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What is a Functional Nose Surgery?

In addition to nose surgery (a.k.a. rhinoplasty) done for cosmetic purposes, another important type of nasal surgery is functional rhinoplasty. The difference between functional and cosmetic surgery are minimal since, really, a good nasal surgery should always optimize both appearance and nasal breathing but some of our Costa Mesa nose job clients specifically seek improvements in airway function without changes to the appearance of their noses and so they want primarily a functional rhinoplasty. Both purely cosmetic rhinoplasties and purely functional rhinoplasties are commonly performed but the majority of the rhinoplasties we do here in Costa Mesa are by far for clients seeking both functional and cosmetic improvement. A misshapen nose is more often than not associated with corresponding functional abnormalities.

Nasal congestion, mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, or a reduced sense of smell, snoring are all common symptoms of functional chronic nasal airway obstruction. Side effects of chronic nasal obstruction may include nosebleeds, recurrent sinus infections, sinus pressure headaches, and/or sleep disturbance. If left untreated, these symptoms can actually cause more serious conditions such as of insomnia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and even heart disease.

In some of the less complicated cases, functional nasal surgery can be treated with surgical treatment of the internal nasal passages without alteration of the outer nose. These types of surgeries include nasal septoplastyturbinate reduction, and nasal polyp removal. Today we’ll talk about nasal septoplasties.

Nasal septoplasty involves dividing wall that separates the right and left nasal passages (a.k.a. the septum). In most people who require nasal septoplasty, the septum is bent, deviated, bowed, or twisted, resulting in blockage of one or both air passages. Septoplasty uses various surgical techniques to straighten the septal partition and open blocked air passages. Typically an uncomplicated septoplasty takes about 15–30 minutes in competent hands and recovery is generally quick and easy.

For more information regarding functional nose surgery in Newport Beachschedule a consultation with Dr. Ali Sajjadian, one of Newport Beach and Orange County’s best Rhinoplasty surgeons!