HomeWHATWhat Is A Nose Splint

What Is A Nose Splint

There are two types of nose splints:

  • Internal nose splints are worn in the nostrils and attached with a few stitches.
  • External nose splints are worn outside the nose. They’re held in place with medical tape or bandages or are “glued” to the skin with an adhesive that dissolves after several days.

Splints serve two very important purposes:

  • Stabilize the tissue that has just been operated on.
  • Protect the nose as it heals.

A nose splint is used after various types of nasal surgery, including:

  • rhinoplasty
  • septoplasty
  • sinus surgery
  • nasal fracture repair

The choice of external or internal splints is decided by the kind of surgery that’s performed. Here are some common surgeries that will require either an internal or external splint.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is also known as a “nose job.” Rhinoplasty is done to change the appearance of the nose or to help improve breathing. It’s one of the most common forms of plastic surgery.

After a rhinoplasty, your surgeon tapes an external nose splint to the outside of the nose to stabilize the nasal tissue that has been treated.

A 2019 study found that external splints may not be necessary in all cases. Surgical tape and Steri-Strips may provide similar protection and support.

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Septoplasty

If your septum — the wall of bone and cartilage that divides your nose into two nostrils — is crooked (or deviated) and makes breathing difficult, you may be a good candidate for septoplasty.

Septoplasty surgery helps straighten the septum to improve breathing.

After a septoplasty, the nasal cavity is filled with cotton or gauze, and an internal splint (sometimes called an intranasal splint) is placed in each nostril.

The internal splints help stabilize the treated septum and compress the septum to help reduce bleeding complications.

Nasal surgery

You may need nasal surgery to remove blockages that aren’t caused by a crooked (deviated) septum.

For example, removing nasal polyps from the nasal cavity can be done surgically. Intranasal splints are often implanted following other types of nasal surgery as well.

Nasal fracture surgery

The upper part of the nose is made of bone, while the rest of it is composed of cartilage. A nasal fracture, or broken nose, is a crack in the bone or cartilage.

Sometimes, a broken nose can be realigned using only your own or your doctor’s hands. But in serious cases, surgery may be necessary to repair and restore the nose to its original size and shape as closely as possible.

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