I had surgery on my deviated septum 5 days ago. Today I pulled out a string while clearing dried blood. Is this a problem?

Hi as,Next time find a surgeon who will treat  you with no strings attached!  Nothing to be concerned about, it is an absorbable suture.  Let your surgeon know when you speak with him/her.Good luck and be well.Dr. P

This is a suture used in the septal internal skin repair.  It is not uncommon for a suture or two to come untied inside. It should not hurt the result.  The sutures are tied firmly but not really tight, to avoid constriction of the tissues.  They tend to melt or absorb and loosen on their own over days to weeks after surgery. This suture may have been stuck to the scab and dried blood and then got detached when cleaning the nose. I do urge you to always contact your surgeon and not be so quick to get outside advice. I know it might have been a surprise and it frightened you.   I often do not use packing for a simple septoplasty, and from time to time a few crusts can build up that need to be cleaned. You did the right thing with a light touch from the Q tip and appear to be following the instructions properly. Let the surgeon know of your experience but that you are clearing the dried blood and breathing easier.