Comprehensive Functional Assessment of Nasal Balloon Dilation Surgery via Computational fluid dynamics and Human Cadaver Models

Balloon dilation surgery offers a minimally invasive approach to alleviate nasal obstruction by widening the intranasal airway. Our quantitative analysis of six cadaveric nasal models, using pre- and post-operative CT scans with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, revealed significant improvements. The procedure produced notable anatomical changes, particularly in the posterior airway region. After dilation, nasal airflow increased by an average of 24% (up to 35% in some cases), while total nasal resistance decreased by an average of 36% (reaching 79% reduction in certain specimens). The enhanced volumetric flow improved heat transfer efficiency across all specimens, with an average increase of 25% (maximum 36%). Post-surgical drug deposition showed improvement, correlating with increased posterior airflow and reduced resistance. Superior nasal cavity airflow also improved, especially in cases with significant posterior turbinate displacement, leading to enhanced olfactory airflow patterns and smell function. Among the specimens, Cadaver 3 demonstrated the most substantial improvements across all functional metrics, while Cadaver 1 showed minimal gains due to limited anterior remodeling. Overall, balloon dilation consistently provided measurable and clinically meaningful improvements in all functional domains.