Minimally Invasive Nasal Remodeling Procedure Allows Patients with Obstruction to Breathe More Easily

Angela Smith had long suffered from nasal obstruction and a nonstop runny nose that disrupted her sleep. Medical therapy and nasal dilator strips failed to improve her nasal congestion.
After receiving information about the availability of the VivAer® nasal airway remodeling procedure, Smith scheduled an appointment with William C. Yao, MD, an assistant professor and rhinologist in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “I have a severely deviated septum, and when I saw Dr. Yao, I told him about the constant drainage in the smaller nostril,” Smith says.

He told her she would be a good candidate for the relatively new procedure.  “VivAer is a good solution for patients with a large septal swell body or large nasal valve collapse,” Dr. Yao says. “I’ve found that it works well for many patients with complaints of mild to severe nasal obstruction. It also improves symptoms of nasal drainage.”

Many people with nasal obstruction experience difficulty breathing, habitual snoring, and interrupted sleep, resulting in fatigue. The VivAer procedure is a nonsurgical in-office solution with no incisions and minimal post-procedure discomfort. It uses temperature-controlled radiofrequency technology optimized for the nasal airway, sparing surrounding tissue, including mucosa.

“From the patient perspective, our experience with VivAer has been great,” Dr. Yao says. “Patients have reported significant improvement in breathing with minimal impact. It’s an in-and-out procedure done in the office, with no downtime and dramatic improvement. For people who have a deviated septum, like Ms. Smith, it can be done without precluding the possibility of future septorhinoplasty, if needed.”

“I was impressed with Dr. Yao after meeting him,” Smith says. “I felt fully informed about the procedure and he responded to all my concerns. So I decided to do it. It’s been a big improvement, and I no longer have constant drainage on that side. I used to carry a Kleenex with me everywhere I went, but now I’m tissue- free.”

 

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