How Functional Rhinoplasty Improves Breathing

Rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, is a common cosmetic surgery. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons finds nearly 220,1 W. Ridgewood Ave, Suite 110, Paramus, NJ, 07652asties are performed each year in the United States alone. But did you know some of our patients come to us for a nose job, not because they have an issue with the way their nose looks, but because they need to breathe better?

When an operation is performed on the nose to address an aesthetic concern, it’s called “cosmetic” rhinoplasty. If the surgery is meant to restore airflow through the nose, it’s called “functional” rhinoplasty. So, yes, you can get a nose job to improve breathing!

Here we explain the differences between functional and cosmetic rhinoplasty and how getting a nose job improves breathing.

How Does Functional Rhinoplasty Affect Breathing?

Here’s how each part of the nose works and is improved during a nose job for better breathing:

• Turbinates. The turbinates are three bony structures on the cheek side of each nasal passage, near the bridge of the nose. They work like fins to shape the air currents so they flow smoothly inward toward the septum. Functional rhinoplasty can change the shape of these “fins” to allow air to flow more efficiently.
• Nasal septum. The septum runs down the middle of the nose. It’s bony at the back of the nose, but near the bridge, it becomes flexible cartilage. We need the nose’s bridge to support the soft tissue of the nostril, much like the center tent pole supports a tent.Air currents usually run down the septum smoothly when it’s straight, allowing it to perform important functions like warming the air entering the body, and filtering dust and bacteria. If the septum is bent or broken by trauma or previous operations, it can disrupt airflow down the nose, sometimes even blocking it completely. If this center is misaligned, it could block airflow to one side, and that’s why functional rhinoplasty is necessary in cases where the septum is deviated.
• Nasal ala. The alar cartilages form the tip of the nose. They are springy structures with a unique shape that gives you flared nostrils for scenting air, and account for the wide diversity in the shapes of the nasal tip.Alar cartilages function more like the curved poles that spring up to form the entrance to a tent. They aren’t the primary support, but they do have a big effect on controlling airflow. During a functional rhinoplasty, this cartilage can be corrected to let in more air.

We use specific techniques to ensure functional rhinoplasty gives our patients better nasal airflow—the turbinates, the nasal septum, and the alar cartilage are manipulated during surgery to give the best results. Any one of these three structures can block airflow, but generally, the nasal septum and alar cartilages determine the aesthetic shape of the nose and how efficient breathing through the nose can be.

Did You Know?

Rhinoplasty has quite a long history. The first nose operation was reported in 6th century B.C. in India, to replace a missing nose. In ancient times these procedures were performed to repair injuries due to leprosy, syphilis, or trauma. The modern cosmetic rhinoplasty is relatively recent, and the first procedure is generally credited to the otolaryngologist Dr. John Orlando Roe in 1887. Many advancements have been made since.