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Brett Helling — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septoplasty and Turbinate Surgery
A French newspaper feature described Brett Helling’s rapid decline after nasal surgery, focusing on altered breathing sensation, dryness, insomnia and the difficulty of obtaining recognition for Empty Nose Syndrome.
A report about losing the normal sensation of breathing
The MIDI LIBRE article opens with a striking idea: breathing is normally automatic and largely unnoticed, yet some patients with Empty Nose Syndrome describe becoming continuously aware of every breath. The report contrasts a visibly open nasal passage with a subjective sensation of blockage, air hunger or suffocation.
Brett Helling’s surgery and the onset of new symptoms
Brett Helling was 36 when the newspaper described his case. He had allergies and recurrent episodes of nasal blockage and colds. According to the report, he agreed to septoplasty to correct a deviated septum after the operation was presented as relatively straightforward.
The article states that turbinate tissue was also removed and that Brett had not understood beforehand that this additional step would be performed. That allegation is retained as part of the source account rather than treated as an independently reviewed operative record.
The months after the February 2014 procedure were described as a profound change from his previous life. By summer, Brett was no longer participating normally in rehearsals with his music group, had difficulty working and increasingly stayed at home.
Insomnia, distress and loss of daily function
By October, the article says, exhaustion and inability to sleep had become central problems. Brett went to an emergency department seeking help and described sleep as an immediate survival need.
“I need to sleep or I will not survive this.”
The report says that staff were unfamiliar with Empty Nose Syndrome and that Brett received a diagnosis of depression. Brett himself continued to believe that his primary problem was the postoperative nasal condition. The disagreement between those interpretations became part of the distress described by his family and friends.
The article recounts progressive loss of appetite, sleep and normal self-care. Friends described his attention becoming almost entirely focused on his nose and breathing. By December, his relationship had ended and he had returned to his parents’ home, where he often used tissues in his nose in an effort to alter the sensation of airflow.
“I can’t live like this. My life has become hell,” the newspaper reported him telling his parents.
Video material about Brett Helling and ENS
André Gourbillon and the wider symptom picture in the article
The same newspaper feature refers to André Gourbillon, a retired nuclear technician who had previously spoken publicly about Empty Nose Syndrome. His account adds a second perspective on chronic facial pain, nasal dryness, hyperventilation, disturbed smell and taste, and severe sleep problems.
According to the article, André used a machine that delivered humidified airflow to make sleep possible. He also described persistent pain and dissatisfaction with medication that changed how he felt without resolving the physical symptoms he associated with ENS.
Complication figures, advocacy and legal action cited by MIDI LIBRE
The article cited estimates of approximately 2–5% for complications after turbinectomy and noted that some ENT physicians had proposed a figure as high as 14%. Those numbers are preserved because they were part of the 2016 newspaper report, but they are not presented here as a validated modern prevalence estimate for ENS.
The report also described a French patient association founded in 2011, approximately twenty legal proceedings and several written parliamentary questions. The broader point of this material is historical: by the mid-2010s, ENS had become the subject not only of individual patient reports but also of organized advocacy and legal concern in France.
Original MIDI LIBRE pages
Charly Audes — Empty Nose Syndrome After Radiofrequency Turbinate Reduction
A structured account of Laura Audes’ Europe 1 interview about her brother Charly, his longstanding nasal obstruction, a radiofrequency turbinate procedure in 2022, the severe symptoms she says followed, and the family’s later search for an Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis.
This article is based primarily on Laura Audes’ radio interview and the supporting transcript preserved with the original page. Medical details are therefore presented as reported by Laura unless independently established by the cited source. The page does not treat a family account as proof of population-level surgical risk.
The Europe 1 interview
On 28 May 2024, Laura Audes spoke on the French radio program La Libre Antenne about her brother Charly and Empty Nose Syndrome. The interview was framed as a family account of what happened after treatment for chronic nasal obstruction and why the family later became involved in ENS awareness.
The translated video from the original website is retained below. It is presented as source material rather than as a substitute for clinical evidence. The radio discussion includes Laura’s recollection of Charly’s medical history, the procedure offered to him, his later symptoms and consultations, and the family’s interpretation of what happened.
Nasal problems before the procedure
According to Laura, Charly’s nasal difficulties began years earlier after a boxing injury when he was about 17. She described persistent obstruction, mouth breathing at night, repeated awakenings and long-term fatigue. Despite those problems, she remembered him as socially active, interested in sport and able to continue working and caring for his family.
The interview also describes an earlier septal operation. Laura said that this did not resolve the internal deviation or the nighttime breathing problem. By 2022, the accumulated sleep disruption and nasal obstruction had become a major burden, and Charly was again seeking help.
The 2022 radiofrequency turbinate procedure
Laura said Charly was offered radiofrequency treatment of the turbinates as a shorter alternative to another septal operation. In her account, he understood it as a relatively limited intervention and specifically asked how much tissue would be affected. The procedure took place in December 2022.
Symptoms reported afterward
Laura described a pronounced change in the weeks following the operation. Among the symptoms she associated with that period were a sense that too much air was passing through the nose, marked dryness, repeated nighttime breathing distress, palpitations and strong awareness of the heartbeat, headaches, cognitive difficulty and a feeling of being disconnected or unable to function normally.
Laura described the nose as feeling excessively open while breathing still felt unsatisfactory.
Repeated awakenings, palpitations and severe nighttime distress were prominent in her account.
She also reported memory and concentration problems as his condition worsened.
The distinction between an anatomically open nasal passage and a persistent sensation of obstruction or inadequate breathing is one of the reasons ENS can be difficult for patients and clinicians to understand. Charly’s family later interpreted this paradoxical breathing experience through the framework of Empty Nose Syndrome.
How the family described the first months
Laura’s account emphasizes that the deterioration was not limited to one isolated symptom. She described Charly as becoming increasingly exhausted and preoccupied with breathing, especially at night. The family noticed that ordinary activities became harder, while the combination of poor sleep, bodily discomfort and fear about what had changed inside the nose created an escalating burden.
She also described repeated attempts to understand whether the symptoms were cardiac, neurological, psychological or nasal in origin. That uncertainty is an important part of the chronology: before the family encountered ENS specialists, they did not have one explanation linking the excessive-airflow sensation, dryness, sleep disruption, palpitations and cognitive complaints.
ENS assessment and treatment attempts
Laura said the family eventually consulted a physician in Paris familiar with ENS. Her interview refers to a cotton-based test, assessment of the amount of turbinate tissue remaining and discussion of possible regenerative or reconstructive approaches. She also mentioned platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and implant surgery among the options that were considered.
According to the interview, Charly tried PRP but did not obtain the improvement the family had hoped for. Laura also said that the operating ENT later acknowledged the ENS diagnosis after reviewing the specialist documentation. Those statements are preserved here as part of the interview record rather than independently adjudicated medical findings.
The radio conversation also touches on French guidance concerning turbinate procedures. The family’s wider concern was informed consent: they wanted patients to understand that the turbinates are functional structures and that reducing tissue is not equivalent to simply creating more space in the nose.
Questions about informed consent
One theme running through the interview is what Charly believed he was agreeing to. Laura said he had sought relief from obstruction and wanted to avoid another major septal operation. The radiofrequency option appeared less invasive, and the family later felt that the possibility of persistent airflow-related symptoms had not been made sufficiently clear beforehand.
For readers considering turbinate treatment, this case is most useful as a prompt for specific questions rather than as a prediction of outcome: what exact structure will be treated, by which technique, how much volume reduction is intended, whether mucosa will be preserved, what alternatives have been tried, and what persistent complications are discussed during consent.
The family’s message
Laura’s central message was not that every turbinate procedure causes ENS. Rather, she argued that patients should receive clearer information about possible persistent complications and should be encouraged to ask what technique is proposed, why it is needed, what alternatives exist and how much tissue is expected to be altered.
The family also wanted clinicians to take severe postoperative breathing complaints seriously even when the nasal airway appears widely open on examination. In the interview, Laura repeatedly returned to the gap between what Charly felt and what an observer might assume from anatomy alone.
The case is emotionally difficult because Laura also discussed a life-ending outcome after a prolonged period of severe physical and psychological distress. This redesigned page keeps that fact in the chronology without reproducing unnecessary method details. It is presented as part of the family’s account and not as evidence that a specific procedure inevitably produces such an outcome.
