Dogs that have brachycephalic airway syndrome frequently have very narrow nasal openings. By resecting or removing small wedges of tissue from the front of the nose, the nasal openings can be opened considerably thus allowing more air to pass through the nose and ultimately to the trachea and lungs.
This procedure is performed under general anesthesia. Vertical wedges of tissue are removed from the sides of the front of the nose. The resultant defects are then sutured closed with an absorbable suture material that will generally fall out on its own.
This procedure is frequently combined with a soft-palate resection.