Removing my Rhinoplasty Cast?

Question

I was instructed to remove my rhinoplasty cast on the 7th day after surgery. are there any tips of removing it? will pulling it off hurt my nose? I was told to put vaseline along the bandage edges and take a shower and let the steam losen it abit and then remove it once Iam out? should I peel it off from one side to the other?

Joseph Mele, MD · Answer

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.

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

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

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

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

Scott Loessin, MD · Answer

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.

Travis T. Tollefson, MD, MPH · Answer

Dear crookedtrees

	
		I agree with the others on the board that the cast is best removed by the surgeons office. 
	
		If you are to remove this yourself, vaseline and steam are good ideas.
	
		on occasion, the adhesive tape will be too attached and an adhesive remover may help loosen the tape.


	Best Wishes

Michael R. Menachof, MD · Answer

That's a really interesting question given that I bet that almost 100% of us would remove your cast in the office. The main reason is not just because we need to be the ones to remove the cast, but we need to see what things look like underneath the cast (how does the skin look, what does the nose look like, etc). If you are going to do it yourself, the key is to do it as gently as possible. I would use a lot of steam. I might steam it, try to lift up a few edges slightly, steam it some more, lift up a bit more, etc. After removal I would recommend you take a picture of the nose and email it to your surgeon.Good luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I do not think that it is a good idea for a patient to remove the nasal splint.  I usually do this personally for my patients.

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

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

William P. Adams, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi-

	The best possible scenario is to have your cosmetic surgeon who performed the procedure remove the cast.  If this is not possible, I would begin at the edge of the cast and work your way around it to gradually loosen it.  If it does not come off easily, wait a day and try again.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear Crookedtrees, This is a very unusual request to have the patient take their own nasal splint off. I have over thirty years of experience and the only time a patient has removed a cast was by error from showering and that was one in ten thousand. It is the surgeons job to remove the splint. It is one of the many great joys we are rewarded with as surgeons to see our patient's happiness when viewing their new nose for the first time! Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

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