Sources and original material
Listen to or read the original Europe 1 program page .
Open the full supporting interview documentation .
Christopher Supalla — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septoplasty and Turbinate Microablation
Chris Supalla’s family described a rapid and devastating decline after nasal surgery, with profound breathing discomfort, loss of normal airflow sensation and severe sleep disruption. His case later became part of a wider public discussion about Empty Nose Syndrome, informed consent and recognition of postoperative complications.
Video About Christopher Supalla
A “Plastic Bag” Sensation After Nasal Surgery
Chris Supalla had been tossing and turning with a stuffy nose when several doctors advised him that a relatively simple nasal operation could improve his breathing and sleep. According to his mother, Mary Supalla, the outcome was dramatically different from what the family expected.
Mary told The Post that Chris was “gasping for breath” and said it felt as though a plastic bag were over his head.
Chris was 32. Three months after surgery, he was lost following a final crisis.
In his final written message, Chris apologized to his family, said the suffering had become too great and wrote that his nose felt so empty that he could no longer feel anything at all. He ended by telling them that he loved them.
The source material also preserves a separate practical note Chris left for his family so that first responders, rather than relatives, would recover him. The wording reflects how strongly he wanted to shield his family from further trauma.
Dr. Eugene Kern and Growing Recognition of Empty Nose Syndrome
Nearly 30 years after Empty Nose Syndrome was first identified, the article reported that the condition was gaining greater recognition. It noted the publication of a medical textbook on ENS by Dr. Eugene Kern, professor of otorhinolaryngology at the University at Buffalo.
In the early 1990s, while working at the Mayo Clinic, Kern encountered two postoperative patients treated elsewhere who told him that they experienced a sensation of suffocation with every breath. Both were later lost after severe crises.
Other patients have compared the experience to drowning, smothering or being waterboarded. Kern described these patients as “nasal cripples” and emphasized that many can barely sleep because they repeatedly wake with a sensation that the body is not breathing, even though respiration continues. Mouth breathing may not solve the sensory problem.
Kern said he wanted his book to shine a light on an area in which people had suffered greatly, adding that he had personally witnessed the suffering.
The article describes ENS as a potential complication after nasal surgery affecting the turbinates — cylindrical structures that help regulate incoming air. Turbinate reduction may be performed together with septoplasty for a deviated septum or as part of other nasal surgery.
David Troutman and the ENS Support Community
David Troutman of Indiana told the newspaper that he had no idea what a turbinate was when he underwent surgery for sleep apnea six years earlier and had simply trusted his doctor.
After surgery, Troutman described himself as exhausted, unfocused and endlessly pacing. His condition became so concerning that his boss drove him to the emergency department.
“I was a shell of myself,” he said. “My personality was just gone.”
Troutman, then 54, became a moderator of an Empty Nose Syndrome Facebook group and described the group as being filled with difficult stories. He expected his own struggle to be lifelong and said there had been no relief or reprieve.
The article reported that the Facebook group had around 3,700 members and had recorded 14 tragic losses over the preceding six years. Those numbers are community-compiled reports rather than population-level incidence data.
The condition remains difficult to predict. Incidence is unknown, and doctors do not yet know why some patients tolerate turbinate tissue removal while others develop severe symptoms. A small number of physicians in the United States attempt treatments that may include intensive moisturization or procedures designed to alter nasal airflow.
Kern told The Post that turbinate removal can produce severe post-traumatic neurogenic-type pain. He also noted that some people may have enough compensatory functional capacity to remain symptom-free for two, five or even ten years, and that there is no single clinical test that fully determines nasal function.
Chris’s Septoplasty, Microablation and Questions About ENS Risk
Chris worked in accounting and, according to his mother, consulted three doctors before undergoing surgery.
He underwent septoplasty and microablation. His doctors reportedly said that only about one millimeter of turbinate tissue had been removed.
Mary Supalla said Chris specifically asked about Empty Nose Syndrome because he was worried about it. The doctors were familiar with ENS but reassured him that they had not seen it in their own patients.
The Supalla Family’s Requests to Oregon Health & Science University
After Chris’s passing, his parents asked Oregon Health & Science University to warn future patients about the possible risk of Empty Nose Syndrome.
Mary Supalla said that the potential complications were so severe and life-altering that patients deserved to know about them. She described Chris as unable to breathe, unable to sleep and unable to function normally.
OHSU’s patient advocate initially wrote that the institution would educate doctors, medical students and staff. The advocate also wrote that although the institution could not clinically substantiate an ENS diagnosis, it believed the experience Chris had been describing.
Several months later, after the family again requested that patients be warned, the patient advocate wrote that OHSU had not found that Chris had ENS and indicated that there would be no further communication on the matter.
In a statement to The Post , authorized by the Supalla family, OHSU extended condolences and said that Chris had specifically asked about Empty Nose Syndrome before surgery. According to OHSU, his clinical team discussed ENS with him as part of the informed-consent process.
OHSU also stated that after surgery its clinicians could not clinically substantiate an ENS diagnosis. The institution said its clinicians discuss ENS when relevant to the procedure or to a patient’s questions and that, at the family’s request, information shared by the Supallas had been incorporated into teaching and academic processes for continual improvement.
Chris Supalla’s Messages and Additional Archived Material
Chris documented his rapid decline in a series of text messages with his mother, Mary. The preserved material records his struggle to understand and adapt to severe breathing difficulties after nasal surgery.
Additional collected material concerning Christopher Supalla, the family’s account and Empty Nose Syndrome is available in the document below.
Ludovic Sery — Empty Nose Syndrome After Bilateral Turbinectomy
Ludovic Sery described developing severe, persistent nasal and breathing symptoms after bilateral turbinectomy in 2002. His testimony documents the search for an explanation, implant surgery in Paris, periods of partial improvement and his continued effort to work and rebuild his life.
Video testimony
The memorial video preserved on the original website is retained here as part of the source record. The surrounding article has been reorganized so the video, first-person testimony and later family account are easier to distinguish.
Life before surgery
Ludovic was born on Réunion Island and was remembered by his mother as active, athletic and deeply attached to life. Before the operation he described recurring nasal congestion associated with allergy. The symptoms were unpleasant, but in his later account he repeatedly contrasted them with the much more persistent problems that developed after surgery.
His mother emphasized that he had been socially engaged and motivated to work. That background matters because his testimony is not only a list of symptoms; it records the loss of a previous level of physical comfort, employment and independence.
Bilateral turbinectomy in 2002
What is directly central to his account is the chronology: the operation came first, and within the following months he reported a new pattern of dryness, inflammation and breathing discomfort that was unlike his earlier seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Persistent symptoms afterward
Ludovic described his mouth and throat as constantly dry and said he was almost always thirsty. He reported dyspnea, recurrent nasal inflammation, abnormal discharge, unpleasant odor, headaches and a sense that breathing through the nose no longer worked normally. Winter was particularly difficult.
Persistent dryness of the nose, mouth and throat with an ongoing need to drink.
He described dyspnea and a sense that normal nasal breathing had been fundamentally altered.
Repeated inflammation, headaches and abnormal nasal discharge became recurring problems.
A year after surgery he returned to the operating ENT. Ludovic wrote that his complaints were minimized and attributed to sensitivity to temperature changes. He then consulted other physicians, but the proposed management remained largely symptomatic, including anti-inflammatory treatment and saline rinses.
The continuing symptoms affected sleep, energy and mental health. His original testimony records periods of severe psychological crisis. Those episodes are acknowledged here because they are part of his history, but unnecessary method details are omitted.
Finding the term Empty Nose Syndrome
Ludovic wrote that he eventually discovered Empty Nose Syndrome through internet searches about turbinectomy. Finding a name for the condition gave him a framework for symptoms that had previously seemed disconnected and poorly understood by the clinicians he had seen.
He became interested in the functions of the turbinates — humidification, warming, filtration and the sensory experience of airflow — and increasingly viewed his condition as an iatrogenic postoperative disorder. Some physiological explanations in his original writing were based on the information available to patients at that time and should not be treated as settled modern science. His personal chronology, however, remains the core of the testimony.
