After the nose job is done, how will I be able to breathe after rhinoplasty? Will I be OK breathing through my mouth?

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.