I still have packing in my nose. My surgeon says it will dissolve in 2-3 days. Should I be worried?

Question

Hi doctors, I still have packing in my nose 3 days after surgery. My surgeon had said the packing was of the disolveable type and would be gone in 2-3 days after surgery. I'm now freaking out a little that, if they stay in til my splint is removed (in 4 days time!) it may ruin my overall result. ...and with a full 7 days dry blood included, be very painful! Now it's the weekend, i can't ask my surgeon til Monday at the earliest. Any advice is most welcome and very much appreciated!

Kenneth Yu, MD · Answer

Hello.  If your surgeon placed dissolvable packing in your nose, they won't hurt your recovery.  While they may leave you with longer discomfort than you prefer, it won't ruin your results.  I recommend you irrigate your nose frequently (at least 5 x if you can) with normal saline.  That is the simplest thing you can do to help your recovery.  Frequent irrigations minimize crusts from building up and will help your recovery.  If you are experiencing a lot of pain despite pain medicine, I strongly recommend you call your surgeon.

Kristina Tansavatdi, MD · Answer

I would not be worried. The packing sometimes takes longer to dissolve. Rest assured --It will not affect your overall result.

I still have packing in my nose. My surgeon says it will dissolve in 2-3 days. Should I be worried?

Answers (2)