Nasal floor augmentation for empty nose syndrome

Background Empty nose syndrome (ENS) can be relieved by conservative therapeutic modalities such as nasal hygiene, nasal moisturizers, or nasal irrigation; however, surgery may be required for reestablishing nasal resistance and physiologic airflow. Surgical operation for ENS is often accompanied by procedural difficulties and complications. Aims To introduce and evaluate the use of nasal floor augmentation as a simple method to increase nasal resistance and ameliorate the symptoms of ENS. Materials and methods In this prospective study, the nasal floor in six patients with ENS was augmented with pieces of auricular cartilage. Subjective symptoms were examined using questionnaire assessments performed before and 3 months after surgery. Pre- and postoperative nasal resistance was evaluated using rhinomanometry. Results The nasal floor was successfully augmented in all six cases. At 3 months after surgery, the total questionnaire score reduced, and the nasal resistance increased. Conclusions and significance The findings of this study suggest that nasal floor augmentation for ENS is effective in increasing nasal resistance and reducing the nasal symptoms causally related to ENS. Informed consent statement This study was approved by the institutional Ethics Committee Review Board. All the patients provided full written and informed consent to participate in this study. The project conforms to the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki).