Are you struggling with breathing issues because of sleep apnea or deviated septum? Do you often find it very difficult to get a peaceful night’s sleep due to blocked airways? If that’s the case, nose plastic surgery might be a viable option for you. Rhinoplasty has become the most performed nose job in Singapore because of its benefits covering both aesthetics and functionality. But despite its popularity, many people believe that it can only be used for aesthetic purposes – which isn’t true. Nose plastic surgery can also be opted for to correct breathing problems instead of just improving your facial appearance.
This blog discusses how nose plastic surgery can help address breathing issues while restoring proper nasal function.
Addressing Breathing Problems
One of the most frequent causes of breathing impairment is a structural abnormality, such as a deviated septum. The septum is the cartilage that divides the nasal cavity into nostrils. A centered septum allows uninterrupted airflow through both sides. A deviated septum blocks one side of the nose and restricts the airflow. Sometimes, the deviation is mild and does not cause any breathing problem, but a significantly deviated septum causes difficulty breathing through the nose.
If you have nasal dysfunction, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Facial pain and pressure
- Nasal headaches
- Trouble breathing through one or both nostrils
- Nasal pressure
- Nasal congestion
Why Does An Uninterrupted Nasal Airflow Matter?
Your nasal passages are not designed to deliver oxygen only; they are an important part of the respiratory system because they filter cool and warm air that enters through your nose. Any obstruction to the nasal passages reduces the ability of air to flow and prevents proper nasal drainage.
The chances of frequent nasal infections increase when you have a deviated septum. Nasal infections, whether from a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates, impair breathing and cause obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), thus interfering with a good night’s sleep. OSA is a condition where you experience shortness of breath at frequent intervals during sleep. Having good airflow is essential for normal breathing and good sleep.
How Can Nose Job Help You Fix Breathing Issues?
If you’re one of those who dislike their nose for cosmetic reasons, nose jobs or rhinoplasty can incredibly fix your nose appearance. Apart from aesthetic purposes, functional rhinoplasty has become an immediate treatment option for a wide range of functional issues of the nose. If you’re finding the right treatment for fixing your breathing problems without any risk, a nose job in Singapore can help.
You might have pictured how nose plastic surgery can help you with different cosmetic concerns like a too-large nose or a bumpy nasal bridge. Apart from these benefits, a nose job also fixes breathing concerns associated with a deviated septum, long narrow nose, and too-small nasal cavities. For instance, you cannot breathe properly because of a too-small nasal cavity. A plastic surgeon can correct the issue by widening the nasal passages, making an easier airflow in and out of your nose.
If you want to have a nose job for fixing breathing issues, the plastic surgeon will first examine your nose and discuss the problem with you to develop a treatment strategy. The treatment plan would include both your aesthetic concerns and issues causing breathing impairment.
During the nose plastic surgery, you will be under general anesthesia. The plastic surgeon will then make incisions on the inside of the nose. Incisions provide access to the surgeon to reshape the inner structures of the nose, improving both breathing function and nose appearance.
What Is Recovery From A Functional Nose Job Like?
After nose plastic surgery, your surgeon will place a splint to protect your nose to allow it to heal. Swelling and bruising in the nose is normal for the first few weeks, or it depends on the changes made to your nose during the nose job. Your surgeon will also give you instructions on how to care for your nose during healing. Following the instructions is vital to accelerate healing and protect the overall aesthetic outcome.
You may also be prescribed medications for the first few days to enhance your comfort. Usually, you can return to regular activities and work within two to three weeks after surgery.
Common Functional Issues That Can Be Resolved By Nose Plastic Surgery
A great benefit of the nose job in Singapore is that it can change or modify the skin, bone, cartilage, and sometimes, all three. Although many people prefer nose plastic surgery for purely aesthetic concerns, some valid medical concerns make the nose job important. Today, countless men and women struggling with nasal breathing problems opt for nose jobs in Singapore to avoid breathing issues-related problems like snoring, trouble falling asleep, colds, and nosebleeds.
The following are functional issues of the nose that can be resolved by nose plastic surgery:
1. Enlarged Turbinates
The common cause of nasal obstruction is turbinate hypertrophy (enlarged turbinates). Turbinates are the tissues covered in the mucous membrane that line the internal nasal cavity. Turbinates have the natural capacity to swell or enlarge in response to environmental stimuli. However, chronic enlargement can result in nasal airway obstruction and breathing difficulties. The surgical treatment includes a partial turbinate reduction to improve nasal airflow.
