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This is the most common question I get asked by my rhinoplasty patients. The actual answer is that yes when a large nose is made smaller there is a sensation of reduced breathing. If this becomes a problem then your surgeon can offer you a procedure to elevate the upper lateral cartilages to improve the internal valve. Most patients may not need this. I actually incorporate this manoeuvre into most of my rhinoplasty surgeries.
Most patients experience various degrees of congestion following rhinoplasty surgery, and most tolerate it rather well. If you have concerns about not being able to breath through your nose for several days, speak with your surgeon - it is possible to use splints containing a hollow tube though which you will be able to breath.Grigoriy Mashkevich, MDNew York Facial Plastic Surgeon
Good morning and thank you for your inquiry. Packing is no longer used in my office after rhinoplasty. On rare occasion inflatable splints, somewhat like tampons with tubes to breath through, are often employed. More often than not, the inside of the nose is cleanly sutured and in many cases does not require sponges that obstruct breathing at all. If you have had a rhinoplasty and currently have sponges in place, one often overlooked important detail is to drink enough liquids, as people can become dehydrated when they breathe solely through their mouths.
It is typical to expect to breathe through your mouth during the recovery phase after rhinoplasty due to internal nasal swelling. The speed at which the swelling resolves will vary and also depends on the extent of the surgery as not all rhinoplasties are the same.
If you nose is not packed, then you will be able to breathe through your nose. You might become clogged and have to breathe through your mouth. I do not allow patients to blow their nose for 3 weeks, and only after they have the splint removed and can shower ( after one week) do I allow them to gently clean their nose with a q-tip.
I advise all my patient that they should be ready to primarily breathe through the mouth first week after rhinoplasty. Even though I never use nasal packing after rhinoplasty, the nose is still congested due to swelling, some blood clots, etc. I usually do a thorough nasal cleaning 6 days after the surgery at which point most patients are able to breathe through the nose comfortably.
Breathing after a rhinoplasty usually is restricted for the first couple weeks due to the swelling for the rhinoplasty itself. Patients usually are able to get some airflow through the nose, as long as there is no packing placed on the inside of the nose
Nasal breathing will be impaired with or without packing. I often use small vestibular packings for 24 hours, if no. septoplasty or turbinate surgery was done. Breathing is congested for a week or so.
Remember, the nose is a three-dimensional structure so making changes in one dimension will affect the other dimensions. When removing the dorsal hump, the nose will be more flat and wide in appearance, therefore osteotomies of the nasal bones are required. Computer imaging would be...
It would be premature to judge the shape of your tip just 4 months following surgery. Your nose is still swollen and will continue to evolve and refine in shape for several months to come. That said, I do see that the right nostril rim is flattened and retracted upward. A retracted...
Thank you very much for your question.The septum is the structure that divides your nostrils into two distinct cavities. The cartilage in the septum can sometimes not be straight, in which case it "deviates" to one side or the other, potentially causing breathing problems.A broken nose...