Will Breathing Be Affected By Rhinoplasty Surgery?

Rhinoplasty is a versatile procedure that can address breathing problems, repair damaged nasal structures, and improve the shape and contour of the nose. Still, regardless of why you are getting a rhinoplasty, it’s important to know how this surgery could affect your breathing.

With the help of a board-certified plastic surgeon, most people can clear their nasal airways and have a better quality of life. Rhinoplasty experts understand how to properly revise the anatomy of the nose to create the best surgical results for patients.

Doctors can also correct structural issues and prevent complications that could worsen your breathing. But, how exactly will your breathing be affected by rhinoplasty and what can you expect after surgery and over time?

Will My Breathing Be Affected Right After Surgery?

Your doctor can change the size, shape, and proportions of your nose through rhinoplasty. Whether this is done for cosmetic reasons or for medical purposes, though, you will notice a change in your breathing after your procedure.

Directly after surgery, don’t expect your nose to be fully functional. Even if you are getting rhinoplasty for breathing issues, you will need to wait to experience the full results.

While nasal reshaping surgery is meant to improve your breathing, you have to let your nose heal first. This is because rhinoplasty is an invasive operation that causes swelling, bruising, and general inflammation of the nasal tissue.

After surgery, the swelling will make it harder to breathe as your nose is still repairing itself. Some patients worry that their breathing will be affected permanently. But don’t worry, this is an expected part of the recovery process.

Breathing issues won’t last forever. However, it will take around two to four weeks to heal from rhinoplasty. After this time, your breathing should improve drastically.

How Can You Improve Breathing While You Recover From Rhinoplasty?

Again, rhinoplasty does not create instant results. You won’t be able to improve your breathing immediately. It takes patience and healing to get your nose breathing normally again.  

Even though you will experience some difficulty breathing, this doesn’t mean that you can’t speed up the healing process. By following your doctor’s instructions post-op, you can cut down your recovery time and make sure that you don’t experience any major breathing complications after surgery:

• If your doctor has prescribed medicine to you, make sure that you take all of it. This will ensure that the healing process goes smoothly.

• Keep your nose clean and sterile. You’ll have to rinse your nose with a saline solution to keep bacteria and debris away. 

• Don’t do strenuous activity and heavy exercise until your doctor says you can. Certain exercises can actually cause more swelling and bleeding in the nose.

• Do not touch your nose as it heals. You want to refrain from picking and poking the nose. This could cause more swelling and tissue damage which will extend your recovery period.

• Reduce swelling of the nose with cold packs. Try putting a cold compress on several times a day.

• Eat healthy foods with plenty of protein and nutrients to help move along the healing process.

• Finally, get plenty of sleep and elevate your head with extra pillows. This will reduce swelling and inflammation in the nasal passages at night.

Will Rhinoplasty Surgery Improve Breathing Functions?

We’ve talked about the ways that rhinoplasty can affect patients directly after surgery. But what are the effects of this procedure in the long term? Do nose jobs actually improve breathing, and if they do, how do they enhance nasal functions?

As you have already started to realize, rhinoplasty isn’t just a simple cosmetic surgery. It can actually have great health benefits for people with breathing problems.

People can develop breathing issues or be born with birth defects that make it harder to breathe. For instance, someone could get in an accident, get injured, or suffer from blunt force trauma which moves the septum and causes blocking in the nose.

In other cases, people are born with defects that create abnormalities in the nose structure. Rhinoplasty is able to correct these problems by reshaping the nose to open up the nasal passages. Any blockages are removed so you can breathe more easily and live a better quality of life. 

Typically, your doctor will have to remove cartilage, bone, and other nasal tissues to create airflow. Patients can choose between an open rhinoplasty and a closed rhinoplasty. 

Closed rhinoplasty creates less scarring and is good for minor corrections of the nose shape. It can also result in less swelling and fewer breathing problems directly after surgery.

If you are getting rhinoplasty to correct breathing or other major issues, though, an open rhinoplasty might be a better option. You can talk with Dr. Naderi to see which surgical option is right for you.

No matter which option you decide to go with, make sure that you see a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty. In the past, many patients had long-term breathing problems because too much cartilage was taken away during surgery.

Some cartilage needs to be removed to reshape the nose. But if too much is removed then your nose will collapse and you will have a hard time breathing.

Rhinoplasty has greatly evolved over the years, and trained surgeons know how to restructure your nose to improve breathing, not create more issues. So, keep this in mind as you plan your rhinoplasty procedure. 

Contact The Naderi Center Today

If you are interested in having rhinoplasty surgery contact the Naderi Center. Dr. Naderi is ready to discuss any of your concerns or questions about nose reshaping procedures.

You can schedule a consultation with us through our online form at this link. Our staff can also be reached at this phone number: 703-481-0002. For more information about our doctors and other offices, visit our about us page here.