Acrylic implant surgery in Paris in 2009
Through contacts in the ENS community, Ludovic learned of a surgeon in Paris performing implant procedures intended to reduce the excessive openness of the nasal cavity. He underwent acrylic implant surgery on 25 June 2009.
His account was cautious rather than uniformly positive. He worried about implant rejection and did not present the operation as a guaranteed solution. At the same time, he reported some improvement after surgery: less extreme throat dryness, reduced sensation of excessive airflow, fewer headaches and less frequent inflammatory episodes.
This distinction is important. His testimony did not describe a cure; it described partial relief that made some aspects of daily life easier while uncertainty remained.
Work and rehabilitation
Ludovic continued trying to remain in employment. He worked at a fruit factory and later lost that job after years in which illness and absence had become difficult to manage. Rather than withdrawing permanently from work, he pursued new vocational training.
In 2010 he completed warehouse and forklift training and obtained the qualifications he needed for a new line of work. A later back injury then created another major obstacle and led to prolonged physiotherapy and additional treatment. His mother’s account emphasizes how hard he kept trying to recover a normal working life despite the combination of ENS symptoms and musculoskeletal problems.
The timeline therefore matters: his later years were not defined by one symptom or one diagnosis. They included attempts at treatment, partial improvement, retraining, work, physical rehabilitation and repeated efforts to regain independence.
His mother’s account and legacy
Ludovic passed away in 2011. Later memorial material from his mother describes the loss in deeply personal terms and stresses that she wanted his testimony preserved. She asked readers to remember him as an active young man who loved life, not only through the circumstances of his illness.
His first-person account had already been written before his passing. For ENS advocacy groups, that made it an important historical document: it shows how one patient described symptoms after bilateral turbinectomy, how difficult it was to obtain recognition at the time, and why he wanted other patients to receive more information before irreversible tissue removal.
At the same time, a single testimony cannot establish the frequency of ENS or the risk of a particular procedure. Those questions require clinical studies and should be considered separately from Ludovic’s individual experience.
The source text is preserved below so readers can compare the edited English presentation with the original wording. It contains emotionally intense passages and reflects the author’s own opinions about surgery and medical care.
Original memorial testimony
Ludovic Sery’s original blog
Supporting source document
Luke Botsis — Empty Nose Syndrome After Turbinate Reduction and Sinus Surgery
Patient case documentation · Empty Nose Syndrome
A documented account of severe nasal dryness, pain, air hunger and a persistent sensation of suffocation after nasal surgery, together with Luke Botsis’s reports about treatment, implant surgery and life with ENS.
Severe ENS symptoms after turbinate reduction
Luke described intense respiratory discomfort after his nasal surgery. His reported symptoms included a persistent sensation of suffocation and air hunger, significant pain inside the nose and between the eyes, severe dryness and morning crusting.
He believed that he had developed secondary atrophic rhinitis following surgery. He wrote that he often woke with a completely dry nose and green crusting and that the sensation of suffocation could become extremely difficult to tolerate.
The symptoms affected his ability to function and work. According to the collected material, improving enough to return to employment was one of his main goals when he pursued reconstructive treatment.
Luke wrote in an ENS Facebook group: “However, my guess is I have permanent nerve damage, especially considering my ethmoid cells were removed with a microdebrider.”
Luke’s concern about nasal pain and possible nerve damage
Luke repeatedly discussed pain in the deep upper part of his nose and between his eyes. He considered seeing a neurologist for the persistent nasal pain but, according to the material, was unable to pursue that evaluation because he lacked insurance.
His comments show that he was trying to understand whether the symptoms came from structural changes, sensory loss, nerve injury, dryness, altered airflow or a combination of these problems.
ENS treatments Luke Botsis tried
Luke pursued several approaches intended to restore resistance, reduce the excessively open feeling in his nose and lessen pain and suffocation.
Reported improvement after cartilage implants
Two and a half months after the July 2019 implant procedure, Luke reported approximately 50% improvement in nasal pain and a reduction in the sensation of suffocation. The surgery reportedly cost him $10,000 out of pocket.
“Unfortunately, I still have pain, especially between my eyes and the deep interior of the upper half of my nose.”
In October 2019, Luke tried hyaluronic acid injections in an attempt to increase nasal resistance. The injections reportedly cost $900, but he said that they did not improve his symptoms.
Luke Botsis treatment and symptom timeline
Luke later reported severe dryness, pain, air hunger, crusting and a sensation of suffocation associated with Empty Nose Syndrome.
Dr. Das performed implant surgery intended to reduce the excessively open nasal space and increase resistance.
Luke described about a 50% reduction in nasal pain and less suffocation, while significant deep nasal pain remained.
Experimental injections intended to increase resistance did not provide the improvement Luke hoped for.
The collected material states that Luke passed away by severe crisis outcomes after a prolonged period of severe nasal and breathing symptoms that he attributed to the consequences of his surgery.
Video of Luke Botsis
The video below is part of the archived material concerning Luke’s experience with Empty Nose Syndrome. The previous Vimeo embed has been replaced with the new YouTube version and is fully responsive, so it cannot force the Blogger content column wider or cover the sidebar.
The images below preserve additional material collected about Luke Botsis, including posts and discussions relating to his nasal symptoms, Empty Nose Syndrome, treatment attempts and the effect of the condition on his daily life.
Click any image to open the original full-size version.
Marcio Goulart — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septoplasty and Extensive Turbinate Surgery
Marcio Goulart was a Brazilian English teacher who underwent septoplasty together with extensive turbinate and sinus surgery in 2018. Testimony preserved by the ENS community describes a major postoperative change marked by abnormal breathing sensation, persistent obstruction despite an open nasal cavity, panic, severe functional limitation and eventual loss of work capacity.
Marcio, born on October 9, 1988, underwent nasal surgery in 2018. A close friend later reported that a very large proportion of the inferior turbinates had been removed. Because the full operative record has not been independently reviewed here, the frequently cited “90%” figure is presented as testimony rather than a measured anatomical finding.
Before surgery, Marcio worked as an English teacher. Friends described a dramatic loss of function afterward: he reportedly struggled with ordinary walking, could no longer continue working and repeatedly described a sensation of suffocation or blockage even though the nasal passages had been surgically enlarged.
Marcio sought further medical opinions and explored reconstructive treatment. According to the preserved testimony, he travelled to Italy for an assessment with Fabio Piazza, where additional surgery was not recommended because of concern about worsening obstruction. He also considered implants with another clinician, but cost and travel were barriers.
People who interacted with Marcio in ENS forums remembered him as kind, open and active in helping others. His passing in April 2020 had a substantial impact on members of those communities who had followed his search for treatment.
A close friend’s account
A close friend recalled speaking with Marcio every day and described severe breathing distress, panic attacks and difficulty walking. The same testimony says Marcio believed extensive inferior turbinate tissue had been removed and that he was searching internationally for reconstructive options. The friend also described how sharply Marcio’s working life and independence changed after surgery. Marcio reportedly compared the sensation of breathing to trying to breathe through a narrow passage while still feeling continuously obstructed, an example of the paradoxical obstruction often described in ENS accounts. The testimony further records a period of severe depression, a previous severe crisis episodes and, later, Marcio’s passing by severe crisis outcomes on April 21, 2020. Method details are intentionally omitted. The testimony is retained to document the severity of the crisis, not to imply that a single medical factor can be proven to explain the final outcome.
Video of Marcio Goulart
The embedded video is part of the preserved record of Marcio’s own postoperative experience and is presented here as patient testimony.
Surgical procedures described in the archive
The supplied surgical material identifies André Luiz Gomes de Araújo and Hospital UNIMED Vale do Aço in Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These identifying details are reproduced from the archive and are not accompanied here by an independent review of responsibility or standard of care.
Procedures listed in the surgical material
Right frontal sinus surgery and left ethmoid surgery — sinusectomy performed using videoendoscopy, with aspiration via the frontal recess. Left sphenoid sinus surgery — described as including ethmoid surgery and turbinoplasty. Additional sinusectomy — videoendoscopic technique with aspiration via the natural ostium.
Summary of the surgical information
The documents describe multiple endoscopic sinus procedures together with turbinoplasty. For ENS purposes, the central issue raised by the archive is the extent of change in the inferior turbinate region and whether that anatomical change corresponded with the severe symptoms Marcio reported afterward.
