Nose & Sinus Surgery

Further information about Nose & Sinus Surgery

Rhinoplasty is surgery to reshape the nose. While it’s often thought of as cosmetic, it can also be performed with the primary aim of improving how well you breathe – this is called functional rhinoplasty, and is the type of nose surgery offered by Dr McKenzie. People may need functional rhinoplasty if they have structural issues, such as a deviated septum or crooked nose, that block airflow and make nasal breathing difficult. Because the shape and function of the nose are closely linked, this surgery often brings cosmetic improvements as well, meaning you experience better breathing with aesthetic benefits as a side effect.

Septoplasty is surgery to fix a deviated septum. The septum is the thin wall of cartilage and bone that divides your nose into two sides. If your septum is bent or off-centre, which can occur naturally or due to injury, it can block one or both nasal passages, making it hard to breathe through your nose. This is called a deviated septum. Septoplasty corrects this by reshaping and repositioning the septum to open the airway. It’s a common procedure that can make a big difference to nasal breathing, sleep quality, and overall comfort.

A functional septorhinoplasty is an operation that combines two procedures – septoplasty and functional rhinoplasty. This surgery corrects a deviated septum and also reshapes your nose. It fixes the structural problems that impede your ability to breathe, and as a side benefit, also improves the cosmetic appearance of your nose.

Turbinates are bones that form part of the internal structure of your nose. They have a lining of mucus that can become inflamed when you experience allergic rhinitis – also known as hay fever – which is an allergic reaction to pollen, dust mites and other irritants. This inflammation obstructs your nasal passages and is responsible for the blocked feeling experienced during colds or hay fever. If you experience repeated episodes of allergic rhinitis, your turbinates can become overgrown, leading to significant obstruction and persistent mouth breathing. When conservative treatments like nasal sprays fail to provide adequate relief, turbinate reduction surgery offers an effective solution. This straightforward day surgery procedure has a very low complication rate and minimal recovery time, making it a safe and valuable option for restoring normal nasal breathing in patients with chronic nasal obstruction that impacts your quality of life.

Nasal polyps are soft, painless growths that develop on the lining of the nasal passages or sinuses due to chronic inflammation. These benign growths are typically associated with conditions such as chronic sinusitis, allergies, or asthma, and can cause symptoms including nasal congestion, reduced sense of smell or taste, facial pressure, and post-nasal drip. While nasal polyps are not cancerous, they can significantly impact quality of life when they become large enough to block the nasal passages. Treatment often begins with medical management using nasal corticosteroid sprays or oral steroids to reduce inflammation and shrink the polyps. However, when medical treatment is insufficient or when polyps are large and cause significant symptoms, surgical removal through endoscopic sinus surgery provides excellent outcomes. This minimally invasive procedure allows for precise removal of polyps while preserving healthy tissue, with most patients experiencing significant improvement in breathing and quality of life following recovery.

While there are certainly options that can be trialled for some conditions, such as steroids for hay fever or nasal polyps, if these approaches fail to provide adequate symptom control, surgical intervention becomes the best long-term solution. For structural abnormalities of the nose and sinus, surgery is the only effective option to fix the problem.

While all surgeries carry some risks, these are well understood and carefully managed by specialist doctors and nurses. It’s important to remember that leaving a chronic condition untreated can lead to worsening health problems that may become more difficult to treat over time. Dr McKenzie will only recommend surgery when the expected benefits – such as improved nasal breathing – clearly outweigh the potential risks.

Dr McKenzie operates at Brisbane Private Hospital in Spring Hill, Mater Children's Private Hospital/Mater Private Hospital in South Brisbane, and Greenslopes Private Hospital in Greenslopes for both paediatric and adult patients.

These hospitals all offer excellent paediatric nursing care support, and Dr McKenzie only uses specialist paediatric anaesthetists for your child’s procedure. This means that you can be assured that your child is in the safest possible hands as it takes a dedicated and comprehensive team of specialist nurses and doctors to safely provide paediatric ear, nose and throat surgery. Dr McKenzie has chosen these hospitals based on their ability to provide the highest level of care to your child.

For adult patients, Dr McKenzie selected these hospitals due to their access to intensive care units and the most modern facilities and resources to ensure the best experience for your procedure.