You may choose to undergo a rhinoplasty, or nose job, for reasons of appearance, or it may be recommended to help improve your nasal breathing. In each case, post-surgical swelling can make breathing more difficult, at least temporarily. However, sometimes changes made during surgery can result in problems that last beyond recovery.
At the practice of Alexis Furze, MD, in Newport Beach, California, Dr. Furze specializes in revision rhinoplasty, a procedure that you may need if your original nose job leaves you with breathing issues. As an otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Furze has the expertise to consider both the functional and aesthetic aspects of your nose.
Most people associate nose jobs with improving appearance, and while rhinoplasty is a powerful tool for bringing facial proportions in line, it also has functional considerations. It’s possible you can require nose surgery to treat breathing problems, and you can combine this with aesthetic changes if you desire.
Because of the complexity of the face and breathing passages, rhinoplasty is one of the most complex and difficult plastic surgery procedures. And, unfortunately, it’s common that initial nose surgeries are not fully successful and require revision rhinoplasty to treat resulting breathing issues.
While contemporary techniques have reduced the problem, removing too much cartilage to accomplish a nose reshaping can sometimes allow the sides of the nose to collapse when you inhale. This restriction or blockage can affect breathing while you sleep or when you undergo strenuous activity.
Some rhinoplasty patients develop sleep disorders due the effects of their surgery. Restricted airways are also associated with other breathing issues, including chronic rhinitis. If you’re prone to developing nasal polyps, reduced space due to surgery can combine with the polyps to create breathing problems. Correcting issues of this type is often done through revision rhinoplasty.
Because of the complexity of facial anatomy and the variables of healing, including a patient’s own follow-up care, the precise results of the original rhinoplasty can be hard to determine until the point of full recovery, which could be months after the surgery.
Making corrections in a second procedure requires specialty expertise with rhinoplasty revision. You’re assured the best results from a surgeon with Dr. Furze’s background and experience. Changes made through a revision rhinoplasty are generally small but crucial, adjustments that improve breathing while leaving cosmetic changes unaffected.
While your surgery depends on the exact nature of your breathing issue and its causes, a common approach creates small pockets into which cartilage tissue is grafted to hold the airways open. The donor cartilage comes from elsewhere in the nose or behind the ear. Results of revision surgery typically lead to high post-procedure improvements.
Are you having breathing problems after having a rhinoplasty? Dr. Furze can help. To learn more, call 949-389-6673 to book an appointment with the practice of Alexis Furze, MD, today.
