gms | German Medical Science

Stabilisation of the nasal alar utilising the elastic force of an autologous conchal cartilage transplant (EFACCT) is an operation technique to resolve inspiratory nasal valve collapse. Pathology at the nasal valve is very often combined with other obstructing changes at the internal nose which will normally be resolved in a one-stage-procedure together with the EFACCT-Operation.

Objective: Exists a significant therapeutical effect on nasal airway obstruction from nasal alar suspension by EFACCT independently from endonasal side procedures?

Methods: 22 patients with inspiratory nasal valve collapse received our standard EFACCT technique for alar stabilization and suspension. 14 had side procedures (turbinoplasty, shaver-conchotomy, septoplasty, FESS) while 8 patients had no other operation at their nasal airway done. Results where evaluated at least 6 months postoperatively in both subgroups by self-assessment, examination and rhinomanometry.

Results: All 14 patients with side procedures and 7 patients who only had EFACCT declared a stable subjective increase in nasal breathing and no more complaints of nasal obstruction. One patient without side procedure showed an incomplete single sided inspiratory nasal alar collapse postoperatively while having a good subjective and objective increase in nasal airflow.

From pre- to postoperative the mean nasal flow, measured on either side by rhinomanometry (∆150 Pa), increased from 200 up to 336 ml/s in the patients with side procedures and an from 235 up to 306 ml/s in the subgroup without side procedures. The data showed no significant difference between both subgroups.

Conclusion: Nasal alar stabilisation by an EFACCT-Operation resolves an inspiratory nasal valve collapse with high reliability. Its therapeutical effect on nasal valve obstruction exists independently from side procedures at the internal nose.