Why can't I breathe easily?

If you have a respiratory problem along with rhinoplasty, it can be easily corrected together. In other words, septum deviation surgery or nasal concha surgery can be easily performed together with rhinoplasty, and this surgery is called Septorhinoplasty Surgery.

If a patient with a respiratory problem undergoes rhinoplasty without resolving this complaint, his complaints may increase and he may have repeated nose surgery afterwards. Therefore, patients with septum deviation or nasal concha should request that these problems be solved together if they are going to have rhinoplasty surgery.

Septum; It is a wall that divides the nasal cavity in half. The anterior part of the septum consists of a solid but pliable cartilage, and the posterior part consists of bone. In ideal conditions, the septum should be in the midline and the right and left nasal cavities should be of equal width. In 80% of people, the septum is not exactly in the midline, and this does not cause any complaints, and often does not cause a health problem. Sometimes the septum is in a very deviated position from the midline and this is called a deviation of the septum or deviation of the nose.

The formation mechanisms of nasal deviation show differences. Rarely, some babies are born with a deviation of the septum due to the curved development of the septum in the womb. Sometimes the septum bends during the baby's passage through the birth canal. Crashes, falls, sports injuries and traffic accidents in childhood and adulthood can also cause septum deviation. Septum deviations can also occur as a result of the development of the bone and cartilage parts of the septum at different rates during the growth period.

The most common symptom of septum deviation is difficulty breathing through the nose. Nasal congestion is usually on the side where the septum is bent, but it can also cause constant or variable breathing difficulty on both sides, sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left.

The treatment of septum deviation is surgery and this surgery is called septoplasty. Nasal deviation surgery can be performed together or separately with aesthetic nose surgery.

Septoplasty surgery can be performed with both general and local anesthesia. However, my personal opinion and practice is that it is correct to perform aesthetic intervention and septoplasty surgery together, and therefore it is not practical and healthy to perform this surgery with local anesthesia. In the surgery, the septum is brought to its midline position. During the operation, the excessively curved parts of the septum are completely removed, and the parts that can be corrected are reshaped and placed back in their place. At the end of the surgery, tampons are placed in both nasal cavities to keep the corrected septum in place. These tampons are usually removed on the second day following surgery.

• Due to the tampons placed after the surgery, your nose will be blocked and you will need to breathe through your mouth.
• Tampons will cause increased nasal secretion and a pink discharge will be seen both from the front of the tampons and from the nasal passages. This is not bleeding and will continue until the tampons are removed, gradually decreasing after the surgery.
• Take care not to bump your nose and do not move it with your hand to feel the surgery.
• Use the medicines recommended by your doctor regularly.
• After the tampons are removed, use your nasal spray regularly if your doctor recommends it.
• Do not blow your nose until your doctor gives permission. After the tampons are removed, you can clean them by gently pulling your nose.
• Never inhale tap water into your nose. You can take a bath for a long time, provided that it is not too hot.
• After the operation, a feeling of dryness in the nose and crusting may occur. In order to minimize these, inhale through the nose against the steam of a bowl of boiled water every 2-3 hours in the first days following the removal of the tampons, then 3-4 times a day.
• Complete healing in the nose will be completed in 2-6 weeks. During this period, go to the dressings and controls recommended by your doctor regularly.
• There are centers in the nasal septum that determine the development of facial bones. Surgical treatment of septum leads determined in childhood is usually not performed before the age of 17 in order not to impair these centers and bone development of the face. Growth centers are not active in adults and septoplasty operations do not have a negative effect on the shape of the face.

A second correction surgery may be required if the septum is repositioned or after a new nasal trauma during the healing phase within a few months following the septoplasty operation; The need for a second surgery is very rare and occurs in less than 2% of patients who have undergone surgery.