Septoplasty
Alternative names:
nasal septal repair; nasal septum repair
Definition:
Surgery to correct deviations or irregularities of the nasal septum. The septum is the cartilage and bony partition that separates the two nasal chambers (nostrils). During surgery, great care is taken to avoid perforating the septum or weakening the structure of the nose. See also rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery).
Description:
The goal of the surgery is to straighten out the nasal septum, to relieve obstructions, or other problems related to the deviation of the septum. An incision is made internally on one side of the nasal septum. After the mucous membrane is elevated away from the bone, obstructive parts of bone and cartilage are removed, and plastic surgery is performed as necessary. Then the mucous membrane is returned to its original position.
Indications:
The main indications for nasal surgery are: Nasal airway obstruction is usually the result of a septal deformity that causes breathing by mouth, sleep apnea, or recurrent nasal infections that are slow to respond to antibiotics. A septal spur headache is defined as a headache secondary to pressure from the nasal septum on the linings in side the nose (septal impaction) and relieved by topical (applied to a localized area of the skin) anesthesia on the septal impaction. Other intranasal surgery indicating septoplasty includes polypectomy (removal of a polyp), ethmoidectomy (operation on the ethmoid bone at the superior part of the nasal cavity), turbinate surgery (operation on the concha nasalis), and tumor removal.
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