Postoperative anatomy and ENS concerns
Postoperative images were collected by ENS community members to illustrate the anatomy after surgery. The people who assembled the case interpreted them as showing marked inferior turbinate tissue loss. That interpretation should not be treated as a substitute for formal radiological or endoscopic assessment.
Across the available testimony, the most consistent theme is a profound postoperative change in breathing sensation and function. Friends described daily distress, inability to resume his former work and major restriction of ordinary activity.
Marcio is also included in community-compiled lists of losses and severe crisis episodes among people reporting ENS after turbinate surgery. Such lists can document individual experiences but cannot establish incidence, relative risk or population-level mortality without a defined cohort and systematic follow-up.
The original page reproduced many reactions from YouTube, forums and social-media groups. For readability and safety, this version summarizes those reactions rather than repeating graphic descriptions, accusations or calls for action against individual clinicians.
Person 1 Several commenters expressed grief, described Marcio as kind and supportive, and thanked him for speaking publicly about his symptoms.
Person 2 Other messages encouraged him to continue seeking help and reflected the sense of solidarity that had developed around his participation in ENS support groups.
Person 3 Some comments attributed Marcio’s passing directly to his surgeon. Those statements are opinions from community members and are not presented here as medical or legal findings.
Person 4 A number of messages simply expressed sympathy and recognition from people who said they were living with similar postoperative breathing problems.
Person 5 — ENS Aerodynamics Longer advocacy comments argued that turbinate procedures can produce severe complications and called for greater awareness. Their broader concern is preserved, while unsupported prevalence claims and inflammatory language are omitted. One of the original comments linked to an ENS aerodynamics resource; the link is retained where it remains available, but its content should be evaluated on its own merits.
Person 6 Friends posting after Marcio’s passing described him as caring, honest and deeply missed. Those messages are retained as memorial context rather than as evidence about medical causation.
Person 7 — April 28, 2020 The original thread also contained angry demands directed at the treating surgeon. This version does not reproduce those statements because responsibility cannot be established from social-media comments.
Person 8 — April 26, 2020 A final community notice shared information about Marcio’s funeral in Minas Gerais and offered condolences to his family.
Mélisa Champion — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septorhinoplasty and Turbinate Reduction
Empty Nose Syndrome case · Canada
Mélisa Champion’s parents, Marcelle and Jean-Yves Champion, documented how their daughter’s health changed after nasal surgery in 2007 and how severe dryness, respiratory problems, asthma, chronic pain and progressive loss of function came to dominate her life.
Mélisa was described by her parents as sociable, friendly and passionate about travel. She studied tourism and hoped to become a flight attendant. Her family says she sought treatment after persistent ear pain while traveling and was advised to undergo septoplasty for a deviated nasal septum.
According to her parents, Mélisa had been told about septoplasty but was not informed that the operation would include a complete septorhinoplasty and bilateral reduction of the inferior turbinates. They state that she would have refused the additional procedure if she had understood its full extent.
Mélisa Champion’s video testimony
Mélisa’s video was recorded around December 16, 2014, during the period when she was living with severe ENS-related respiratory problems and relying heavily on humidified airflow.
The 2007 surgery: septorhinoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction
Mélisa’s operation took place on November 11, 2007. Her parents state that the operation report later described a “complete septorhinoplasty and bilateral reduction of inferior turbinates.”
The family’s central concern is informed consent. They say Mélisa understood that she was agreeing to correction of a deviated septum and had not been told in advance that her inferior turbinates would also be reduced.
Within months, Mélisa reportedly developed persistent nasal dryness and began requiring repeated treatments to remove secretions. Her parents describe those treatments as increasingly long, painful and exhausting.
Progressive ENS, asthma and widespread pain
Over time, the family reported a widening range of symptoms. Mélisa developed severe allergies, asthma attacks, facial pain, eye pain, ear pain, throat pain and recurrent headaches.
In 2008, she began allergy desensitization treatment. Her health continued to decline, and the family says she ultimately lost her job and moved back home with her parents.
The procedure later became the central focus of the family’s ENS account.
Mélisa received allergy vaccines while respiratory and nasal symptoms continued.
Her health had deteriorated enough that normal working life was no longer sustainable.
The family reports hospitalization for a severe anaphylactic reaction.
Mélisa began relying on heated humidified airflow to reduce respiratory discomfort.
Another ENT reportedly advised against further surgery because of advanced mucosal atrophy.
Living with an AIRVO humidification device
By 2014, Mélisa was using an AIRVO integrated flow humidifier. Her parents describe the device as essential because it warmed and humidified the air entering her respiratory system.
Without it, they said the cold and dry airflow caused intense bronchial and lung irritation, sometimes triggering prolonged asthma attacks and severe pain.
Her life became increasingly confined to the home and organized around respiratory support, symptom management and periods of rest.
May 2015: a difficult ENT assessment
In May 2015, Mélisa consulted another ENT. According to her parents, the physician told her that sinus function had become profoundly impaired and that the nasal tissues were severely damaged and atrophic.
The physician reportedly advised against further surgery because the mucosa was too compromised. Although the prognosis was extremely difficult, Mélisa’s parents wrote that she valued the doctor’s honesty and the time taken to explain her condition.
Her parents described this consultation as one of the few occasions when Mélisa felt that a physician fully understood the seriousness of her condition.
Marcelle and Jean-Yves Champion: remembering their daughter
Mélisa’s parents emphasized that their daughter remained deeply attached to life despite severe illness. She found comfort in small moments with loved ones, reading, listening to music, following the news and trying to create periods of calm.
They also described the financial burden of seeking additional treatment. A possible procedure abroad was said to cost more than $50,000 once travel, hospitalization and related expenses were included.
Marcelle and Jean-Yves have continued sharing Mélisa’s story to advocate for recognition of Empty Nose Syndrome, better informed consent and greater caution before surgery involving the nasal turbinates.
Océane Flavigny — Empty Nose Syndrome After Rhinoplasty and Turbinate Reduction
Océane lived in Cambrai, France, and underwent two cosmetic nasal operations. The archived material describes persistent dryness, pain, crusting, abnormal nasal sensations, sleep disruption and concern about turbinate injury after surgery, followed by revision treatment and a prolonged search for help.
First operation and concerns about turbinate injury
The source record describes two cosmetic nasal procedures. After the first operation, Océane continued to report both functional and structural concerns and eventually sought a second surgical opinion.
During that later consultation, she was reportedly told that the earlier operation had also altered the nasal turbinates. This point is important to the case history because Océane subsequently linked many of her symptoms to turbinate loss or injury.
The source further speculates that a heat-based method such as radiofrequency or coblation may have been used. The exact technique cannot be established from the material available here and is therefore not stated as fact.
Dryness, secondary atrophic rhinitis and ENS symptoms
Roughly two years after the first operation, Océane increasingly wrote about severe nasal dryness and changes in the mucosa. She believed that the lining of the nose had progressively deteriorated.
At one stage, she also wondered whether a COVID-19 infection might have contributed to the timing or severity of the mucosal symptoms. That was her own hypothesis and is not established by the case documentation.
Her posts repeatedly refer to secondary atrophic rhinitis and Empty Nose Syndrome, and she sought information and support in ENS patient groups.
The archive says that she attempted to contact Italian physician Fabio Piazza, who has treated ENS patients, but did not receive a response.
Symptoms described in the preserved material include nasal pain, marked dryness, crusting, unpleasant odour, abnormal or uncomfortable breathing sensations, insomnia and a continuing sense of nasal blockage.
Revision surgery on April 24, 2023
As the symptoms continued, Océane discussed revision surgery with a friend and considered whether a Paris surgeon might be able to address the functional problems she attributed to the first operation.
The correspondence also shows that she tried to evaluate the surgeon’s reputation and online reviews before deciding. The friend expressed reservations, which are preserved here as part of the conversation rather than as an assessment of the surgeon.
Océane ultimately proceeded with revision surgery with Christophe Gaillard. In her messages, she described the aim as improving functional problems that she believed had followed the first operation.
The revision operation took place on April 24, 2023.
Afterward, the archived posts still describe pain, dryness, crusting, altered smell or odour, breathing discomfort, insomnia and obstruction. The material indicates that turbinate tissue remained, but she did not experience the recovery she had hoped for.
