What is Septoplasty?
The operation to correct congenital or acquired deformities of the bone and cartilage structure of the nose is called septoplasty. Septoplasty is a very successful operation to improve a person’s quality of life, and is often used to treat breathing problems. With this procedure, the person’s health problem is eliminated by repositioning the bone or cartilage tissues that prevent the nose from breathing and performing the necessary deviation procedures.
Why is Septoplasty performed?
Nasal obstruction is a problem that affects about one third of the population. However, this situation does not always require a deviated septum procedure. Septoplasty is usually carried out in cases where the person has difficulty breathing and this affects their daily life. This condition can begin at birth or develop over time as a result of childhood trauma.
During this time, the growth points that are open to development increase the formation of cartilage, grow and over time the bones and cartilage in this area begin to bend. In some cases, the cartilage in this area can even break, causing deformities in the nose. This is why septoplasty is used to correct this problem.
People with damaged cartilage tissue have difficulty in maintaining their daily lives and experience many negative situations. Problems such as breathing difficulties, restricted movement, insomnia, snoring, stress, anxiety and fatigue require septoplasty.
Who can have Septoplasty?
Septoplasty can be performed on anyone who has problems due to severe breathing difficulties, cartilage and bone deformities. As bone and facial development is complete by the age of 18, septoplasty is not recommended for people under this age. However, if there is a nasal fracture or deformity due to acute trauma, the operation can be performed at an even earlier age under the supervision of a doctor.
How is Septoplasty performed?
Septoplasty can be carried out if there are no obstacles to the operation after the doctor’s examination. It is very important to make the correct diagnosis for this operation. For this reason, the patient’s general health is checked and the necessary tests are carried out. Radiography or intranasal cameras are often used to plan the operation.
The procedure is usually done under local anaesthetic, but in some cases it can be done under general anaesthetic. Once the patient has been anaesthetised, the procedure begins with an incision made inside the nose. By accessing the nasal septum under the mucous membranes in this area, the areas that need to be deviated are identified and the detected curvatures are corrected. If the bone and cartilage in the nose can be corrected, the necessary adjustments are made. However, if the bone and cartilage structures are too damaged, they are removed from this area, the necessary adjustments are made outside and the procedure is completed by repositioning them in the appropriate areas.
At the end of the operation, a tampon is placed in the nostrils to control bleeding. Since the tampons used today are made of silicone, they do not cause breathing difficulties. The tampons can therefore be removed within 2-3 days.
What should be considered after a Septoplasty?
In order to avoid problems that may occur later, there are some things that need to be considered after septoplasty and these are as listed below:
- The patient should be careful not to hit their nose anywhere after the operation.
- It is important not to hold the sneeze and try to sneeze with the mouth open.
- It is normal to have some bloody nasal discharge at first. Over time, this nasal discharge will turn yellow and pink.
- The nasal congestion and swelling will subside within 1-2 weeks.
- To reduce nasal congestion and swelling, it is helpful to keep your head 30 degrees above heart level rather than lying flat on the bed.
What are the benefits of Septoplasty?
After septoplasty, the person’s breathing is improved and some symptoms (as noted below) caused by nasal congestion are relieved:
- sinus infections
- persistent nasal discharge
- snoring and chronic headache-like symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions About Septoplasty
Endoscopic septoplasty is the removal of abnormalities of the septum, especially the posterior part of the septum, and the lining of the sinuses under endoscopic guidance.
Revision septoplasty is a surgical procedure performed to correct complications that occur after the first surgery in patients who have previously undergone septoplasty, or to correct cartilaginous structures that do not improve nasal obstruction sufficiently after the first surgery and remain curved.
Open septoplasty is used in cases where the bone and cartilage curvature extends below the nasal roof or towards the tip of the septum and cannot be corrected by traditional surgery.
Septoplasty, which is one of the most important operations, takes an average of 1 to 1.5 hours.
No. Septoplasty surgery is performed by lifting the mucous membrane covering the nose through an incision made through the nose to correct the curve of the nasal septum.
After septoplasty, silicone tampons with a hole in the middle are placed in the nose, and patients can breathe in and out of their nose comfortably through these holes after the operation.
The silicone tampons can usually be removed 2 or 3 days after the operation.
Early removal of silicone tampons may increase the risk of haematoma if bleeding is not well controlled during surgery. Therefore, bleeding may occur in the nose after removal of the tampons.
As the septoplasty only removes the curved parts of the cartilage in the nose called the septum, and does not touch the nasal roof, no bandage or splint is needed after the operation.
Septoplasty surgery that is not performed with the proper technique can result in collapse of the tip or back of the nose, blood accumulation in the nose called haematoma, and nosebleeds with the development of infection. However, with proper technique and bleeding control, these risks are very rare.
Septoplasty is a type of surgery to correct cartilage and bone tissue. Septoplasty does not involve any changes to the outside of the nose.
Rhinoplasty, on the other hand, is a type of cosmetic surgery that corrects deformities of the nose.
It is known that the results of septoplasty, which is carried out by organising the operation plan before the operation, using appropriate techniques and experienced people in this field, are significantly successful.