Why Do Some Doctors Advise Patients to Continue Taping the Nose After Splint Removal?

We will at times have the patient tape the nose after rhinoplasty, as it can help modulate the post operative swelling in certain cases.  It can also act as a reminder in some patients to take it easy, and not to have their nose in a dependent, (below their heart), position that would also increase swelling, (e.g.; yoga class etc).

Good question. As with a lot of things in surgery, surgeons do things slightly differently, and as long as they are getting good, consistent results, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that whatever they are doing is working for them. I personally do not like to tape the nose a week after surgery when I remove the splint, because I think the patient and/or myself are more likely to move things around at this point than do any actual good. Your swelling just takes time to go away and continuing to tape the nose after surgery I think has little to no benefit!
-Dr. David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group

The pressure of the tape can aid in swelling of the nose.   Typically, I have my patients wear tape on their nose for 1 week after the splint removal.  The splint is removed at 1 week post op, so they then wear the tape on their nose from the 1 week to the 2 week mark.   With that being said, not every patient is the same nor is every surgery, so protocol can vary from patient to patient.