Search for treatment and support
The available record is incomplete, but it shows that Océane continued looking for explanations and treatment in several ENS support communities.
She considered regenerative approaches, including nasal injections promoted as stem-cell treatment, but reportedly could not afford to pursue them.
She also tried vitamins and other self-directed measures in an attempt to improve her symptoms.
One archived social-media image was machine-translated in the original material. Any wording taken from that image should therefore be read with the limitations of automated translation in mind.
Later course and severe psychological distress
Several weeks before her passing, Océane shared dark material referring to her own funeral. The post is relevant because the source and one of her friends interpreted it as a sign of severe emotional distress.
The original wording is not reproduced here in full; its significance is summarized rather than presented as dramatic or predictive evidence.
Taken together with information supplied by a friend, the source portrays Océane as being in a serious psychological crisis during the final weeks of her life.
First surgeon: Marion Beuzeboc
The first surgeon is identified in the supplied material as Marion Beuzeboc in Rennes, France.
The source says that turbinate reduction was disputed, while the people who assembled the case interpreted later imaging as evidence that turbinate tissue had been altered. Because the underlying records are incomplete, the disagreement is presented without resolving it.
The source additionally mentions another patient who reportedly experienced postoperative problems. That statement is preserved only as part of the archive and has not been independently verified.
Second surgeon: Christophe Gaillard
The second surgeon is identified as Christophe Gaillard in Paris. Océane underwent the revision procedure with him on April 24, 2023.
Her own messages describe the purpose of the revision as an attempt to correct functional nasal problems she associated with the earlier surgery.
Before-and-after images: what can and cannot be concluded
The before-and-after image in the archive is labelled as showing the postoperative appearance on the left and the preoperative appearance on the right.
The case authors interpret the postoperative nose as narrower and speculate about reduced space in the upper nasal passage. This is an interpretation of a photograph, not a substitute for endoscopy, rhinomanometry, CT imaging or formal examination.
Océane also wrote that she believed the septum had become twisted after the first procedure.
Priscilla Robert — Empty Nose Syndrome After Turbinate Surgery and Septoplasty
Priscilla Robert’s testimony describes repeated sinus problems followed by laser turbinate treatment, inferior turbinate removal and septoplasty, and then years of dryness, breathing discomfort, insomnia, pain and major loss of function.
Why Priscilla’s testimony matters
The strongest part of this case is not a general claim that every turbinate procedure has the same risk. It is the detailed sequence Priscilla described: treatment for symptoms she hoped to improve, repeated intervention when the first procedure did not help, and then a new combination of persistent nasal and systemic complaints that reshaped daily life.
Her account also illustrates an issue that appears repeatedly in ENS discussions: conventional obstruction and the sensation of breathing are not always the same thing. Priscilla wrote that her nose could feel profoundly blocked and suffocating even after tissue had been reduced or removed.
2009: sinus infections, specialist referrals and laser turbinate treatment
Inferior turbinate removal and septoplasty
According to Priscilla’s testimony, the next recommendation was removal of the lower turbinates together with septoplasty to correct the nasal septum. The operation took place in April and was followed by nasal packing.
After the packing was removed the next day, she experienced a small hemorrhage from the left nostril. She was reassured that breathing should now be easier, yet she reported the opposite: persistent obstruction, worsening nasal pain and headaches, frequent anxiety attacks and difficulty remaining upright because of the intensity of her symptoms.
This sequence is presented as Priscilla recorded it. It does not by itself determine which anatomical or physiological mechanism caused each later symptom.
Emergency care, second opinions and atrophic rhinitis
As her condition worsened, Priscilla sought emergency care. She wrote that the ENT specialist on duty did not accept a connection between her current symptoms and the recent operations. She then sought another opinion but said that physician was unwilling to become involved in another surgeon’s case.
Priscilla eventually travelled to Paris for another assessment. Her account states that a sleep study demonstrated poor sleep quality and snoring and that atrophic rhinitis was identified. These findings became part of the way she understood the progressive dryness, breathing discomfort and sleep disruption that followed.
The symptoms Priscilla described from 2011 onward
Priscilla’s later testimony portrays a dramatic reduction in everyday function. She wrote that she barely ate, could not sleep normally and had lost her sense of smell. Despite previous procedures intended to improve nasal airflow, she felt more obstructed than before surgery.
Her testimony describes a life progressively narrowed by breathing discomfort, severe insomnia, pain, dryness and exhaustion.
Video testimony
The video retained from the original page combines background discussion about ENS with Priscilla Robert’s testimony.
Informed consent and the reason she shared her story
Priscilla wrote that she would not have agreed to the procedures had she understood the possibility of the long-term problems she later experienced. She found some support through a patient association and questioned why Empty Nose Syndrome remained unfamiliar to many clinicians and patients.
Her reason for publishing the testimony was preventive: she wanted prospective patients to understand that turbinate tissue has physiological functions and that irreversible tissue removal deserves careful discussion before surgery. That message can be preserved without presenting her individual outcome as inevitable for everyone undergoing turbinate treatment.
Rachel Jordan — Empty Nose Syndrome and Atrophic Rhinitis After Septorhinoplasty
Rachel Jordan’s reported symptoms and daily struggle
Rachel Jordan, from the United Kingdom, passed away in 2021 after a final crisis. In support-group posts preserved with this material, she described severe nasal and breathing problems that had come to dominate her daily life. She repeatedly wrote that breathing through her nose no longer felt automatic or normal and that she could barely sense the movement of air.
Her posts described a nose that felt extremely dry, with very little sensation or resistance. She associated this with a constant feeling of being unable to breathe properly, a pounding pulse, dizziness and a persistent fight-or-flight response. She also expressed fear that her health problems would prevent her from seeing her young daughter grow up.
Rachel asked other group members about medication for anxiety and panic associated with her breathing symptoms. She had previously tried sertraline but reported difficulty tolerating the initial side effects. She later used mirtazapine to help her sleep.
Severe nasal dryness and loss of airflow sensation
One of Rachel’s most persistent complaints was profound nasal dryness. She wrote that she could not keep the inside of her nose adequately moisturized and believed that the mucosal lining of her septum and turbinates had been seriously damaged. She questioned whether metaplastic or atrophic changes might explain the lack of normal moisture and sensation.
She reported trying numerous products and approaches, including saline rinses, NeilMed, Xlear, Ayr gel, coconut oil, Bepanthen nasal cream and petroleum jelly, but said that none provided lasting relief.
Rachel also described a long history of nasal crusting. She wrote that she had repeatedly removed crusts from the septum over the years, sometimes leaving the tissue sore and prone to bleeding. Later, she became concerned that chronic crusting and irritation might have contributed to long-term mucosal damage.
Manual breathing, dizziness and disrupted sleep
Rachel frequently described having to consciously control her breathing. She said that unless she was asleep, breathing no longer seemed fully automatic and that she had to think about the rhythm and depth of each breath. She linked this to dizziness, lightheadedness, poor concentration and a sense that she could not get the breathing pattern right.
Her symptoms were often worse in the early morning. She reported waking between approximately 3 and 5 a.m. with severe anxiety and difficulty settling her breathing. Even with mirtazapine, she sometimes slept only a few hours. She also described waking suddenly, sweating and feeling as though she had been over-breathing or hyperventilating.
During the day, Rachel reported noisy and difficult nasal breathing, pressure around the nasal valve area, accessory-muscle pain and a persistent sense of respiratory discomfort. In the evening she sometimes noticed slightly more nasal resistance or swelling, which she felt could reduce her anxiety somewhat.
Septorhinoplasty and worsening symptoms
She described the inside of her nose as numb and unusually open, with little resistance and poor ability to sense airflow or temperature changes. She also questioned whether she had internal nasal valve collapse and asked other patients about their symptoms and experiences with valve surgery.
The source material does not establish the exact details of every surgical manoeuvre performed during Rachel’s operation. For that reason, possible changes to the nasal valve should be treated as a question raised in the archived posts rather than as a confirmed surgical finding.
Video about Rachel Jordan and her breathing problems
The video below forms part of the material collected about Rachel’s experience with severe nasal symptoms, impaired airflow sensation and suspected Empty Nose Syndrome.
