16 days to remove splints?!

My partner recently had septoplasty, and we were just told the splints would be removed 16 days after surgery because the doctor is unavailable the prior week. From what I’ve read, most people have their splints removed within 5-7 days after surgery. My partner is in a lot of pain from the splints, and before surgery, we told the doctor he needed to fly for a crucial work commitment 16 days after the procedure.

Is it reasonable to ask if another doctor can remove the splints sooner? If we had known about the doctor’s unavailability, we would have scheduled a different date. We really need to make this flight, as the job is too important to miss.