Function or purpose of tape after Rhinoplasty?

Tape is used for 5-7 days following rhinoplasty to minimize swelling. Many plastic surgeons will also use a plastic "splint" in cases like your where the nasal bones were cut to help splint the bones and prevent them for healing in an uncontrolled fashion. I have one a few occasions reapplied tape for an additional week following surgery but this is unusual.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

           Post-operative care varies from patient to patient following rhinoplasty surgery and depends upon a multitude of variables.  In the vast majority of cases we remove nasal tape at the time of splint removal five to seven days following surgery.
            In most cases, we don’t replace the nasal tape, but in rare cases nasal tape is utilized for an additional period of time.  Tape is often used for longer periods of time when patients have extreme swelling.  In addition, tape may be utilized to control skin remodeling when patients have excess skin following surgery. 

The tape is in place to help reduce or prevent swelling of the nose after surgery which can lead to scar tissue formation and an undesired result.  Most surgeons tape for a week postoperative but I would talk with your surgeon for specifics in your case.

The purpose of the tapes and even the splint for that matter are to help control swelling. Excessive or uncontrolled swelling can lead to loss of shape and definition or lengthen the healing process. Swelling is stable though such that the splint or tape serve little purpose after the first week. Some surgeons may try to tape the area above the tip to hold the tissue down and influence shape, but we don't believe the tape is helpful. Certainly after a month you can stop the effort.
Best of luck,
peterejohnsonmd

The steri strips are to keep the swelling down .I usually leave them on my patients noses from 7 to 10 days .

You can discuss this issue with your surgeon ,about his preference.

I rarely use tape after the nasal cast is removed, but I feel it serves two purposes: 1) arguably minimizes swelling, 2) it reminds the patient and those around them to be careful in the immediate post-operative period. If a cast is not necessary, I'll leave the tape in place for 7-10 days after surgery.

No magic in the tape itself but the tape serves as a way, the Rhinoplasty surgeon can push swelling out of the nose or stabilize/isolate, let's say the nasal tip from moving, until internal sutures have healed.

Tape or Steristrips may be applied to the nose to decrease swelling after surgery. My practice is to remove the tape and splint 4-6 days after surgery. I usually do not use any tape once the splint is off. Every surgeon has a routine that they have found to work the best in their hands.

Follow your doctors advice!

Richard L. Dolsky MD