“Aesthetic rhinoplasty ENS?”
I wanted to know if you can get Empty Nose Syndrome by having a rhinoplasty without septoplasty and without turbinates reduction. I’ve talked to some sufferers of ENS, some of them only had a septoplasty, some of them had only fractured 10% of their turbinates and still ended up with ENS, so it probably got to do something with hurting the nerves. However, they breathe perfectly, I just want to change the shape of my nose. Is the risk still there?
Female | 25 years old
Medications: None
Conditions: Non
4 Answers
If it is done correctly without affecting the respiratory air flow then ENS shouldn’t happen
Empty nose syndrome is a fairly uncommon problem. I have operated on hundreds of patient's noses and have never seen a case from my practice. I have treated some patients with ENS over the years. The overwhelming majority of these patients (nearly all from what I can think of off the top of my head) had very aggressive intranasal surgery - particularly aggressive resection or removal of the turbinates (usually the inferior and in some cases, the middles as well). Nasal airflow and resistance is highly dynamic, fluctuates rapidly and dramatically at times, and is a highly individualistic experience which is what makes functional nasal surgery such a challenge.
That being said, the likelihood of ENS after cosmetic rhinoplasty should be nearly unheard of in your situation as the techniques to achieve what it sounds like you want would likely entail tip cartilage modification and possibly dorsal work with or without osteotomies.
That being said, the likelihood of ENS after cosmetic rhinoplasty should be nearly unheard of in your situation as the techniques to achieve what it sounds like you want would likely entail tip cartilage modification and possibly dorsal work with or without osteotomies.
Generally, no. But be aware that rhinoplasty, especially in women, usually involves performing osteotomies, which is using a chisel to create a fracture line along the junction of the nose and the face on each side, then pushing on the sides of the nose to narrow it. This can noticeably narrow the nasal airway, even though airflow takes place mostly through the lower portions of the nose. ENS almost always is a consequence of overly aggressive excision or reduction of the inferior turbinates.
Cosmetic nasal surgery addresses the outside yet may compromise the inside of your nose and cause empty nose syndrome. Go to someone who can do a CT scan of your nose to see what's going on inside for doing something outside.
