Empty Nose Syndrome After Turbinate Surgery: Sarah Ogden’s Story

Sarah J. Ogden was only 22 years old when her life came to an end in 2017. Years later, her name is still remembered within the Empty Nose Syndrome community.

This episode tells Sarah’s story and explores the condition that became part of her life: Empty Nose Syndrome, or ENS. We look at why the nasal turbinates are far more than simple obstacles to airflow, how excessive turbinate reduction can leave a person with an open nasal airway yet a profound sensation of suffocation, and why breathing can become something the patient is forced to think about every minute of every day.

According to accounts preserved within the ENS community, Sarah underwent reconstructive treatment with AlloDerm and later two implant procedures in an attempt to regain normal breathing. Her official obituary does not state the circumstances of her death, but surviving ENS community accounts say that Sarah ultimately ended her own life after years of suffering.

Her story is not simply about one surgical technique or one treatment outcome. It is a reminder that an open nose is not necessarily a functioning nose — and that the turbinates, mucosa, airflow patterns and sensory system all play an essential role in making breathing feel normal.

For those of us living with Empty Nose Syndrome, Sarah’s story is part of our story too.

Learn more about Empty Nose Syndrome:

https://empty-nose-syndrome-info.blogspot.com/