Septoplasty

Septoplasty (SEP-toe-plas-tee) is a type of nose surgery. It straightens the wall of bone and cartilage that divides the space between the two nostrils. That wall is called the septum. When the septum is crooked, it's known as a deviated septum. A deviated septum can make it harder to breathe through the nose.

A crooked septum is common. But when it's very crooked, a deviated septum can block one side of the nose and reduce airflow. This makes it hard to breathe through one or both sides of your nose. Septoplasty straightens the nasal septum. The surgeon does this by trimming, moving and replacing cartilage, bone or both. Surgery to fix a deviated septum might be right for you if your symptoms affect your quality of life. For example, you might have trouble breathing through your nose or have frequent nosebleeds.

As with any major surgery, septoplasty carries risks. These risks include bleeding, infection and a bad reaction to the medicine that keeps you from feeling pain during surgery, called anesthesia. Other risks specific to septoplasty include: Continued symptoms, such as blocked air flow through the nose. Serious bleeding. A change in the shape of the nose. A hole in the septum. Less sense of smell. Clotted blood in the nasal space that has to be drained. Short-term loss of feeling in the upper gum, teeth or nose. Poor-healing surgical cuts, also called incisions. You may need more surgery to treat some of these health issues. You also may need more surgery if you didn't get the results you expected from septoplasty. Talk with your surgeon about your specific risks before surgery.

Before you schedule a septoplasty, you'll likely meet with a surgeon. The surgeon talks with you about the benefits and risks of the surgery. This meeting may include: Review of your medical history. Your surgeon asks about conditions you have or have had in the past. You're also asked if you take any medicines or supplements. A physical exam. The surgeon checks your skin and the inside and outside of your nose. You also may be asked to get certain tests, such as blood tests. Photographs. Someone from the surgeon's office may take photos of your nose from different angles. If the surgeon thinks that septoplasty will change the outside of your nose, the surgeon can use these photos to talk with you about it. The photos also can be used for the surgeon's reference during and after surgery. A talk about your goals. You and your surgeon should talk about what you hope to gain from surgery. The surgeon likely will explain what septoplasty can and can't do for you, and what your results might be.

Septoplasty straightens the nasal septum. It does this by trimming, centering, and sometimes replacing cartilage or bone. The surgeon works through incisions inside the nose. Sometimes, a small incision between the nostrils needs to be made. If crooked nasal bones push the septum off to one side, the surgeon may need to make cuts in the bones of the nose. This is done to move them into their proper place. Small strips of cartilage called spreader grafts can help correct a deviated septum when the problem is along the bridge of the nose. Sometimes, these are used to help straighten the septum.