MotoGP: Marc Marquez Has Surgery to Improve Breathing

Marc Marquez has been back briefly to the operating theater today, where he has undergone surgery to improve his breathing. The reigning world champion was admitted to the Dexeus hospital in Barcelona, where he had an operation to correct a deviated septum, which had hampered his breathing through his nose.

Marquez is one of a few riders who uses the nasal plaster strips to keep the nostrils open (see photo above). These strips are said to aid breathing through the nose, and with Marquez suffering a deviated septum, he may have had some benefit from the strips.

The septum is the mixture of cartilage and bone which separates the two nostrils, and if the septum becomes enlarged – a common occurrence after injury – then breathing through the nose can be more difficult.

The surgery Marquez underwent is aimed at making the nasal cavity larger, and removing any obstructions, to help him breath more easily. Marquez will have to take a week of rest, before returning to the busy schedule of a world champion, which has included trips to Japan and Monaco.

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.