Can Functional Rhinoplasty Improve Your Sleep Quality?

One of the most prominent and noticeable features on your face is your nose. While its shape is determined by genes, the nasal structure can change over time. Injuries, the development of nasal obstructions, and age can affect the shape of a person’s nose.

If left untreated, injury- and obstruction-related nasal problems could cause sleep apnea and lead to breathing discomfort, which can adversely affect sleep quality. Moreover, in the case of a deviated septum, the nose shape tends to lean to one side and skew the balance of one’s facial profile.

Patients with this condition have various options at their disposal to fix the issue, like using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, nerve stimulation, and dental appliance.

These devices aren’t for everyone, however, as some users find them uncomfortable and difficult to maintain. Fortunately, there is a solution that requires no device and provides lifelong relief from sleep apnea and the complications that come with it: medical rhinoplasty.

What is Rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure for molding and shaping the nose to a desired shape or height. There are two types: cosmetic and medical. We conduct both types of rhinoplasty procedures at Vargas Face & Skin, along with other non-surgical treatments to enhance your facial features.

Cosmetic rhinoplasty is more commonly known as a nose job or nose reshaping and is the most common plastic surgery procedure performed by doctors on patients who wish to improve their nose’s appearance.

Medical Rhinoplasty, also referred to as functional rhinoplasty, is a corrective procedure for nasal problems caused by trauma, birth defects, diseases (such as infection or cancer), and medical conditions that affect breathing and sleeping.

The most common reason for medical rhinoplasty is sleep apnea, which is a serious medical condition that refers to the absence of breathing for a short period when a person is sleeping.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders in the U.S. and approximately 7% of men and 5% of women have this condition. Men are at a higher risk of developing this condition than women are, and the signs of this condition can appear as early as the age of 2. The condition is called pediatric sleep apnea.

Children who show signs of pediatric sleep apnea often experience fatigue and tiredness during the day. When pediatric sleep apnea is left untreated or misdiagnosed, the child is likely to carry this condition into adulthood. Adults with sleep apnea usually developed the condition as a result of septal deviation, nasal polyps, and rhinitis.

Adults with this condition feel perpetually exhausted and may often feel irritable due to feeling tired. Other symptoms adults show include snoring and gasping for air mid-sleep. Sleep apnea is also linked to other cardiovascular problems and increases the risk for heart disease.

Can Rhinoplasty treat Sleep Apnea?

Evidence shows that medical rhinoplasty can treat sleep apnea in adults and improve the quality of their sleep. Those who have undergone surgery say that it has effectively brought their sleepiness score from the “severe” to the “normal” range.

The primary goal of a patient when undergoing this surgical procedure is to treat sleep apnea caused by a misaligned septum, large polyps in the sinuses or nasal passages, and excess tissue that might be creating a blockage and affecting the sinuses.

After the surgery, a supporting structure will be placed inside the nose to help train its shape during the recovery stage. Patients may feel a little discomfort during this time but can expect a huge improvement from their previous condition.

While patients have different recovery periods, our patients say that they normally feel the improvement in their sleep a week after full recovery. Their breathing becomes more comfortable, and they no longer snore.

Can You Combine Functional and Cosmetic Rhinoplasty?

Patients who would like to enhance the shape and structure of their noses can combine a cosmetic procedure with a functional procedure. Thus, they would only have to go through one recovery period instead of two separate ones.

If you opt to undergo a cosmetic procedure at a later date, you may only do so after a certain period. Non-surgical rhinoplasty is an ideal alternative to yet another series of surgeries. However, the non-surgical option is done using fillers that can only temporarily change the shape of your nose.

While there are patients who prefer the non-surgical cosmetic approach, others who can have both cosmetic and functional procedures done in a single appointment opt to do so. This is because the surgical route offers permanent results, unlike liquid rhinoplasty, which requires refilling every few years or so.

Instead of using them as non-surgical nose fillers, our patients opt to use fillers to reduce the appearance of fine lines, re-plump sagging skin, and improve skin texture. These filler treatments can last up to five years, and fillers leave a more natural look in the treated areas like the eye area, mouth area, cheeks, forehead, and chin.

Fillers are also formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, which improves skin tone and elasticity. This is why it’s more suited to correcting skin problems than cosmetic nose re-shaping.

Is Rhinoplasty Right for You?

This surgical procedure is extremely helpful and life-changing for the right patient. As with other medical procedures, a health assessment will be done to check if you qualify for the procedure. We conduct an in-depth consultation with our patients where we discuss how we can achieve their goals through an approach that they’re comfortable with.

Our patients who used to suffer from sleep apnea show a huge improvement after the surgery. They say that their overall health has improved. Their sleep patterns have gotten better, as well, so they feel more rested and more energized throughout the day.

Those who decided to combine cosmetic and functional rhinoplasty say that they are more confident about the way they look and are happy at how natural the filler treatments look. They also report that their skin’s texture has improved. Overall, they are happy with the combined results and how it treated their sleep apnea.

If you are suffering from sleep apnea and are looking for an effective solution to this medical condition, give us a call at 913-381-4900 to set up an appointment today.

Alternatively, you can schedule a virtual consultation, so we can get started on your journey to a healthier you.