What septorhinoplasty involves
Septorhinoplasty combines procedures that alter the nasal septum with procedures that reshape or reconstruct the external and internal framework of the nose. The exact techniques vary depending on the patient and the purpose of the operation.
Septoplasty
Septoplasty is performed to correct structural problems of the nasal septum. Depending on the case, cartilage or bone may be repositioned, reshaped or removed, and the mucosal lining is then repositioned over the corrected structure.
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty changes the shape or structural support of the nose. It may be performed through an open or closed approach and can involve reshaping bone and cartilage or adding cartilage grafts. In some functional procedures, structural support around the nasal valve may also be modified.
Recognized categories of complications
Bleeding, infection or adverse reactions related to surgery or anesthesia. Persistent or new nasal breathing difficulties. Numbness, altered sensation, swelling or scarring. Structural or cosmetic results that may require further treatment.
Empty Nose Syndrome, atrophic rhinitis and nasal sensory function
Rachel’s archived posts repeatedly focus on three issues: extreme dryness, reduced nasal sensation and an abnormal perception of breathing. She questioned whether longstanding atrophic changes had affected the nasal mucosa and whether surgery had further altered the resistance and sensory feedback that normally accompany nasal airflow.
These concerns overlap with symptoms commonly discussed by patients with Empty Nose Syndrome, including paradoxical nasal obstruction, a sensation that the nose is too open, dryness, reduced airflow perception and significant respiratory discomfort. Rachel herself sought advice from other patients about whether her symptoms could represent ENS.
The material also records episodes of dizziness, waking with a sensation of over-breathing and difficulty regulating the depth and rhythm of respiration. Rachel described these experiences in her own words as part of the progression of her condition.
Rachel’s story illustrates the profound impact that severe chronic nasal and breathing symptoms can have on sleep, concentration, daily functioning and quality of life. Preserving her own reports is valuable because they document how she experienced the progression of her symptoms and the difficulty she had finding relief.
Supporting documents about Rachel Jordan
Additional information and supporting records concerning Rachel Jordan are available in the document below.
Raphaël Goblet — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septoplasty, Turbinate Reduction and Nasal Implants
Patient case documentation · Belgium
Septoplasty, turbinate reduction and postoperative symptoms
Raphaël Goblet lived in Chaumont-Gistoux, Belgium. The archived case material describes the onset of severe breathing discomfort and other symptoms after septoplasty with turbinate reduction, followed by further nasal surgery intended to restore resistance inside the nasal cavity.
Born in Ixelles, Brussels, in 1987, Raphaël is described in the source material as having undergone septoplasty and turbinate reduction before developing symptoms later identified as Empty Nose Syndrome. The same archive also reports a septal perforation and a subsequent attempt at reconstruction with nasal implants.
Video about Raphaël’s ENS case
Septoplasty, turbinate reduction and the beginning of ENS symptoms
The postoperative account describes a paradox familiar in ENS reports: the nasal cavity could be anatomically open while breathing still felt abnormal or insufficient. The symptoms were described as persistent rather than as ordinary short-term postoperative congestion.
Nasal implant treatment intended to restore resistance
Because the symptoms continued, Raphaël sought additional treatment. The archived material states that he later underwent implant surgery with Gilles Ayoun in an attempt to change the internal geometry and resistance of the nasal airway.
The stated goal of the implant procedure was to add bulk inside the nasal cavity, increase airflow resistance and reduce excessive dryness. The source identifies the implant material as acrylic, or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
The case narrative says that Raphaël did not tolerate the implant procedure well and that his condition deteriorated afterward. That sequence is preserved as part of the case record; the page does not independently establish implant rejection, causation or medical responsibility.
Symptoms reported in Raphaël’s ENS case
The symptoms attributed to ENS in Raphaël’s case include abnormal airflow perception, air hunger or suffocation-like sensations, marked nasal dryness, sleep disruption and a major decline in day-to-day functioning. These are presented as reported symptoms, not as proof that every symptom had a single mechanism.
Informed consent and postoperative follow-up
One of the principal lessons drawn by the original material concerns informed consent. Patients considering turbinate procedures should understand what operation is being proposed, why tissue is being altered and which long-term complications are known or suspected.
The archive also describes difficulty obtaining recognition for severe postoperative symptoms. A more neutral conclusion is that new, persistent breathing or sensory symptoms after nasal surgery warrant careful documentation and reassessment rather than being assumed to reflect routine healing.
For that reason, Raphaël’s case is retained here primarily as a patient-history document: it illustrates why conservative tissue handling, clear consent and longitudinal follow-up matter when nasal surgery changes airflow or sensation in an unexpected way.
Robert Byrnes — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septal Surgery
From unexplained illness to a Mayo Clinic ENS diagnosis
According to his brother, Robert became seriously ill in April 2020. He sought care from several physicians in New York while the family tried to understand symptoms that were becoming more difficult to manage. The eulogy describes a period of repeated medical visits without a clear explanation.
In October 2020, the family travelled to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Robert’s brother said that the evaluation included blood testing, MRI and CT imaging, together with additional examinations over several days. On October 28, he reported, an ENT specialist diagnosed Robert with Empty Nose Syndrome.
“On October 28th, we met with an ENT specialist who diagnosed Rob with a condition called Empty Nose Syndrome.”
That statement is important because it is more specific than the surrounding retrospective interpretation: the family source identifies both the institution and the date on which the ENS diagnosis was given.
Robert’s brother recalled that Robert had undergone nasal surgery roughly 24 years before the Mayo Clinic visit because a deviated septum was interfering with breathing. He remembered the immediate result as positive and said the operation had initially made breathing easier.
“The operation was a blessing at the time, as he was struggling to breathe, and this had an immediate and positive impact.”
This distinction is especially important on patient-case pages. A case can illustrate the burden and diagnostic difficulty of ENS without filling gaps in the surgical history with assumptions.
Robert Byrnes beyond the diagnosis
Obituary material describes Robert as deeply connected to Yonkers and to public service. He attended St. Paul the Apostle Grammar School and Archbishop Stepinac High School, earned an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College, and later completed a master’s degree in Physical Education at Queens College.
2000: began his law-enforcement career as an MTA Police officer.
2001: joined the Rye Brook Police Department.
2007: became a Yonkers Police Officer.
2012 onward: served as a Sergeant in the Yonkers Police Department.
The family remembered him as proud of both his American and Irish heritage. His interests included running, boxing, painting, travel, time with friends and helping people in his community. One quotation preserved in the memorial material captures that broad attachment to people and place:
“I love my family, my friends, my neighborhood, Yonkers, the Yonkers Police Department, the USA, Ireland and nature and all its beauty.”
Keeping this biographical material matters because the illness was only one part of Robert’s life. It also helps a case page avoid reducing a person to a diagnosis or to the circumstances surrounding their passing.
Missing-person and memorial material
The original archive included the missing-person advisory and memorial image below. It is retained as part of the documentary record rather than used as a decorative image.
The funeral speech is the key source for the Mayo Clinic diagnosis and the description of Robert’s earlier septal surgery. The supporting document collects additional material used in the original case page.
Sherri Ann Cutrona — Empty Nose Syndrome After Laser Turbinate Reduction
Sherri Ann Cutrona was an engineer, mother and active member of the ENS and Tracheobronchomalacia communities. Her account describes decades of respiratory and nasal problems after turbinate surgery, later recognition of Empty Nose Syndrome, implants, repeated infections and extensive efforts to find relief.
Sherri Ann Cutrona , born in 1962, lived in Manchester Township, New Jersey. She passed away on July 16, 2020, at age 57. Originally from Hackensack, she had previously lived in Brick before moving to Manchester Township three years earlier.
Sherri worked as an engineer for Heyco Products in Toms River before retiring. She was active in the Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) Support Group and the Facebook group Empty Nose Syndrome Awareness. She loved dancing, cooking, sewing and cruises.
She was survived by her two sons, Cory J. Speiser of Manchester Township and Shane C. Speiser of Brick, her father Joseph Oles of Toms River, her brother Jeff Cutrona of Toms River, and her sister Cynthia Ronan of South River. Her final wish was to have her ashes scattered at sea.
Sherri Ann’s journey with Empty Nose Syndrome was long and arduous and involved numerous consultations and treatments with different specialists.
