Did I have my splint off too early?

Hello,Thank you for your question. There is a typical window for splint removal between 5-10 days so I doubt that your results have been affected due to a varience of a few days. It is important  for you to know that residual swelling from a Rhinoplasty procedure can last a very long time- up to a year. Having said that, I recommend that you contact your Plastic Surgeon and follow up with them for advice.All the best

We normally remove our splints at ~ 7 days after surgery. I don't think your results are related to early splint removal but this is best discussed with your operating surgeon. They know how your nose looked before surgery and what they did during surgery to fix it. They should be able to explain to you what is going on.

External splints are often used following rhinoplasty surgery. They are used to stabilize bones that have been out of position and shifted. There are also used to reduce swelling. Obviously splints are not fun to wear. There is always a balance as to when a splint should come off. A plastic surgeon would love to have their patient where a splint for three or more weeks however this is not realistic in today's society. People have to go to school and work and skin care issues under the splint also become magnified. In my practice I have patients wear a splint for about a week or so and then often place skin colored tape on the nose for several more days to help keep the swelling down. Six days is sufficient in most cases.

Dear ava L,



The time for removing the nasal splint is for
our practice typically one week after surgery. We do not routinely tape the
nose afterwards. If the splint were particularly adherent and difficult to
remove when it was removed, it is conceivable that the skin pulled away from the
underlying nose and cartilage and caused some mild bleeding under the skin. It
would then later be absorbed but may leave extra scar tissue under the skin. A
tipoff here would have been if you had excessive bruising that developed
shortly after the splint was removed.



That being said, I agree with the other
doctors that a year of swelling is the norm after rhinoplasty.



I hope this has been helpful.



Robert D. Wilcox, MD

The timing of splint removal is surgeon-dependent. Most people keep it on between 5-10 days. I would not suspect early removal led to a change in your outcome. I would discuss your concerns with your surgeon. Good luck!

Typical splint removal date is 7 days; sometimes I will remove the splint at 10 to 14 days, if more extensive nasal maneuvers are performed.