Can I Remove my Own Nasal Splint a Week After my Closed Reduction or Does the Surgeon Have to Do It?

Question

My surgeon will not be available until 10 days after my closed reduction, but did say my splint could be removed 7 days after. I forgot to ask him though if I can remove my own splint? Or are there specific tools that are required to remove it? I only have an external splint attached via tape. I was planning on washing it off.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

I would recommend having someone at the office remove the splint rather than try to remove it yourself.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

I would highly encourage you to have your external splint removed by your surgeon. Having it on for 10 days after rhinoplasty will not harm anything and it is much safer to have your surgeon remove it than to do it yourself.

Kyle S. Choe, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Dandan82,

There is no
magic number of days you should wait before nasal cast is removed.  Most surgeons remove the cast anywhere from
5-10 days after the procedure.  In our
practice it is pretty standard that we keep the cast on for 7 days but we have
removed it as early as 5 days.  The
results have not been different if we removed it a little later or earlier than
our standard. I would, however, let your surgeon remove it for you. I hope this helps.

Remus Repta, MD · Answer

Hello,

	Thank you for the question.  I would call the plastic surgeons office and have one of his nurses remove your splint.

	All the best,

	Dr. Remus Repta

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

It is always best for the nasal splint to be removed by either the surgeon or his staff.  You could possibly disrupt some of the work by doing it yourself.

Gregory J. Vipond, MD, FRCSC · Answer

While it may sound easy to remove your external nasal splint, it is best for it to be removed by your surgeon. If it is not properly and gently removed, there is a risk that the fragile nose bones may shift out of position. In the case of a closed reduction after a nasal fracture, the bones may have been broken in a number of different places and the last thing that you would want is to have them move back into their original fractured position. While it may be frustrating to keep the cast on for a few more days, the long term result should make it worthwhile.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

It is OK to leave a splint on for 10 days after a rhinoplasty. If your surgeon wanted it removed at 7 days, call his office; I'm sure another surgeon is covering for him.

Can I Remove my Own Nasal Splint a Week After my Closed Reduction or Does the Surgeon Have to Do It?

Answers (7)

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