I don't understand how not being able to breathe post septo, etc can't be diagnosed by ENT's. There's CT scans of the septum, nasal endoscopies, etc. that can show you everything that could be in the way. Granted not every ENT is that observant, as I've seen first hand.
For me, the current explanation is the septorhino created a bone spur that jutted out the septum on the left side. Both turbinates are moderately enlarged post radio beam reduction (forgot it's name). The 3D CT scan shows that my whole nose opening area is also just narrow in general. So I can't breathe well out of either nostril, especially on the left.
I don't know what to say either. Surgeon said he could put spreader grafts in but he doesn't know if it will help.
Here is what I know:
He said the surgery was very complex
He said that the vomer was 'corrected'
He made an intra-oral incision to move the septum onto the midline.
When I breathe in it's like an active action now, not a passive one, I actually have to think 'ok I should breathe now' - but admiteddly it's worse when my mind is focused on it. I don't tend to have trouble breathing when sleeping.
The recovery from the surgery was absolutely brutal. I couldn't believe how painful it was considering what I'd read. Most people were like 'Just had rhino, feeling good!' or 'Went back to work today, had surgery 2 weeks ago', meanwhile even walking around was painful for me 4 weeks post. I had thick wide gauze pads stuffed up in my nose for over a week post-OP which felt incredibly raw and painful, but with almost no bruising anywhere else. My mouth and nose felt extremely sore and sensitive for over 6 months post and the tip is still pretty numb over one year post-OP.
I posted images on realself and got the response that the nose had been 'over-corrected', that the nostrils had retracted and the cartilages had been generally weakened (something about dorsal attachments being weakened as well).
I met with the surgeon to address these concerns but he was very unhelpful. He firstly said he didn't narrow the nose, which is a flagrant lie. Then he told me he hadn't touched the nasal valves. Then he told me even if he HAD narrowed it, that is nothing to do with my laminar airflow and breathing volume, and that the tugging or pulling feeling is just 'a sensation'.
I tried using a neti pot recently - a thing full of salt and warm water that you stick up one side of your nose then allow it to fall out of the other nostril. I used to use it before the operation to relieve congestion, but now the water seemingly gets 'stuck' somewhere - it doesn't fall out of the other side of the nose much, if at all. There must be some sort of blockage up there, or he made the lateral osteotomies too aggressively and displaced the nasal bone, im sure.
Its a royal pain in the ass. I just wanted a straight aesthetic nose.
ALSO - having the surgery changed my whole facial shape - it's gotten shorter and the soft tissues look different everywhere (worse).
