After rhinoplasty most doctors put dressings called packs inside the nose. These serve to reduce bleeding and prevent adhesions forming between the incisions inside the nose.
The dressings are made of many different materials but a greasy gauze is common. Most need to be removed and this is usually done between two to five days after surgery
Packs can become infected, for example there is a very small risk of toxic shock syndrome, for this reason antibiotics are often prescribed.
Some studies show that patients who have packs breath better after surgery than those who do not have packs. Nevertheless some doctors dispute this and feel that provided the wounds are closed carefully there is nothing to be gained from the use of packs.