Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is a potential complication of surgery to the nasal turbinates. ENS is a clinical syndrome that is often referred to as one form of secondary atrophic rhinitis in the medical literature. People with ENS have usually undergone a turbinectomy (removal or reduction of turbinates, structures inside the nose) or other surgical procedures that reduce or injure the nasal turbinates. The overall incidence of ENS is unknown due to the lack of a reliable epidemiological study or International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code. According to this article, Dr. Talmadge noted that "many cases likely go unrecognized or underdiagnosed, and therefore unreported."

People with ENS may experience a range of symptoms, most commonly feelings of nasal obstruction, nasal dryness and crusting, and a sensation of being unable to breathe.

The condition is caused by medical interventions and can be caused by any surgery or procedure involving the nasal turbinates. This includes both minor "conservative" surgical procedures as well as total turbinate resection. It is often seen with people who have unobstructed nasal passages following surgical intervention but report suffocation or obstruction. Previously doctors believed ENS was limited to those with complete turbinate resection but through further research it has been found in patients with a range of surgeries/procedures to the nasal turbinates.

The existence as a medical condition was previously controversial and has recently been more accepted in the ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists and plastic surgeon community but corrective surgical methods are experimental and limited to a few ENTs worldwide. This is due to many ENTs and plastic surgeons not fully understanding the airflow changes that occur when they modify the nose, a lack of understanding in why some patients exhibit the symptoms while others do not and incorrectly assuming that patients exhibiting ENS symptoms are due to mental illness. Despite all aspects of it having been subject to debate, including whether it should be considered solely rhinologic or whether it may have neurological or psychosomatic aspects, it has recently been gaining more acceptance in the ENT community.