Nasal irrigation / nasal flushing and cleaning after a septorhinoplasty

Question

How long should someone wait before doing a nasal rinse/ flush? I am 4 weeks post op and my inside nasal airways are clogged with massive amounts of dried blood and lots of crust. I use saline nasal spray on a daily basis 5x a day but does not seem to help or go through the nasal airway due to the blockage of the crusting. Would it be safe at this point to perform a nasal irrigation? I do not meet with my surgeon for another 2 weeks and would appreciate some feed back with your experience! thx

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

This is a safe time for nasal rinsing. Actually in most situations one week after surgery gentle rinsing can be started. The more important thing is to NOT blow your nose very hard, only gently blowing. RegardsDr. J

James Bonaparte, MD, MSc, FRCSC · Answer

All surgeons have different opinions. I do both cosmetic and non-cosmetic nose surgery. My advice to patients, is to start on day one putting a small amount of Vaseline or Antibacterial Oitment (like vaseline) in the nose. This can help soften the mucus and keep it clean. I ask people to use a GENTLE salt water spray starting day 2 and then after 2 weeks, they can use a more aggresive spray. However, please ask your surgeon as all procedures are different. Dr James P. Bonaparte

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

You really need to ask you surgeon about post-op care. I will often allow patients to clean their nose gently with a q-tip after showering about a week after surgery. Usually they can blow their nose gently after about 3-4 weeks.

Nasal irrigation / nasal flushing and cleaning after a septorhinoplasty

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