Unblocking the nose by unplugging the ear: the use of foam ear defenders as a splint following secondary cleft rhinoplasty.

Objective: The functional and aesthetic result from secondary cleft rhinoplasty is commonly impaired by a bulge in the lateral nasal vestibule, which can relapse in the postoperative period despite careful intraoperative correction. We aim to improve our results by using a foam ear defender as a postoperative splint to prevent relapse.

Design: Case series of 10 patients with photographs of a typical clinical case.

Interventions: The postoperative nasal pack was exchanged with a foam ear defender on day 5. The splint was worn continuously for 3 to 4 weeks, then nightly for 3 months. The splint was changed daily by the patient.

Main Outcome Measures: The results were assessed clinically by the senior author.

Results: The patients had little or no recurrence of the lateral vestibular bulge following nasal splintage.

Conclusions: Foam ear defenders are a simple, cheap, and comfortable method to provide splintage to the nasal vestibule following secondary cleft rhinoplasty.