The Effect of Drainage Cannula Use on Postoperative Periorbital Edema and Ecchymosis After Primary Rhinoplasty

Demirel E, Çolak O, Kemal Ö, Çoldur M.

What this paper says

In 72 randomised primary rhinoplasty patients, leaving a 16-gauge cannula through the osteotomy site for 24 hours reduced eye-area swelling and bruising at days 1 and 7, with no difference by day 28 in appearance or SCHNOS scores.

Overview

Blood collecting under the skin after bone cuts causes bruising around the eyes. The Turkish authors randomised 72 patients to a transnasal drainage cannula placed through the osteotomy site for 24 hours (n = 36) or no drain (n = 36). Blinded raters graded oedema and ecchymosis on days 1, 7 and 28, and SCHNOS was completed before surgery and at day 28.

Sections of note

Mean age 29.2 (cannula) versus 26.3 (control); 66.7% and 58.3% female; all completed 28-day follow-up.
Less oedema and ecchymosis with the cannula on days 1 and 7 (p < 0.05).
No differences on day 28.
Day-28 SCHNOS total: 11.00 (95% CI 8.40-13.60) cannula versus 13.86 (95% CI 10.33-17.39) control, not significantly different.

What it means for a patient

A small drain for one day gave a visibly better first week, which matters for returning to work or social life.
It made no difference to the one-month result.
The drain is placed internally; it is a minor addition to the operation.

Why this paper matters

It is a randomised, blinded test of a cheap recovery aid, complementing a similar non-randomised drain study. Limits: 72 patients, 28-day endpoint, single centre.

Terms

Osteotomy: a surgical cut in the nasal bones.
Periorbital: around the eyes.
Ecchymosis: bruising; oedema: swelling.
16-gauge cannula: a thin plastic tube of the size used for intravenous lines.
SCHNOS: a validated nasal outcome questionnaire.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Periorbital edema and ecchymosis are common early postoperative findings after rhinoplasty. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare postoperative periorbital edema and ecchymosis between patients who underwent primary rhinoplasty with a transnasal drainage cannula placed through the osteotomy site…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.