Blocked nostril after septoplasty and rhinoplasty?

Question

I had a septoplasty and rhinoplasty at the same time 2 weeks ago, I just got my nose splints removed today and i could breath perfectly, later in the day out of nowhere i couldnt breath through my right nostril anymore. Previously my septum blocked my left nostril but now my right one is blocked out of nowhere and it feels like i need to blow something out but no matter what i do it stays blocked

Jordan Cain, MD · Answer

It is not uncommon to have some intermittent difficulty breathing through the nose only two weeks after nasal surgery. If you were able to breathe well when the splints were removed, that is a good sign that you will feel that way again once things are completely healed. There can be some swelling inside the nose that may wax and wane in severity over the next couple of weeks, as well as some crusting that can develop as things continue to heal. It may take 6 weeks or longer before this resolves. As with any surgery, I recommend that you bring up any postoperative concerns with your surgeon so that he or she may monitor these issues and evaluate you as needed.
Best wishes,

Nirmal Nathan, MD · Answer

It is pretty common to get some blockage in the nasal vault after the splints are removed because there is crusting that continues to form. I usually recommend some saline nasal spray to help flush out the crust. I would check with your surgeon, however, as each surgeon has their own protocol.

Jon Kurkjian, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. At 2 weeks it is still a bit too early to judge a final result.
With any nasal surgery, the name of the game is patience. At one week, we would expect you to have quite a bit of swelling and bruising still noticeable and may have trouble breathing out of one or both nostrils. By the end of two weeks, typically, you will still be swollen but look more like you have a bad cold, rather than post surgical. Swelling can take up to a year to be completely gone, however, by 9 weeks you will look very good and should see big difference from your pre-op pics. I encourage you to stay patient.

Sahar Nadimi, MD · Answer

Most likely there is some swelling or nasal crusting that is blocking the airway on one side. It is not uncommon to have asymmetric nasal swelling after surgery and the inside of the nose does take about 4-6 weeks to heal. The fact that you could breathe well after the splints were removed is reassuring. Perhaps nasal saline sprays may help if there is any crusting inside the nose that is blocking your breathing. I recommend making an appointment with your surgeon who can examine your nose and potentially gently suction inside the nasal cavity as needed. Good luck!

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Blocked nostril after septoplasty and rhinoplasty?

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