I am thinking about getting surgery to correct a deviated septum, my question is, will this change the look of my nose at all? What are the potential risks of this surgery? Currently I have trouble clearing my ears when I scuba dive, will this help?
Thank you
Reply: ------------------------
The nasal septum is the wall that divides the nasal passage in two and is made of cartilage and thin bone covered by a mucosal lining. Deviations (curvatures, spur formations, etc.) of the septum are very common. Quite frankly, the majority of nasal septal deviations that I see in every day practice are not associated with significant bothersome symptoms. However, deviations of the septum may cause or significantly contribute to bothersome symptoms or even serious health problems including difficulty breathing through the nose, disturbance in sense of smell, chronic or recurrent sinus infections, chronic facial pain, obstructive sleep apnea, etc. When such symptoms or conditions are felt to be associated with a septal deformity, an operation known as a septoplasty is frequently advised. It is important to note however, that even when bothersome symptoms are clearly associated with this anatomic abnormality, non-surgical treatments may be effective including artifical nasal dilators (such as the Breathe-Right strips frequently seen worn by professional athletes) or chronic use of topical nasal steroid sprays such as Vancenase, Flonase, Nasacort, Rhinocort, etc.
Clearly the most definitive method of treating symptomatic nasal septal deformities however, is via septoplasty. This is a relatively minor surgical procedure which can be done under local anesthesia with some sedation as an outpatient. The operation may take anywhere from 30 mins. to an hour. The lining is lifted of of the septum, and the deviation then corrected. Plastic splints or packing inside the nose are then temporarily used for a couple days to a week after surgery. Pain is usually fairly minor and there should be no swelling or bruising of significance visible on the face. When significant deviations are present and cause the primary symptom of difficulty breathing through the nose, this type of surgery is highly successful and risks are minimal and few. Some of the potential risks include infection, nose bleeding, or perforation of the septum. However serious complications are very uncommon.
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Steve Dankle, MD
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Milwaukee, Wis
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