I can see something deep in my nose 2 months after rhinoplasty - what could it be?

Rhinoplasty involves placing sutures, cartilage grafts, and sometimes synthetic implants inside the nose. Several known complications can cause something to become visible or partially exposed weeks after surgery. These include implant extrusion (when a material works its way toward the surface), thread or suture extrusion, and in rare cases retained surgical material [4]. One review of rhinoplasty complications specifically lists retained metallic surgical instrument fragments, implant extrusion, and infection as findings that may appear on imaging after surgery [4]. A separate study on thread rhinoplasty found that thread extrusion occurred in 30% of complications in that technique, and infection was even more common [3].

Rhinoplasty is considered one of the most technically complex cosmetic surgeries, and its complication profile is broad [6]. Something visible inside your nose at two months could be harmless, such as a dissolving suture working its way out, but it could also signal infection, extrusion of a graft or implant, or another issue that needs treatment. Research shows that when complications like extrusion or infection are present, early removal or debridement leads to better outcomes [3]. Delaying evaluation risks a more serious or harder-to-treat problem.

When you contact your surgeon, describe exactly where in the nose you see the object, whether it is painful, whether there is any redness, swelling, discharge, or odor, and whether it has changed in appearance since you first noticed it. Your surgeon may want to examine it in clinic or order imaging. Studies confirm that imaging can help identify the nature and exact location of post-rhinoplasty findings [4]. Do not attempt to pull, cut, or manipulate it yourself, as this could introduce infection or displace a structural graft.