She saw Dr. Oren Friedman at Penn in Philadelphia. According to Sherri Ann’s account, Dr. Friedman confirmed an ENS diagnosis but said there was little he could offer beyond Premarin cream, antibiotic ointment and nasal oil ordered from the Mayo Clinic. Sherri left the appointment disappointed and did not expect meaningful further help from that consultation.
In another consultation, this time by phone with Dr. Das, she was told that approximately 50% of her inferior turbinates had been removed. She wrote that Dr. Das was compassionate and knowledgeable about her many health problems, which she experienced as a welcome contrast after often feeling dismissed by other doctors.
Repeated Consultations and the Search for Relief
Sherri Ann repeatedly expressed frustration about her declining health. She had a port installed to make IVIG infusions easier because her veins had deteriorated.
She linked many of her long-term problems to turbinate surgery performed 29 years earlier and wrote that the consequences had prevented her from living a full life. The daily burden and repeated crying wore her down, and she often wrote that she simply wanted a few days of feeling well.
She asked other ENS patients about their experiences with implants, particularly people who had undergone surgery with Dr. Nayak. She wanted to know how long recovery took and whether they were satisfied with the results.
Other group members reassured her that she was not alone, but she continued to experience severe symptoms. She considered obtaining a new CT scan and sending it to Ohio State University for another evaluation.
Even after implants, Sherri described her nose as still being “desert dry.”
Chronic Sinus and Respiratory Problems
Sherri Ann had experienced chronic sinus and respiratory infections for years. The supplied account also lists severe asthma, GERD/reflux, IgG deficiency, sleep apnea, allergies and irritable bowel syndrome.
A further health crisis occurred when her trachea and main bronchus collapsed, requiring major surgery with mesh supports.
According to the source material, doctors considered several possible contributors to these respiratory problems, including chronic infections, workplace exposure to burning plastics, prolonged steroid use and Empty Nose Syndrome.
Looking back over many years of illness, Sherri Ann believed she had lived with undiagnosed ENS for a long time. She felt the condition worsened with age.
An endoscopic examination reportedly showed the extent of the previous laser turbinate reduction, with approximately 50% reduction in turbinate volume.
She was disheartened by the lack of understanding and support she had received. She also told another ENS community member that her sleep problems were severe and wrote that she had never slept normally again after her sinus surgeries.
Nasal Implants, CFD Study and Experimental Treatment Search
Sherri Ann underwent an experimental procedure intended to add nasal implants and restore some of the volume lost after turbinate reduction.
The implants were performed by Dr. Overdevst. Four months after the procedure, Sherri wrote that she had experienced no improvement.
She was also exploring stem-cell injections as a possible treatment and had an appointment scheduled.
In correspondence with other patients, Sherri repeatedly expressed frustration over the lack of effective treatment options and research for Empty Nose Syndrome.
Although she sometimes felt hopeless, she continued to find comfort in her faith and in the support of other people with ENS. She continued seeking new medical opinions and treatment possibilities because she still believed relief might be possible.
Video About Sherri Ann Cutrona’s Case
Final Years, Recurrent Lung Infections and Her Legacy
Sherri Ann passed away on July 16, 2020, at age 57 after another lung infection.
The source material argues that an abnormally open and dry nasal airway may reduce normal filtration and humidification before air reaches the lower respiratory tract. It also raises the possibility that reduced nasal nitric-oxide production after severe mucosal injury could affect local antimicrobial defenses. These mechanisms are presented here as hypotheses and concerns raised in the source material, not as proof of the cause of Sherri Ann’s recurrent lung infections.
Sherri Ann’s struggle with ENS and her many respiratory complications was relentless. Her loss was deeply felt by members of the Empty Nose Syndrome Awareness community.
Her story highlights how severely ENS can affect quality of life and why patients continue to call for better recognition, informed consent, research and treatment options.
Sherri Ann spent much of her life without knowing that some of her symptoms might be related to an earlier laser turbinate reduction that, according to later evaluation, had reduced the volume of her inferior turbinates by around 50%.
The collected material includes further information about Sherri Ann’s medical history, treatments, CFD study and ENS-related discussions.
Sylvain Barthelemy — Empty Nose Syndrome After Complete Turbinectomy
Family testimony · France · Septoplasty and complete turbinectomy
According to Ludovic’s account, Sylvain originally sought treatment for nasal obstruction and septal deviation. He expected septoplasty, while later operative documentation reportedly recorded complete bilateral inferior turbinectomy and bilateral concha bullosa surgery. The distinction is central to the family’s concerns about informed consent.
Video testimony about Sylvain Barthelemy
The original page included the video below. It has been rebuilt responsively so it fits the content column without covering a sidebar or forcing the page wider.
Before the 2005 operation: obstruction, sinus findings and septal deviation
Ludovic wrote that in July 2005 Sylvain told him he was preparing for surgery to correct a deviated nasal septum. Sylvain had been complaining of frequent nasal obstruction, and a sinus X-ray from December 2004 reportedly showed mild mucosal thickening, partial ethmoid involvement and deviation of the septum to the left.
According to the family account, the pre-operative information concerned septoplasty. Ludovic stated that he could find no documentation showing that Sylvain had been informed in advance that a turbinectomy would also be performed.
Ludovic’s central concern was informed consent: he believed his brother agreed to septoplasty without understanding that the operation would include complete removal of the inferior turbinates.
August 8, 2005: septoplasty with complete bilateral turbinectomy
According to Ludovic’s review of the medical records, Sylvain underwent septoplasty together with complete bilateral turbinectomy of the inferior turbinates on August 8, 2005.
He wrote that the term “turbinectomy” did not appear in the pre-operative file but was later present on the operating-room documentation, together with the notation “turbinectomy and concha bullosa opening x 2.”
Progressive symptoms, severe pain and further nasal surgery
By 2006, Ludovic described a major deterioration. Sylvain reportedly developed severe headaches, ENT pain, recurrent sinus problems, anxiety, fatigue and major sleep disturbance. His brother also noticed marked changes in mood and behavior.
Activities involving altitude changes, including skiing and paragliding, reportedly became difficult because of pain. Dry or dusty environments also became hard to tolerate, and Ludovic recalled that Sylvain even asked him not to light the fireplace when he visited.
Sylvain later sought further specialist care. According to the testimony, a reconstruction was attempted using middle turbinate tissue to replace the missing inferior turbinates. Ludovic states that the operation resulted in hemorrhage and graft rejection. By December 2006, he described his brother as being left without both inferior and middle turbinates.
Mucosal thickening, partial ethmoid involvement and septal deviation were reported.
The operation record later documented bilateral turbinectomy and concha bullosa opening.
Headaches, pain, sinus problems, anxiety, fatigue and major sleep disruption developed.
A grafting procedure using middle turbinate tissue was attempted and reportedly failed.
The testimony describes severe disabling surgical after-effects and use of high-dose opioid medication.
He left behind two young children after a prolonged period of severe physical suffering and repeated crises.
Severe sleep loss, pain and escalating psychological distress
In the later phase of the illness, Ludovic described persistent sinus problems, severe pain, exhaustion, sleep reduced to roughly three to four hours per night, night terrors, claustrophobia and profound psychological distress. Sylvain reportedly used damp cotton in the nostrils in an effort to reduce and humidify the incoming airflow.
A later emergency operation intended to clear the sinuses reportedly described a disabling postoperative condition. Ludovic believed the symptom pattern would now be recognized as Empty Nose Syndrome and wrote that strong pain medication was required during this period.
During March and April 2007 the family described several acute psychiatric and medical crises requiring police, emergency and specialist involvement. The detailed circumstances are intentionally summarized here; the important point for this case history is the combination of severe physical symptoms, extreme sleep disruption and escalating psychological distress.
CRCI proceedings and the family’s search for accountability
Ludovic remained dissatisfied because, in his account, the proceedings did not establish a direct causal link between the operations and the final outcome. His testimony argues that severe chronic pain, sleep deprivation, irreversible nasal changes and psychological deterioration should be considered together rather than as unrelated events.
His testimony closes with a broader criticism of ENT practice and a quotation attributed to former French health minister Xavier Bertrand: a person should not leave hospital in a worse condition than when they entered.
