Postoperative care in primary and revision rhinoplasty-A survey-based study

Optimizing results in rhinoplasty depends on meticulous intraoperative techniques and diligent postoperative care. Although several postoperative interventions are performed to ensure successful rhinoplasty outcomes, practice patterns vary among rhinoplasty surgeons. Therefore, we aimed to summarize common postoperative strategies implemented by rhinoplasty surgeons.

After pre-pilot and piloting rounds, a 29-item survey was developed to determine postoperative rhinoplasty practice patterns. The survey was distributed electronically to members of the Rhinoplasty Society and Dallas cosmetic and rhinoplasty course instructors. Descriptive statistics were performed and qualitative analytics implemented to determine the common practices.

A total of 23 unique responses were received. Most surgeons performed open rhinoplasty (17). More than half the surgeons recommended postoperative taping in primary (12) and revision (14) rhinoplasties to control postoperative edema and manage dead space. Most surgeons administered Kenalog injections in primary (19) and revision (20) rhinoplasties mainly to manage supratip swelling. Approximately half of the respondents continued isotretinoin use before primary (11) and revision (10) rhinoplasties. Approximately a third of the respondents used steroid dose packs to manage postoperative edema in primary (8) and revision (9) rhinoplasties.

Rhinoplasty surgeons implement a range of postoperative interventions, including taping, oral steroids, Kenalog injections, and isotretinoin, to optimize their results to manage swelling, edema, supratip fullness, thick and sebaceous skin, and scar tissue formation. This survey-based study provides insight into the postoperative strategies used by rhinoplasty surgeons to enhance postoperative care and results.