Causes of Nasal Congestion: A Plastic Surgery Specialist Explains Nasal Valve Reconstruction.

Blocked nasal passages!!

About nasal valve reconstruction

A plastic surgery specialist explains.

Midline Plastic Surgery_Chief Director_Kim Jun-hyun

Causes of blocked nasal passages

Previously, a patient who had undergone nose surgery at a well-known large hospital and later said it was hard to breathe was examined, and as a cause of nasal congestion, adhesions of the mucosa were found.

While performing revision nose surgery at our clinic, we also performed nasal valve reconstruction and correction of a deviated septum at the same time, which resolved the nasal congestion.

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You can see the details in the link below.

https://blog.naver.com/creating_beauty/222074517951

Some people have congestion in only one nostril, but this patient also said the other nostril was blocked, so by performing a Spreader graft during surgery, we widened and reconstructed the internal nasal valve angle at the same time, which made breathing easier. This patient (the case above) did not have the nasal cartilages collapsing inward when inhaling.

This nasal congestion case was a case of nasal valve reconstruction performed for a patient who had difficulty breathing because, during inhalation, the cartilage folded inward into the nose (lateral wall collapse), making the internal nasal valve even narrower.

The phenomenon in which the side wall of the nose collapses inward during inhalation is called lateral wall collapse.

The phenomenon in which the side wall of the nose collapses inward during inhalation is called lateral wall collapse.

First, let’s look at the video before nasal valve reconstruction surgery.

This phenomenon called nasal valve collapse is one of the most common causes of nasal congestion.

Among the spaces where air enters and exits the nose, the narrowest part is called the nasal valve, and when this valve is weak, it collapses inward during inhalation as shown in the video above.

This nasal valve collapse may occur on one side only or on both sides, and when it occurs, it makes inhalation difficult.

Nasal valve collapse is mostly due to congenital causes, and it can also occur after rhinoplasty, but it can also be caused by a deviated septum.

Causes of blocked nasal passages How to diagnose a narrow and weak nasal valve When diagnosing whether the cause of nasal congestion is the nasal valve, the Cottle test is performed. If breathing becomes easier after the test, the nasal valve can be considered weak. The Cottle test is performed as shown in the photo below.

Cottle test (the model is me ^^)

By pulling the skin beside the nose outward, so that the outer wall of the nose is prevented from collapsing inward, or by widening the space through which air passes, we can judge by observing the change in breathing.

Nasal valve reconstruction was performed using a Spreader graft. To perform the Spreader graft, septal cartilage is harvested.

Septal cartilage with sufficient quantity and no bending

The septal cartilage was large enough and not twisted, making it a 10 out of 10 material for nose surgery!

Using the good septal cartilage material, a Spreader graft was performed.

Before/after Spreader graft

This is before/after the Spreader graft.

Illustration of Spreader graft, ULC (Upper lateral cartilage)

Rhinoplastic techniques for the nasal valve for the patient with sleep apnea, Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Volume 17, Issue 4, December 2006, Pages 242-251

Through nasal valve reconstruction, the cause of nasal congestion, lateral wall collapse, was resolved.

Now, when inhaling, there is no longer any sign of the nasal cartilage collapsing inward.

The patient was very grateful that breathing became easier, and I still clearly remember their face^^

In this post, I introduced a case in which nasal lateral wall collapse was resolved with a Spreader graft.

<If you have any additional questions, please leave a private comment, and I will kindly answer them. Thank you.>

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This is Noksan-ro in Gasi-ri, Seogwipo-si, Jeju.

Jeju Noksan-ro location

I went there last spring.

Because canola flowers gathered many outsiders, there were concerns it could be harmful to COVID-19 prevention, so they completely plowed up the canola flower fields here.

I actually went to see the cherry blossoms, so I didn’t know there were canola flowers there when I went.

It was even better^^

Jeju Noksan-ro is said to create beautiful scenery by planting canola flowers in spring and cosmos flowers in autumn.

. . If you visit Jeju Island, I recommend Jeju Noksan-ro as a driving route where you can see canola flowers and cherry blossoms.^^