Obstruction (blockage) in the nose and sinus cavity may cause sleep-disordered breathing, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Nasal surgery opens the airways and improves breathing while you sleep.

There are different causes for nasal obstruction, including structural and inflammatory conditions that can happen at the same time. Types of nasal surgery include:

• Turbinate reduction: reduces enlarged turbinates (called turbinate hypertrophy), or bony structures
• Septoplasty: corrects problems in the bone and cartilage that separates the nostrils
• Septorhinoplasty: combines septoplasty with rhinoplasty, a procedure that corrects structural problems in the nose
• Endoscopic sinus surgery: image-guided techniques that remove blockages in the sinus cavity

Visit with a sleep medicine specialist at the University of Miami Health System to find out if nasal surgery is right for you.

Who is a Candidate?

Nasal surgery may be an option when other therapies have failed, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral devices, or medicines. Candidates for nasal surgery have sleep-disordered breathing problems, caused by:

• Turbinate hypertrophy: enlarged turbinates, or bony structures, inside the nose that filter and add moisture to air
• Deviated septum: crooked bone and cartilage between the nostrils caused by injury or congenital (present at birth) defect
• Nasal deformities: twisted nose or nasal valve prolapse (out of place)
• Polyps: growths in the mucous membranes inside the nose or sinus cavity
• Chronic sinusitis: infection or inflammation of the sinus cavity caused by blocked sinuses

Nasal surgery is also an option when continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for another cause of obstructive sleep apnea doesn’t work because of nasal blockage.

What to Expect

Turbinate Reduction Surgery Reduction surgery for turbinate hypertrophy improves breathing by removing the blockage and restoring its function to clean and humidify the air. It can also reduce mucus drainage from the nose and in the back of the throat.

This type of nasal surgery involves different techniques. Some are performed in an office setting. Others are combined with another procedure as an outpatient surgery (no overnight hospital stay). Recovery can take a day or two.

Septoplasty Septoplasty surgery improves airflow by correcting a deviated septum that causes narrowing and restricts breathing. During the procedure, the surgeon will:

• Make a small incision on the side of the nose to access the septum
• Lift the mucous membrane cover
• Straighten and reposition the cartilage and bone
• Move or remove extra pieces of bone or cartilage, if needed
• Reposition the mucous membrane

Septoplasty is an outpatient surgery (no overnight hospital stay) and lasts about an hour. Recovery can take a few days.

Septorhinoplasty Septorhinoplasty combines septoplasty to correct a deviated septum with rhinoplasty to reshape the structure of the nose for better airflow. Various minimally invasive and open techniques can:

• Straighten a twisted nose
• Change nasal bridge width and height
• Increase nasal base width
• Increase nasal projection
• Buildup or remove extra cartilage

Septorhinoplasty is typically an outpatient surgical procedure (no overnight hospital stay). It takes one week to recover, with bruising and swelling resolved within four weeks.

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Image-guided endoscopic sinus surgery expands the sinus passages and removes blockages in the sinus openings, including polyps or pieces of bone. Using CT (computed tomography) imaging as a guide, endoscopic procedures involve inserting a small tube with a light at the end in the nose.

The surgeon passes small tools through the tube to perform various procedures, such as laser energy to burn away infected or damaged tissue or balloons to open the sinus passages (balloon sinuplasty).

Endoscopic sinus surgery is an outpatient surgical procedure (no overnight hospital stay). Recovery takes about a week.

Why Choose UHealth?

Experienced pediatric and adult sleep surgeons. You can be confident your surgery is performed by board-certified pediatric or adult sleep medicine surgeons. Whatever the procedure, you receive the right care for the best possible outcomes.

Innovative minimally invasive nasal surgeries for sleep disorders. We always choose the least invasive techniques to effectively treat your specific condition, which means a quicker recovery time. Our sleep surgeons offer the most advanced and innovative minimally invasive procedures like image-guided balloon sinuplasty for snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

Combined surgeries to make life easier for you. We understand the various causes of sleep-disordered breathing problems and perform procedures at the same time whenever possible. Some nasal procedures can be combined, as in turbinate reduction with septoplasty, or performed with other techniques for obstruction in different levels of the airway system, such as hypopharyngeal surgery and maxillomandibular advancement.