I just had my plastic splints removed today following deviated septum surgery (5 days ago). When does swelling go down?

Good afternoon. After injury/surgery to the nose, it can become REALLY swollen, and this swelling can take a LONG TIME to resolve (up to 1-2 years to fully resolve). The swelling typically peaks about 72 hours after injury/surgery. After that, it progressively improves, with most swelling gone by 2-3 months. Some minimal swelling can linger for up to 2 years though. You can keep your head elevated as much as possible for the first month postop, but otherwise just give things time. I constantly remind all my rhinoplasty patients how important it is to be patient after rhinoplasty surgery as it can take months to even years to see what the final nose will look like. Hope this helps! Best, Dr. Donald Groves Plastic Surgeon