Stopping Blood Thinners For Rhinoplasty Surgery

I was seeing a preoperative rhinoplasty patient today in the office and we got on the topic of stopping blood thinners prior to her scheduled surgery. She raised the question of whether or not this was considered a high risk operation in terms of bleeding. I counseled her that rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty are actually not considered high risk surgeries in terms of bleeding. However, if you are taking a restricted medication that you should have avoided (see our listed of restricted medications) you are indeed risking having a potential complication from bleeding during and/or after the rhinoplasty. This risk is still quite low in experienced hands. I mostly recommend avoiding these blood thinning medications before rhinoplasty so that patients can maximize their initial recovery period. This is particularly appropriate when we are performing osteotomies (breaking your nasal bone) as part of your rhinoplasty. By following my recommendations in terms of restricted medicines, you should have minimal bruising and swelling even at 5 days out from your rhinoplasty or revision rhinoplasty. If there is a certain medication that you are taking that is not on our list and is still a concern, feel free to contact my staff at any time. Sincerely, Dr. Hilinski