, as long as they start off slow and build up to their pre-surgery activity level

This is really a great questions and thank you for asking.  My primary assumption in your question is that you are having a rhinoplasty to change form and function of your nose.  Better stated, I am working with the assumption that you're nasal breathing will be improved after your surgical procedure.  Commonly patients who undergo rhinoplasty surgery and my practice for functional reasons we will have significant airway improvement immediately afterwards.  This improves over time and a region baseline of nasal airway improvement 5-6 weeks after their surgery.  As far as professional music playing I would recommend refraining from playing the musical instrument for at least several weeks until the line share of healing has occurred inside the nose.  Of course, there are a number of assumptions I made and my statement and these are particulars that our best answered by your surgeon.Be healthy and be well,James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS

Although this is not a very commonly asked question in my practice, it is a great question. Because playing the clarinet requires exerting energy by blowing into the instrument, this action should not resume until approximately a month after surgery. It is important to ease back into physical or normal activity after surgery and not start off too strong.  Raising the pressure inside the nose by blowing on a wind instrument could slightly increase the risk of a post-op injection. The last thing the patient and surgeon would want to happen is disrupting the healing process and hindering the results. 

 After a rhinoplasty procedure, it's important not to raise your heart rate or blood pressure with any type of exercise to prevent a nose bleed.

There will certainly be some modification to nasal airflow after rhinoplasty.  Usually air flow is better but it may not always be the case.  I do not think that any guarentees can be given in this regard.