• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2005

Nasal obstruction may cause or aggravate sleep disordered breathing but exact pathogenesis is not clear. The possible mechanism could be combination of alteration in upper airway aerodynaimcs, loss of nasal reflex or sensation, effect of mouth opening, and a genetic predisposition. Anatomical narrowing of nasal airway cause more rapid airflow and induce more negative inspiratory air pressure. So, it increases collapsibility of pharyngeal airway. Loss of nasal sensation to airflow block nasal reflex. Mouth opening decreases the activity of pharyngeal airway dilator muscles and narrowing the pharyngeal airway may occur. The treatment of nasal obstruction should be done according to the cause. The causes of nasal obstruction are various from problems of external nasal opening to nasopharynx. Relief of nasal obstruction may not cure sleep disordered breathing always. In some mild obstructive sleep apnea patients, treatment of nasal obstruction only may cure sleep disordered breathing. In some severe sleep apnea patients, treatment of nasal obstruction may increase compliance of continous nasal positive airway pressure.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2004

Nasal congestion is one of the most common symptoms of medical complaints. Snoring is caused by vibration of the uvula and the soft palate. Nasal obstruction may contribute not only to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but also impair application of continuous nasal positive airway pressure (CPAP), which is the most widely employed treatment for OSA. Total or near-total nasal obstruction leads to mouth breathing and has been shown to cause increased airway resistance. However, the exact role of the nasal airway in the pathogenesis of OSA is not clear and there is no consensus about the role of nasal obstruction in snoring and sleep apnea. Some reports have failed to demonstrate any correlation between snoring and nasal obstruction. On the other hand, opposing reports suggest that nasal disease may cause sleep disorders and that snoring can be improved after nasoseptal surgery. Reduced cross-sectional area causes increased nasal resistance and predisposes the patient to inspiratory collapse of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, or both. Discrete abnormalities of the nasal airway, such as septal deformities, nasal polyps, and choanal atresia and with certain mucosal conditions such as sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and inferior turbinate hypertrophy can cause snoring or OSA. Thus, these sources of nasal obstruction should be corrected medically or surgically for the effective management of OSA and adjunctive for CPAP.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

Background This study evaluated changes in nasal airway function following Le Fort I osteotomy with maxillary impaction according to the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale. Methods This cohort study included 13 patients who underwent Le Fort I osteotomy with maxillary impaction. Nasal airway function was evaluated based on the NOSE scale preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. The change in the NOSE score was calculated as the preoperative score minus the postoperative score. If the normality assumptions for changes in the NOSE score were not met, a nonparametric test (the Wilcoxon signed-rank test) was used. Differences in NOSE score changes according to patient characteristics and surgical factors were evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test. Results Patients ranged in age from 18 to 29 years (mean ±standard deviation [SD], 23.00±3.87 years). Three were men and 10 were women. Eleven patients (84%) had an acquired dentofacial deformity with skeletal class III malocclusion. The preoperative NOSE scores ranged from 40 to 90 (mean±SD, 68.92±16.68), and the postoperative NOSE scores ranged from 25 to 80 (53.84±18.83). The cohort as a whole showed significant improvement in nasal airway function following maxillary impaction (P=0.028). Eleven patients (84%) had either improved (n=8) or unchanged (n=3) postoperative NOSE scores. However, nasal airway function deteriorated in two patients. Patient characteristics and surgical factors were not correlated with preoperative or postoperative NOSE scores. Conclusions Nasal airway function as evaluated using the NOSE scale improved after maxillary impaction.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.389-403
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• 2008

In Angle's Class III malocclusion, which has higher incidence in Korean than Western, depressed midfacial profile with protruded lower lips and mandible may give rise to many functional, esthetic, psychological, social problems. Due to the different malocclusion incidence according to racial differences, many previous studies focused on the relationship between Class II malocclusion and nasal airway obstruction. Previous studies used lateral cephalography which has limitations of 2 dimensional image with projection error and identification error. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze morphologic differences in the nasal airway between normal occlusion and Angle's Class III malocclusion patients using 3-dimensional facial computed tomography. Thirteen normal occlusion(7 men and 6 women) and sixteen skeletal Class III(7 men and 9 women) patients were selected and 3-dimensional facial computed tomography taking was performed. Comparison between two group in volume and sectional area of nasal airway were carried out. The results were followed. 1. In the comparison of absolute nasal airway volume, oropharyngeal space of experimental group were larger than control group but there are no significant difference in other. 2. In the comparison of relative nasal airway volume, oropharyngeal space of experimental group were larger than control group but there are no significant difference in other. 3. In the oropharyngeal space width on frontal and lateral view, the similar tendency was revealed between two groups. 4. In the lateral curvature of nasal airway, the similar tendency was revealed between two groups.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.77-80
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• 2008

Purpose: The majority of nasal fractures have been treated by closed reduction. And they were manipulated under local anesthesia or general anesthesia. Under the local anesthesia, patients can feel the pain and fear, so general anesthesia through the endotracheal intubation became popularized recently to treat the nasal fracture. But it has still the drawbacks of postanesthetic complication. Therefore, under the mask ventilation anesthesia using oral airway, we tried to manipulate the nasal fracture. Methods: From July 2007 to November 2007, we worked with fifty patients that were manipulated the nasal fracture. Fifty patients were divided into two groups, general anesthesia with the endotracheal intubation group(n=25) and the mask ventilation using oral airway group(n=25). We checked up the anesthesia time, postanesthetic complication, postoperative aesthetic & functional problem of nose in two groups. Results: In total operation time and sore throat frequency among the postoperative anesthetic complications, there was statistically significant difference between the mask ventilation group and the endotracheal intubation group(p<0.05). But there was no difference statistically in nausea frequency(p>0.05). And no patients complained of postoperative nasal complication such as septal deviation, septal perforation, nasal obstruction and hump nose in two groups. Conclusion: Through the mask ventilation using oral airway, we could reach satisfactory results in the anesthetic time and postanesthetic complication.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.181-184
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• 2015

