Removing my Rhinoplasty Cast?

I've always removed the nasal splints myself in the office. I am not sure why you need to remove this yourself. One thing you want to ensure is that you do not tug or pull excessively on the splint. I would imagine that a warm shower and running the shower head right on the splint will help loosen the tape/ splint and make removal easier. If you meet any resistance and feel the need to pull on the splint, call your surgeon and have them remove it in the office. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSWeber Facial Plastic Surgery

I prefer to remove the splint myself. It is often well adhered, and may take two weeks to loosen up on its own. Leaving the splint on for too long will block the pores on the nose. Removing it too soon, or too vigorously can lead to distortion of the results.

Sometimes it is advantageous to apply steri-strips to the nose after splint removal to help control post-operative swelling. These are all judgements best made by your plastic surgeon.

Dear crookedtrees,


This is really the job of the plastic surgeon

We are very careful in removing the cast so we do not pull on the skin and slow down healing

You should call your doctor and have him/her remove it for optimum results


Best regards,

Nima Shemirani

    The removal of the splint at 7 days is not usually performed by the patient.  However, if you do not have a plastic surgeon nearby, moisture will probably help, but I would definitely not force anything.  If you meet resistance, stop.  If you must, go to another plastic surgeon's office and have this removed.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Ideally, rhinoplasty cast is removed by the operating surgeon. If you are not able to get to your surgeon, the cast can be removed by the technique described which is by loosening by way of steam and carefully pulling it from one side to the other.