The effect on snoring of structural nasal valve dilatation with a butterfly graft.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect on snoring of structural nasal valve dilatation with butterfly spreader grafts in patients with nasal valve insufficiency.

DESIGN: Retrospective medical chart review and telephone follow-up; mean +/- SD follow-up time, 20.7 +/- 11.34 months (range, 3-48 months).

SETTINGS: Tertiary care referral center.

SUBJECTS: A total of 37 snoring patients with nasal valve insufficiency who underwent nasal valve dilatation with a butterfly spreader graft.

INTERVENTIONS: The conchal cartilage butterfly graft technique was performed during rhinoplasty through either an external or endonasal approach.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: To establish through a retrospective review that butterfly graft conchal cartilage nasal reconstruction is effective in reducing snoring.

RESULTS: After surgery, 30 patients (81%) had significant improvement in breathing, 5 (14%) had slight improvement, and 2 (5%) had no benefit in breathing. Snoring stopped completely in 11 (30%) of the patients after surgery. The improvement in snoring was significant in 13 patients (35%) and slight in 3 (8%). Twenty-six patients (70%) reported tiredness and grogginess on awakening before the surgery. Surgery significantly improved patients' tiredness and grogginess on awakening in 15 cases (58%), slightly improved them in 5 (19%), and did not change the patients' tiredness and grogginess in 6 cases (23%).

CONCLUSION: The conchal cartilage butterfly graft yields successful results not only in breathing but also in snoring symptoms in patients with nasal valve insufficiency.