Airway difficulties are a major concern for anesthesiologists. Even though fiberoptic intubation is the generally accepted method for management of difficult airways, it is not without disadvantages-requires patient cooperation, and cannot be performed on soiled airway or upper airways with pre-existing narrowing pathology. Additionally, fiberoptic bronchoscopy is not available at every medical institution. In this case, we encountered difficult airway management in a 71-year-old man with a high Mallampati grade and a thick neck who had undergone urologic surgery. Several attempts, including a bronchoscope-guided intubation, were unsuccessful. Finally, blind nasal intubation was successful while the patient's neck was flexed and the tracheal cartilage was gently pressed down. We suggest that blind nasal intubation is a helpful alternative in difficult airway management and it can be a lifesaving technique in emergencies. Additionally, its simplicity makes it a less expensive option when advanced airway technology (fiberoptic bronchoscopy) is unavailable.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.157-160
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• 2006

Nasotracheal intubation is performed routinely in maxillofacial surgery to optimize visualization of the surgical field. The CaldwellLuc operation is an approach to the maxillary sinus through the labiogingival sulcus and canine fossa. The operation is used to treat chronic maxillary sinusitis, and involves curettage of the mucosa of the maxillary sinus and the creation of an inferior meatal antrostomy. After the operation, a nasal Foley catheter is inserted into the inferior nasal meatus for the discharge of blood and tissue fluid. Then, the nostril is packed with vaseline gauze. Before the patients awaken, they experience impaired switching from nasal to oral breathing. Pulmonary edema can result from excessive negative intrathoracic pressure caused by acute airway obstruction in patients breathing spontaneously. During anesthesia and sedation, airway obstruction can occur at the levels of the pharynx and larynx. Even in patients who are awake, alteration in the ability to change the breathing route from nasal to oral may affect breathing in the presence of an airway obstruction, causing this catastrophic event. We experienced a case in which acute pulmonary edema resulted from acute airway obstruction triggered by the patient's inability to switch the breathing route from nasal to oral during emergence from anesthesia.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.97-99
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• 2016

Positive airway pressure (PAP) is currently recommended as a primary treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and positively affects various subjective and objective parameters related to OSAS, such as the apnea-hypopnea index, excessive daytime sleepiness, and blood pressure. However, PAP also exhibits various adverse effects, including skin breakdown, pressure intolerance, claustrophobia, unintentional mask removal, mouth leaks, and dryness. Especially, unintentional mask removal due to nasal obstruction may result in poor PAP compliance. A 47-year-old male patient with severe OSAS who had low PAP compliance due to nasal obstruction underwent nasal surgery. After the surgery, nasal obstruction was corrected and the patient experienced improved PAP compliance (from 30.4% to 86.7%). This case demonstrates that nasal surgery may be useful for improving PAP compliance in OSAS patients with nasal obstruction.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.612-617
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• 2012

Background Packing after closed reduction of a nasal bone fracture causes inconvenient nasal obstruction in patients. We packed the superior meatus with Vaseline gauze to support the nasal bone, and packed the middle nasal meatus with a Doyle Combo Splint consisting of an airway tube, a silastic sheet, and an expandable sponge to reduce the inconvenience. In addition, we aimed to objectively identify whether this method not only enables nasal respiration but also sufficiently supports the reduced nasal bone. Methods Nasal ventilation was measured via spirometry 1 day before surgery and compared to 1 day after surgery. To compare support of the reduced nasal bone by the 2 methods, 2 plastic surgeons assessed the displacementon X-rays taken after the surgery and after removing the packing. The extent of nasal obstruction, dry mouth, sleep disturbance, headache, and swallowing difficulty were compared with visual analog scales (VAS) on a pre-discharge survey. Results In the experimental group, the nasal respiration volume 1 day after surgery remained at $71.3%{\pm}6.84%$ on average compared to 1 day prior to surgery. Support of the reduced bone in the experimental group ($2.80{\pm}0.4$) was not significantly different from the control group ($2.88{\pm}0.33$). The VAS scores for all survey items were lower in the experimental group than in the control group, where a lower score indicated a lower level of inconvenience. Conclusions The nasal cavity packing described here maintained objective measures of nasal respiration and supported the reduced bone similar to conventional methods. Maintaining nasal respiration reduced the inconvenience to patients, which demonstrates that this packing method is useful.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.202-205
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• 2016

Background: Packing after closed reduction of nasal fracture causes uncomfortable nasal obstruction in patients. We packed the superior meatus with synthetic polyurethane foam (SPF) to support the nasal bone, and packed the middle nasal meatus with a nasal airway splint (NAS) and SPF. The aim of this article is prospectively to compare the subjective patient discomfort of SPF (Nasopore Forte plus) packing alone and SPF with NAS. Methods: We compared the prospectively subjective patient discomfort of SPF packing alone (group A) and SPF with NAS (group B) via visual analog scale (VAS; 0, no symptom; 100, most severe symptom). Results: At first postoperative day group B showed significant lower scores in dry mouth, sleep disturbance, conversation difficulty. However at third postoperative day, VAS scores of each group had no statistically significant differences. Moreover at fifth postoperative day group A had statistically significant lower scores for nasal pain, dry mouth than the group B. Conclusion: Combination method of using NAS and SPF have some advantage on the patient comfort from first postoperative day to third postoperative day.