Trouble breathing from nose - Would rhinoplasty fix my issue? (Photos)

Question

Hello I'm a 24 year old woman who has always had trouble breathing out of my nose 90% of the time I can get barely any air in or out so Ive always breathed through my mouth I was curious if rhinoplasty could help me breathe and could this possibly be a deviated septum issue

Mark K. Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.

Although an exam in person is ideal, if you have nasal breathing difficulty and you're essentially a permanent mouth breather, this can be improved with a number of different procedures.  If your nasal bones were injured/fractured in the past, this can be fixed with a naso-septal reduction.  If you have a deviated septum (as you mentioned), this can be fixed with a septoplasty.  If you have breathing difficulty from internal or external nasal valve collapse, this can also be fixed with spreader grafts and further tip grafting to stent your nostrils and prevent them from collapsing. All these mentioned "fixes" can be covered through insurance at minimal cost to you☝️

If you have any cosmetic concerns, the cost of a revision rhinoplasty may also be reduced if your health plan will cover your breathing difficulty.

The next step for you is to pursue the right plastic surgeon for your septoplasty, with or without a rhinoplasty.  In your consultation, be sure your surgeon addresses all your functional (and aesthetic) goals and concerns specifically, IN PERSON, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course.  I also think a key component of your consultation is to establish a good connection with your plastic surgeon.  This is difficulty to do without seeing your surgeon in the office, in person.  It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.

For more information on septoplasty, please refer to my link below.

Good luck and please let me know if I can help.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your photographs, you are a great candidate for rhinoplasty. Maneuvers for your surgery would include dorsal hump reduction, tip refinement, nasal tip deprojection, tip elevation, among other maneuvers. Septoplasty can also be performed to help improve breathing at the same time. With good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

It appears that a combination of cosmetic and functional nose surgery in the form of septorhinoplasty,  would provide desired improvement. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in nose surgery is recommended. Good luck.

Paul E. Chasan, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. You are an excellent candidate for rhinoplasty. I think it is one of the most beautifying surgeries that we do as plastic surgeons. Functional rhinoplasty or helping breathing is one of the easiest portions of rhinoplasty and you should be able to breathe very well after a rhinoplasty. A large portion of my practice is dedicated to rhinoplasty surgery. It is important to only see plastic surgeons with extensive experience in rhinoplasty, ie perform at least 6 per month and have performed hundreds of cases. Also, critically evaluate on-line galleries to see if their art form resonates with yours. Rhinoplasty is definitely a grey haired plastic surgeon's sport. Best wishes to you

Jacob Carlson, MD · Answer

A rhinoplasty could potentially improve your breathing, but it depends on what is causing your symptoms. There are a number of different things that can lead to obstructive breathing through the nose. From a structural standpoint, it could be a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, collapse of the internal nasal valve. Some breathing issues may be related to inflammatory conditions like chronic sinusitis. Previous surgeries to the nose or prior trauma (e.g. motor vehicle accidents) cause also cause obstructive breathing problems. The best way to determine the cause of your breathing issues and then to determine how much improvement can be expected would be to consult in-person with a plastic surgeon or ENT surgeon to evaluate all of these possibilities.

Asu Deniz Burhanoglu, MD · Answer

Given that your breathing difficulty likely stems from structural issues inside the nose, rhinoplasty can address these problems and significantly improve your airflow. This approach can enhance both your breathing and the overall balance of your nasal appearance.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Based on your post photos, they only demonstrate your cosmetic nasal deformity. There are no views looking into the nasal passage. Best of virtual consult with. Most likely you have either a septal deviation or hypertrophy of the inferior terminates or both with the cosmetic nasal deformity you need a cosmetic rhinoplasty with possible cartilage, graphs and septoplasty or partial excision of inferior turbinates. Expect fees to arrange from $10,000-$20,000. Best of virtual consult with.

Trouble breathing from nose - Would rhinoplasty fix my issue? (Photos)

Answers (7)

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