The original French version is preserved below so readers can compare this English presentation with Ludovic’s own wording.
The original testimony was published through the French Empty Nose Syndrome community. The supporting Word document is linked directly rather than embedded inside the page.
The document opens in a new tab. No OneDrive iframe is used.
Marc Bidaux — Turbinate Reduction Complications and Empty Nose Syndrome
Patient testimony · Turbinate surgery complications · France
Marc Bidaux’s account follows two inferior turbinate operations, an initially improved airway, and a later shift toward painful excessive openness, burning, dyspnea, sleep disturbance and a reported Empty Nose Syndrome diagnosis.
Chronic nasal obstruction before surgery
Marc wrote that for roughly eight to ten years he had experienced severe, persistent nasal obstruction. He attributed the underlying problem largely to allergies and described repeated use of nasal sprays. In his account, the obstruction progressively worsened because the underlying cause was not adequately addressed.
By 2015, the blockage had become severe enough that he consulted several ENT specialists in search of a longer-term solution. Marc said he was already aware of Empty Nose Syndrome as a potential complication and specifically discussed surgical risks before agreeing to an operation.
Turbinate surgery timeline and onset of Empty Nose Syndrome symptoms
Marc said the ENT specialist at Brest University Hospital proposed only a minimal removal of a few millimeters of turbinate tissue. He reported that the operation initially improved his breathing, particularly on the right side.
Because the left side still felt obstructed, Marc agreed to an additional procedure. He understood this to mean a small further reduction. His account later characterized the outcome as a near-total inferior turbinectomy.
Marc described a period of complete nasal blockage lasting about six weeks. After corticosteroid and spray treatment opened the nose, he said the airflow became excessive and painful, with burning and a sensation that too much unfiltered, unwarmed air was rushing through the nasal passages.
Marc reported alternating congestion and excessive openness, severe dyspnea, sleep disturbance, facial pain, burning, fatigue and loss of normal quality of life. He later said other ENT specialists diagnosed Empty Nose Syndrome and that a CT scan showed extensive inferior turbinate resection.
Breathing, pain, sleep and functional symptoms Marc reported
Marc’s testimony describes a combination of structural, sensory and respiratory complaints that he associated with ENS.
“The worst is the dyspnea which means that I can no longer sleep without medication otherwise I suffocate as if I could not breathe ‘automatically’.”
Reported ENS diagnosis, CT findings and reconstructive consultations
Marc wrote that some doctors initially dismissed his symptoms, while others later diagnosed Empty Nose Syndrome. According to his testimony, CT imaging showed approximately 90% resection of the inferior turbinates.
Marc stated that ENT specialists had observed progressive degeneration and atrophy of his nasal mucosa after surgery. He believed this was related to the unusually open postoperative cavity; that causal interpretation is retained here as part of his testimony rather than presented as an independently established finding.
Marc reported meeting a professor in Italy who considered further surgery too risky at that stage and advised waiting to observe the evolution of the mucosa. He also planned an evaluation in Nice with a specialist known for cartilage implants.
“Today, I live as best I can. I have lost a lot of my energy, my joy of living. I suffer day after day.”
Marc Bidaux’s original testimony
Marc’s testimony was published by the French Empty Nose Syndrome association site on September 17, 2019. The source is retained below so readers can compare this summary with the original account.
The complete Marc Bidaux document is available through OneDrive. To avoid the embed restrictions that can affect external websites, the document is opened directly in a new tab instead of being displayed inside an iframe.
Opens the OneDrive document in a new tab.
Bente Van de Veerdonk — Empty Nose Syndrome After Septoplasty and Coblation Turbinate Reduction
Bente Van de Veerdonk was a young woman from Oss, Noord-Brabant, whose health deteriorated after nasal surgery in early 2024. The source material documents severe dryness, burning pain, excessive airflow sensation, disturbed breathing, hyperventilation, extreme sleep loss and a relentless search for relief.
Empty Nose Syndrome: A Tragic Story
Bente Van de Veerdonk was a vibrant and determined young woman from Oss, Noord-Brabant, in the Netherlands. Born on December 28, 1997, she had a promising future, balancing aspirations in marketing and communication with a career in childcare.
Her life ended in November 2024, approximately one and a half months before her 27th birthday, after a devastating period of health problems that the source material associates with septoplasty and turbinate reduction.
During the septoplasty, Bente’s inferior turbinates were reduced using coblation. The source describes this as the event that led to Empty Nose Syndrome. Alongside ENS, Bente also lived with Crohn’s disease and thyroid imbalance, adding further complexity to her health.
A Life of Ambition and Dedication
Bente’s educational path reflected her commitment to learning and personal development. She studied childcare at ROC de Leijgraaf from 2014 to 2017 and earned qualifications as a pedagogical employee.
Her dedication to working with children was reflected in her role at Avem Kinderopvang from July 2019 to November 2021, where she worked in care and early childhood education.
She later broadened her professional ambitions by studying marketing and communications through LOI, the Leidse Onderwijsinstellingen, in 2023.
A Multifaceted Health Struggle
In addition to her professional and academic goals, Bente faced chronic health challenges. She had Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition, and also experienced thyroid imbalance that left her body feeling fragile and unpredictable.
Despite these challenges, she continued searching for ways to improve her health, including alternative approaches such as homeopathy and consultations with different specialists.
The Nose Surgery That Changed Everything
In early 2024, Bente underwent nasal surgery intended to correct a deviated septum and reduce enlarged turbinates.
The procedure included septoplasty and bilateral turbinate reduction using coblation, a technique commonly presented as a relatively conservative method intended to improve nasal airflow.
According to the source, Bente developed immediate postoperative complications that progressively worsened.
Her postoperative care included corticosteroid nasal sprays. Bente herself believed that these sprays further damaged her nasal mucosa.
Video About Bente Van de Veerdonk’s Case
Severe and Unrelenting Symptoms
The source interprets this symptom pattern as consistent with Empty Nose Syndrome, particularly the combination of an excessively open nasal sensation, severe dryness and loss of normal airflow perception.
Other Symptoms Likely Related to ENS
Additional symptoms listed in the source include dry eyes and mouth, difficulty swallowing, a persistent lump-in-the-throat sensation, ear pain and burning across the chest, arms and back.
Other Medical Conditions
The source states that Bente described her thyroid as being “close to being too hard,” which was interpreted there as possible hyperthyroidism or another thyroid disorder. The exact diagnosis is not established by the supplied text.
A Desperate Search for Relief
Bente searched tirelessly for help. She consulted specialists and planned to visit Dr. Dixon, described in the source as an ENS specialist in Rotterdam.
She experimented with nasal ointments, warm drinks and alternative treatments including homeopathy. The relief was described as either brief or nonexistent.
In online forums, she shared her experiences openly and asked other patients for advice, alternating between hope that something might help and despair when the symptoms continued.
“I can’t focus on anything else but my breathing. Sleeping is a BIG issue... I really need help to make it a bit more bearable because now I can’t even focus on the TV. You have to imagine.”
Her posts also described severe insomnia, use of lorazepam, declining mental well-being, isolation and an urgent desire to find a treatment that would make the symptoms bearable.
The Final Months
During the approximately ten months after surgery, the source describes a dramatic deterioration in Bente’s quality of life.
Health problems that had previously been manageable became overwhelming. She endured sleepless nights, chronic pain and a feeling that her body was failing in multiple ways.
Despite continuing to search for treatment and support, her suffering eventually became overwhelming, and she was lost after a final crisis in November 2024.
A Legacy of Awareness
The source material states that Bente was the sixth person known within these ENS support communities to be lost during a severe crisis in 2024.
It also names Charly Audes of France, Tyler Kuckelman of the United States, Océane Flavigny of France, Sam Treffry of Australia and an unnamed 54-year-old Canadian man as other people reported by the same online communities during that year.
The source specifically notes that these reports came from three Facebook ENS support groups with approximately 5,000 to 6,000 members and should not be interpreted as global epidemiological statistics.
The original text argues strongly that Bente’s outcome was directly connected to complications following septal and turbinate surgery and calls for greater medical accountability, stronger warnings and reconsideration of procedures that alter turbinate tissue. That causal and policy position is preserved here as the viewpoint of the source material rather than presented as an independently established conclusion.
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