Functional Rhinoplasty Procedures

Functional rhinoplasty is a plastic surgery procedure meant to treat physical abnormalities that can make it challenging to breathe, such as those due to congenital defects. It is also an effective procedure to address the effects of nasal trauma.

The rhinoplasty surgeon can reshape and reset the nasal cartilage and bones to help the patient achieve nasal contours that will make it easier for them to breathe as well as enhance their appearance.

plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities.

Correcting a Septal Deviation

A deviated septum is a condition in which the septum shifts or develops to one side of the nasal cavity, rather than dividing it into two identical passageways. The septum can either bend to one side in an S-shape or outwards like a bow creating a C-shape.

The site of the septal deviation will determine if the surgeon needs to reshape the bony upper portion of the septum near the top of the nose or the cartilaginous lower portion.

At times, the septum shifts off the anterior nasal spine in a condition called caudal septal deviation. In such cases, the nose surgeon will need to correct the shift of the septum and realign its base on the anterior nasal spine.

Enlarged Turbinates

Turbinate rhinoplasty is an effective treatment for turbinates that have become swollen due to allergies or other irritants. Sometimes one turbinate may become compressed as the deviated septum pushes it to a single side.

As a result, the turbinate in the opposite nasal passageway becomes larger to make up for the compressed turbinate. This can cause further breathing problems.

To treat enlarged turbinates, some surgeons excise tissue and reduce their size while other surgeons do not eliminate any tissue. Instead, they break the turbinate in the outward direction. Turbinates humidify and moisten the air that enters the nose, which is vital for proper breathing.

Sometimes turbinates removal can lead to a painful condition called atrophic rhinitis. This condition can lead to persistent infection and excessive mucus production.

However, if the surgeon breaks the turbinate in the outward direction and away from the septum and then set it in place, it can create a larger nasal passageway. This improves breathing and sustains the benefits of functional turbinates.

Nasal Polyps

Nasal polyps are also associated with allergies and irritants, similar to enlarged turbinates. These benign growths develop inside the nasal passageways and appear as soft, jelly-like knobs.

The surgeon will reach within the nostrils and use a snare tool to carefully remove the polyp. Unfortunately, nasal polyps tend to re-grow, and patients with polyps should also take anti-allergy meds.

Nasal Fractures

Different types of osteotomy (the practice of rejoining and resetting bones) techniques are used to treat different types of fractures. Various types of nasal fractures can develop leading to a crooked or misshapen nose. Any location along the “bony pyramid” of the nose, which is the pyramid-like structure that projects from the nose, can sustain a fracture.

Greenstick fractures occur along the sides of the nasal bones and typically develop in children as their bones are much more flexible in comparison to adult bones. As a result, greenstick fractures are typically incomplete rather that completely broken bones.

Saddle deformity is a more serious type of nasal fracture. To treat such fractures, the surgeon uses cartilage or rib bone tissue to restore the nasal bridge and septum.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and nearby areas for rhinoplasty.

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim.  Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.