Definition of Nasal Septum Disorder

 

The nasal septum is a structure that separates the left and right nasal passages. The deviated septum can be caused due to the bone and cartilage in the nose are crooked. It can be a congenital disorder, or caused by impact trauma.

 

 

 

Symptoms

1. Nasal congestion: Around 30% of patients also suffer from nasal congestion, especially a unilateral nasal obstruction.
2. Nosebleeds: A deviated septum affects the way air moves through the nostrils. It can cause the inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes and cause frequent nose bleeds.
3. Facial pain: patients can suffer from unilateral facial pain due to the deviation of septum is significantly off centre.
4. Difficulty breathing while sleeping: Commonly seen among the infants with a deviated nasal septum and swelling tissues lining the nose. It is, however, not done often in children because the cartilage is still developing.
5. Recurring sinus infections: A deviated septum may cause sinus inflammation when the nasal cavity is swollen. The symptoms of sinus infection include sinus pressure on the cheek, a stuffy nose, a headache, a fever and bad breath.

 

 

Septoplasty

 

In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes an incision on one side of your nose to access the septum. Then the deviated septum is moved into the right position under an endoscopic visualization. The last step is the repositioning of the mucous membrane. A septoplasty requires general anaesthesia and takes around one hour to complete. It is a minimally invasive procedure.

 

 

 

Effectiveness

 

Septoplasty has a high success rate in treating nasal obstruction, reducing the side effects caused by taking drugs, improve the sleep by bringing back the normal breathing, and relieving the sinus obstruction.

Recovery

 

The breathing will be better improved shortly after the procedure. It takes one to two weeks to recover. Nasal douching is advised at home to remove blood clots. And strenuous exercise should be avoided in first two weeks.

 

Most patients will be symptom-free. In some cases, however, the cartilage and nasal tissues can shift over time and eventually block airflow through the nose again. This means that a revision surgery will be needed to reshape the nose and septum further.

 

 

 

*The above information is for reference only, please consult your doctor for detail.