Surgery for nasal airway obstruction is probably the most common procedure we perform. It is termed a “septoplasty and turbinate reduction”. When the external nose, what we see on the outside, contributes to the breathing problems, we need to address this as well.

This surgery is often accompanied by reducing the size of other obstructing tissues within the nose. These “obstructing tissues” are the turbinates, often chronically blocking the airway from vasomotor causes. This surgery can also improve a patient’s appearance. We generally like to fix the entire nose and get it looking and working as close to perfectly as possible.

If we do elect to operate, the procedure is best done under a general anesthetic. The surgery usually takes an hour or two and you can go home afterwards.