Effect of Postrhinoplasty Taping on Postoperative Edema and Nasal Draping A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND Edema persists for months after rhinoplasty. Numerous modalities have been described to counteract postoperative edema. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of postrhinoplasty taping (PRT) on nasal edema and nasal draping. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this randomized clinical trial, 57 patients undergoing rhinoplasty at a tertiary reference center from August 1, 2014, to January 31, 2015, were assigned to a control group or to 2- or 4-week PRT groups. Baseline nasal thickness was measured with ultrasonography at the nasion, rhinion, supratip, and tip, and mean nasal skin thickness (MNST) was calculated. Participants in each group were categorized by the baseline MNST measurement from the lowest to greatest MNST; those in the upper half were categorized as having thick skin; those in the lower half, thin skin. The control group underwent no PRT after the removal of external packing. Patients in the 2- and 4-week PRT groups received additional taping during the allocated time. Data were collected from August 1, 2014, to June 31, 2015. Follow-up was completed on June 31, 2015, and data were analyzed from July 1 to August 1, 2015. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Postoperative measurements of MNSTwere performed at the end of weeks 1, 3, and 5 and month 6. RESULTS Of the 57 total patients (33 male and 24 female patients; mean [SD] age, 30.0 [11.7] years), 17 were in the 2-week PRT group; 20, the 4-week PRT group; and 20, the control group. Compared with the control group, 4-week PRT had a significant effect on the supratip (P = .001). Comparisons of MNST with the control group revealed significant effects of 2-week (P = .02) and 4-week (P = .007) PRT. The effect on the tip was not significant (P = .052). Postrhinoplasty taping had no effect in thin-skinned patients. Comparison among thick-skinned patients revealed a significant effect on the MNST (P = .01) and the rhinion (P = .02) but not the tip (P = .06) and supratip (P = .07). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Postrhinoplasty taping helps the skin envelope to compress to the underlying framework and decrease postoperative edema. The procedure can be used particularly in thick-skinned patients, in whom skin draping and nasal refinement is crucial to the surgical outcome.