If there is not enough support on the side walls of the nose, the patient cannot breathe comfortably through the nose due to the collapse of the wings of the nose during breathing. This condition may be congenital and developmental or may occur after a previous surgery. These patients typically start to breathe very easily when both index fingers are placed at the junction of the nose and cheek and a slight opening movement is made towards the ears. We call this the Cottle maneuver and use it in the diagnosis of valve stenosis.
Nasal Valve Stenosis and Side Wall Weakness
The treatment of nasal valve stenosis is also surgical and the side walls of the nose need to be reconstructed by placing cartilages taken from the nose at appropriate angles in appropriate places.
This surgery can be performed simultaneously with septum deviation, nasal flesh reduction and aesthetic nose surgery. When it is performed alone, a band is placed on the nose for 3-5 days and a silicone stent is placed in the nose for 3-4 days, depending on the situation.
