LATERA Nasal Implant in Jacksonville

LATERA^® implant by Stryker Corporation

LATERA^® is an absorbable implant that is designed to treat people with nasal airway obstruction from the collapse of their nostrils, otherwise known as a nasal valve or lateral wall collapse. It is often inserted into position by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat [ENT] specialist) as an office-based procedure with local anesthesia versus performing outpatient surgery under general anesthesia. 

The structures that make up our nostrils and surrounding structures are comprised of cartilage and connective tissue. Each of us has a unique shape and flow of air inside our nostrils and when we have difficulty breathing especially as we age or subsequent to trauma, often weakness of our nostrils which make up our lateral nasal walls or nasal valves, become the source of obstruction to the airflow due to dynamic collapse when breathing. To determine if this issue is a contributing source of your difficulty breathing, an ENT surgeon may evaluate you by using a couple of simple tests which you can also perform by yourself at home. One is called the Cottle test, which is simply placing your finger just to the side of your nostril and gently retracting the skin of the face aside. If this improves breathing, then nasal valve/lateral nasal wall collapse may be a leading cause of your nasal airway obstruction. Another simple test is to use any type of breathing/nasal strips that you may purchase over the counter. Again, if this makes a difference in terms of improving your breathing, then you may need to see an ENT specialist explore options including a LATERA^® implant.

When people developed difficulty breathing through the nose, the underlying reasons can be numerous.  This includes deviation of the septum, enlargement of the turbinates, inflammation of the lining of the nose known as rhinitis which may be caused by Friday of underlying causes ranging from allergy to smoking, other conditions such as nasal polyps in addition to the collapse of the nasal valves which make up the nostrils.  This collapse of the nasal valves typically is a dynamic collapse upon normal or deep breathing and is often overlooked and not treated in many patients that present with breathing difficulties.  In these cases, if nasal valve collapse is the primary source of nasal obstruction, patients often don’t get adequate improvement in their breathing even after undergoing surgery such as a septoplasty or turbinate reduction. 

To learn more about LATERA^® you may visit the website: latera.com