A Nasal Splint Is Placed On A Person's Nose After Rhinoplasty

Once the structures of your nose have beenafter the procedure. Most of the swelling will have
completely addressed, your plastic surgeon willresolved within the first few weeks after the
carefully close each incision and will suture thenose job surgery. However, there may be some
sides of your septum together. The meticuloussmall amounts of swelling that are persistent for
closure will allow for better healing and will makemany months or even a year or more after the
nasal packing unnecessary in the vast majority ofsurgery. The most subtle changes may take up
cases. There are certain specific technicalto a year or more to see following the procedure.
considerations that will call for the need of nasalThe decision to have a nasal contouring procedure
packing in a small minority of cases after a nasalperformed on you will be personal. You will have
contouring procedure.to decide if the benefits of the procedure will fulfill
After the surgery is completed, the nose will beyour goals and if the risks and potential
carefully cleaned on the inside and on the outside.complications are acceptable to you.
The nasal structures will be carefully andDuring the consultation that you have with your
meticulously compressed in order to reduce theplastic surgeon, he and she will go over the
swelling and bleeding. Special tapes will be placedspecifics of rhinoplasty with you. You should feel
on the surface of the patient's nose along with afree to ask any questions that may come to
custom molded nasal splint to further improve themind any time before or after your surgery. Your
shaping. This will also help in reducing the swellingcosmetic surgeon will more than likely have
of the nose that will commonly occur after thesignificant experience in performing these
surgery. Again, internal nasal splints of packs willprocedures and will gladly go over any details with
unlikely be used as these structures will be held inyou. A nasal contouring procedure is a safe
place firmly with meticulously placed sutures.procedure, but it does carry some risks.
These sutures will always dissolve on their ownComplications will be rare, but they may include
over time.rupture of small surface vessels of the nose, poor
The splint and tapes for the patient's nose will bewound healing, bleeding, asymmetry, infection,
placed there for roughly one week. A smallchanges in sensation (numbness), nasal septum
dressing will accompany the patient home overperforation (a hole in the nasal septum), pain,
the bottom half of their nose which will typicallyunfavorable scarring, changes in breathing, skin
be required only for the first several hours of thecontour irregularities or discoloration or extrusion
day after the procedure. The patient will receiveof the sutures. Due to the complex nature of the
specific post-operative instructions from theirrhinoplasty procedure, a revisional surgery may be
plastic surgery office after the surgery.required. But that is unlikely. A nasal revision will
The splint will be removed roughly one weekusually be small and will typically be a touch-up.