Impact of short-time nasal intubation on postoperative respiration

Until now few data on postoperative nasal respiration after nasal intubatio n is known which is of special importance for surgery, where postoperative intermaxillary fixation is necessary. This study was planned to acquire inf ormation about nasal breathing during the first postoperative week. Twelve patients created for mandibular retrognathism were examined repeatedly by w ay of anterior active rhinometry, acoustic rhinometry, and rhinoresistometr y before and after surgery over one week. In addition the subjective evalua tion was checked on a visual analogue scale. Following intubation, signific ant changes in "objective" and subjective measurements of nasal respiration could be noted only on the second postoperative day. Comparing rhinomanome tric and subjective data, a correlation could be found on postoperative day two only. In this study group short-time nasal intubation had no significa nt impact on postoperative respiration.