Why does my nose whistle when I breathe?

Thank you for your question and I am sorry you did not see a satisfactory result from your rhinoplasty. As other surgeons have mentioned, the most common causes of whistling after surgery are perforation of the septum and an obstruction or other narrowing of the nasal passage. You should contact your surgeon for a follow-up to determine the cause of the whistling and discuss a plan to correct it. Make sure you are working with a very experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon who has the expertise to produce the best possible result for you.

A whistling sound when breathing may indicate a septal perforation or some type of blockage in the nose. You should bring this up with your surgeon and if the answer is not satisfying, then it is perfectly fine to see another rhinoplasty specialist for a second opinion. When it comes to the nose, there can be many opinions on how to manage a particular problem.

I am sorry to hear about you being dissatisfied after your surgery.  It is very disappointing to undergo surgery and not be happy.  While no one can be sure until they examine you whistling after surgery is almost always caused by a septal perforation.  That is when a whole is made in your septum likely during your septoplasty and now the air is moving through it when you breath hence creating the whistling noise.  Depending on the size and its location is can sometimes be fixed but it is a tricky surgery.  Good Luck Dr Rahban

If you had septal cartilage harvested, or if you had a septoplasty with your rhinoplasty surgery, you may have a small hole in your septum. Septal perforations may sound like a high pitched whistle with breathing. Consider visiting a rhinoplasty specialist so you could see how best to proceed.Wishing you well.Dr. Joseph

Hi there, If the sound is in fact a high pitched sound when you inhale deeply, the most likely cause is a perforation of your nasal septum.  You should follow up with your rhinoplasty surgeon or another rhinoplasty specialist if you aren't comfortable with the original surgeon so that a treatment plan can be devised if this is in fact the case.  Best of luck.