Short-Term Effect of Surgically Assisted Maxillary Expansion (SARME) on Nasal Airway Size and Subjective Perception of Nasal Obstruction

  • Anders Magnusson, Department of Orthodontics The Institute for Postgraduated Dental Education Jönköping, Sweden
  • Krister Bjerklin, Department of Orthodontics The Institute for Postgraduated Dental Education Jönköping, Sweden
  • Fredrik Jönsson, Department of ENT. Ryhov County HospitalJönköping, Sweden
  • Agneta Marcusson, Department of Dentofacial Orthopaedics University Hospital Linköping, Sweden

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Surgically Assisted Rapid Maxillary Expansion (SARME) on nasal minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) and a possible correlation with subjective perception of nasal obstruction.
Material and Methods: A prospective longitudinal study of 16 men and 23 women (mean age 19.9 yr, SD 5.8) with maxillary transverse discrepancies. Rhinological examination was undertaken to measure MCA and assess subjective nasal obstruction, before surgery (T1) and 3 months postoperatively (T2).
Results: MCA increased both anteriorly ( p<0.05) and posteriorly (p<0.01), but there was no correlation between either MCA or change in MCA and subjective nasal obstruction. However, of 22 subjects with perceived nasal obstruction at T1, 4 were unchanged and 18 reported improvement at T2 (p<0.001). Those 18 subjects had a narrow anterior MCA at T1 and a relatively moderate increase in MCA at T2 (p<0.001), which was not obvious in the total sample.
Conclusion: SARME increased both anterior and posterior nasal minimal cross-sectional areas (MCA). Postoperatively there was a significant correlation between a relative increase in anterior MCA and improved subjective perception of nasal obstruction.