2. Nasal Polyps
Sometimes, nasal passages are interrupted by benign grape-like growths, called nasal polyps. The surgical treatment for the removal of nasal polyps is straightforward. But sometimes, large or multiple nasal polyps make it hard for you to breathe easily because of blocked nasal passages.
3. Deviated Septum
In deviated septum, the wall that divides the nasal passages is bowed, twisted, deviated, or bent, leading to impaired breathing. Plastic surgery used to fix breathing issues related to deviated septum uses septoplasty, a technique that straightens the septal partition and opens the obstructed nasal cavity.
4. Sleep Apnea
Any structural irregularities in the nasal cavity can lead to sleep apnea, which is characterized by shortness of breath by repetitive intervals because of abnormal airflow, leading to excessive snoring. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 25 percent of couples sleep in separate rooms because of their snoring partners. Nose plastic surgery can fix breathing issues related to sleep apnea by reshaping the inner nasal passageway.
Common Rhinoplasty Techniques
There is a wide range of nose jobs in Singapore, each having its own benefits and applications. You can discuss your breathing problem with your doctor, and they can recommend the most appropriate nose plastic surgery.
Open and closed rhinoplasty are the two primary rhinoplasty techniques. Let’s have a look at each of them.
1. Open Rhinoplasty
An open or external rhinoplasty involves making a small V-shaped incision on the soft tissue that divides the nostrils – the columella. This allows easy access and good visibility to the nose’s tissues, bone, and cartilage to sculpt the framework of your nose to your greatest advantage
Advantages:
- It modifies and reshapes the nose with more precision because of the better visibility of tissues being remodeled.
- The procedure offers improved structural support because more cartilage tissue is preserved during open rhinoplasty.
- Open rhinoplasty is able to yield an in-depth correction of more structures in a short period.
Who Is The Ideal Candidate?
The ideal candidates for open rhinoplasty are those with concerns about positioning, symmetry, size, and shape of their noses.
2. Closed Rhinoplasty
Closed or internal rhinoplasty is performed using internal incisions (within your nose only), leaving no visible external scars. The procedure helps correct the nose cartilages, deviated septums, and even nose bumps.
Advantages:
- Only small incisions are warranted.
- No visible scars.
- Less swelling during recovery.
Who Is The Ideal Candidate?
People who require less cartilage grafting (minimal correction) or upper nasal areas to be fixed are good candidates for closed rhinoplasty.
How Much Does A Nose Job Cost?
The cost of a rhinoplasty depends on the nasal breathing concern you want to fix. Typically, a nose job in Singapore can cost you $6000-$19,000, depending on the duration and complexity of the surgery.
Health Insurance Coverage
Health insurance is not likely to cover the costs if you want a nose job solely for cosmetic reasons. However, if you have a medical condition like breathing issues, they’re medically necessary to be treated. Therefore, functional rhinoplasty will be fully covered in your insurance to improve your ability to breathe easily. Patients for a surgical alteration of the nose for cosmetic concerns are not eligible for health insurance coverage. If you have a functional issue of the nose and want to have cosmetic enhancement, you can adjust both objectives into a single operation. Medically necessary surgical procedures are covered in health insurance. Costs will be according to the type of procedure you want and the complexity of the procedure being performed.
The Bottom Line
Nose jobs in Singapore not only improve the appearance of your nose but also fix any functional issue of the nose to help improve breathing issues. Breathing impairment can result from many nasal conditions like a deviated septum, nasal polyps, or enlarged turbinates. Nose plastic surgery can improve your quality of life by rectifying breathing issues and improving sleep quality.
About Dream Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery
Bespoke surgical for cosmetic or medical reasons is what Dream covers to bring out the beauty in every individual. Going beyond the aesthetics and working on physical anomalies are what we value the most in leading our patients to cherish self-improvement and confident lifestyles.
Derived from Associate Professor Vincent Yeow’s long-standing experience performing plastic surgery in Singapore, our treatment plans deliver physical remodelling in our patients’ favour. One of the notable remodellings is droopy eyelid correction. The ptosis surgery used for treatment eventually fixes drooping eyelids, improves vision and enhances appearance.
Most importantly, as a trustworthy plastic surgery and aesthetic clinic, we treasure positive and natural outcomes for each individual. We will ensure to deliver the beauty refinement of your dream without compromising your safety and privacy.
