Are steroid injections effective in reducing swelling?

Question:
Are steroid injections effective in reducing swelling after surgery? Are they recommended or is there any reason why they should not be used?

Answer:
Steroid injections have become the standard of care following rhinoplasty in cases where there appears to be prolonged swelling, or in individuals with thick skin who underwent rhinoplasty.  I prefer a low dose of Kenalog as my steroid of choice and am very careful to inject into the space between the bone or cartilage of the nose and the skin to prevent discoloration and thinning of the skin as a result of the steroid injection.  If you are a candidate for rhinoplasty surgery, then without a frank postoperative infection of the nose, you are also a candidate for steroid injections to the nose following your rhinoplasty.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld