If blood shows through and something like pus appears after stitch removal — before worrying about inflammation inside the nose

01

Pus-like substance at the stitch removal site — the actual question

Q. It's now day 6 after open rhinoplasty — surgery was done with silicone and ear cartilage. On day 5 part of the nasal stitches were removed, and a little blood came out then. Today, day 6, I looked in the mirror and inside the nose where stitches were removed there's something pus-like formed — is it inflammation? Could it be a rhinoplasty side effect? The stitches aren't fully removed so I'm going to the hospital anyway, but I'm anxious. Does blood normally come out when removing stitches? Separately, I've had sinusitis and rhinitis so before surgery inflammation and pus came out inside my nose frequently — could this also affect side effects later?

A. A small amount of blood can show when stitches are removed. But a pus-looking substance could be a scab or discharge, or an infection signal needing confirmation — it can only be distinguished by direct examination.

Keep following the prescribed antibiotics and disinfection instructions, but that alone doesn't eliminate the possibility of infection. If symptoms worsen or odor·warmth·pain·swelling accompany, notify the surgical hospital right away.

02

At the stitch removal site, what counts as a common phenomenon?

In this case, both things the asker worried about were guided as changes that can occur during recovery.

Of course, not every case can be judged by the description "looks like pus" alone. This case's answer settling toward reassurance has a premise — the asker hadn't fully removed all stitches so a hospital visit was already scheduled soon, and management via antibiotics and disinfection was ongoing. If you're on a path where unsettling changes get directly confirmed at the scheduled visit, interim changes can be watched as part of the course rather than excessively worried over. The recovery flow by period can be seen in the recovery guide.

03

To prevent side effects like inflammation, what matters?

The core of the answer is continuity of care. In this case, the following two were already being done.

• Antibiotics being used appropriately
• Disinfection being performed

Following hospital protocol is basic, but infection can't be ruled out just because antibiotics and disinfection are underway. Watch the pattern of bleeding·discharge after stitch removal together with pain·swelling·warmth·odor, and if there's a change, move the appointment up for confirmation.

Meanwhile the asker left a separate question about sinusitis and rhinitis having caused frequent inflammation and pus inside the nose before surgery — worries about such pre-existing conditions are also most accurately checked at the surgical hospital that knows the course.

04

Summary — watch the flow of care, not small changes

A small amount of bleeding can occur when stitches are removed, but what the pus-looking substance actually is must be confirmed directly. While following prescriptions and disinfection instructions, watch for changes like odor·pain·swelling·warmth — and if abnormal signs appear, it's safe to notify the surgical hospital without waiting for the scheduled date.

If there's an unsettling change during recovery, you can get your state checked in a 1:1 video consultation.