How the nose func­tions.

We all have two entrances to our airways: the mouth is one, the nose the other. So the nose is not only externally visible; inside it has a very large mucous membrane surface. This moistens the air we breathe, warms it and cleans it.

Any medical procedure can influence these tasks of the nose positively or negatively. That is why rhinoplasty is regarded as the supreme discipline of plastic surgery. To achieve the best possible result, two potential narrow points for breathing have to be taken into account before and during the procedure: the nasal valves and the nasal septum.

Irmgard S. (35), whom we took on as a patient with previous surgery, had to go through that painful experience. She was very disappointed after her first nose operation: not only was the nose unattractive, she had also suffered a collapse of the internal and external nasal valves. As a result her nasal breathing was considerably impaired — she could no longer breathe strongly and freely.

Her treating doctor had reached the limits of his competence and referred her to Univ. Doz. Dr Kuzbari. First we had to reconstruct the framework of the nose. That required cartilage to be grafted, because many parts of the cartilage framework had been surgically removed or deformed by scarring.

Cartilage grafts were placed at invisible points to support the columella and to widen the bridge, which had become too narrow, so that the nose looked more natural again. At the same time this opened the internal nasal valve, so that breathing became freer. With several visibly placed cartilage grafts the nasal tip, deformed by the previous operation, was reconstructed.

Just a few weeks after the operation a harmonisation of the shape of the nose was clearly visible. Once the swelling had fully subsided, the corrected nose looked unobtrusive and harmonious. Unrestricted breathing was possible again too. The patient says that with her corrected nose she has regained her joy in life.

A rhinoplasty determines not only your appearance but directly your breathing. That is exactly why we plan every procedure from the function outwards: the two narrow points — the nasal valves and the septum — are specifically taken into account before and during the operation and supported with the body's own cartilage where necessary, so that you can breathe freely after the correction.

Nasal surgery is the main focus of Univ. Doz. Dr Kuzbari, Dr Christoph Grill and DDr. Jessica Wittmann. For many years intensive work on aesthetic and functional rhinoplasty, nasal reconstruction and difficult revision operations has been at the centre of their surgical practice. They teach at the Medical University of Vienna and at the Sigmund Freud Private University and are internationally sought-after speakers in the field of nasal surgery.