What Medication is Prescribed After Rhinoplasty?

Medications I prescribe following nasal surgery include a pain medication and an antibiotic to prevent infection. I know very well respected surgeons that do not prescribe antibiotics and their patients apparently do not develop infections. However, if I'm using cartilage grafts in nasal surgery I will always prescribe antibiotics to prevent those avascular grafts from becoming infected. Other surgeons will prescribe steroids to reduce swelling and arnica to reduce bruising.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Thank you for your question. There are a few medications that are normally prescribed for a Rhinoplasty. First, you will be prescribed an antibiotic to prevent any infection. Also pain relievers will be prescribed for after surgery. Doctors may also prescribe a medication for the bruising. Hope this was helpful, best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double board certified Plastic surgeon Hoffman Estates BarringtonOakbrook Chicago

The vast majority of patients who undergo nasal surgery are
given narcotic pain relievers for three to five days following surgery.At this point, pain is more easily tolerated
and patients are switched to straight Tylenol.Patients
are typically given prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infection and in some
cases steroids to minimize swelling.It’s not unusual for patients to be given decongestants as well.In
addition patients are asked to avoid drugs that can potentially cause
bleeding.Examples would include
Aspirin, Motrin, Aleve and Ibuprofen.When
these steps are taken, complication rates are low, success rates are high and
patients have high levels of satisfaction.

For rhinoplasty, I do prescribe prescription pain medication which patients generally take for only one or two days. I do not like to prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as Advil or Aleve until at leasts two days postop because they can cause bleeding. I do not prescribe antibiotics for a cosmetic rhinoplasty but do so if a cartilage graft or septoplasty is involved. Every plastic surgeon has his own regimen for pain management so you should feel free to discuss your concerns about postop pain with your doctor.

The medications prescribed for the postoperative period for a rhinoplasty varies among physicians. At minimum, most will presecribe an antibiotic and pain medication. Some will add medications to help decrease bruising and swelling.