Septoplasty

Septoplasty

Most of us have heard the term deviated septum. It may bring to mind a nerdy kid in taped glasses who whistles when he breathes.However fully 80 percent of all people have some deviation of the septum. What is the septum anyway? It is the bone and cartilage between the nostrils. It separates the two nasal cavities. It should be straight, but very often is not.

As I said, 80 percent of us do not have a septum that is perfectly straight. This can be due to congenital problems but more commonly results from injury to the nose. When the deviation is severe, it can cause chronic nasal congestion, sinus problems, frequent nose bleeds, facial pain, post nasal drip, headaches, snoring, and noisy breathing. The surgery to correct this is known as septoplasty.

When the septum deviates into one of the nasal cavities, it impedes the airflow and one side of the nose feel stuffed up. If there is a surplus of bone and cartilage, it may also affect the nasal turbinates. Those are little bony structures that control the amount of moisture in the nose. This frequently leads to chronic sinus problems, not pleasant for the person who has them. No one wants to o through life sniffling and snorting. Whoops, I forgot about snoring.

How many of us lie awake while our partner snores at a deafening level? Sleep apnea can also result. Sleep apnea is not pleasant and can be dangerous when a person stops breathing for a short period of time. Many people wonder why they awaken more tired than when they went to bed. People with sleep apnea stop breathing and wake many times during the night. Sleep quality is so poor, they are exhausted when they do wake up.Can it be fixed? Yes, by a plastic surgeon. The procedure takes from sixty to ninety minutes and is often an outpatient surgery. Local anesthesia is sometimes used, but general anesthesia is more common. The surgeon works through the nostrils to remove excess bone and cartilage. There will be no external scars as a result. Surgery on the nasal turbinates can also be done at this time if necessary. The nose is usually stabilized with little plastics tubes and splints and sometimes with packing.

After surgery you can expect considerable bruising and swelling. A gauze bandage will be applied underneath the nose to catch the bloody drainage. Frequent changes of this pad are necessary during the first few days post surgery. The head should be elevated for the first 24 to 48 hours. After that, splints are are removed and saline irrigation is advised to combat dryness.Most patients do not have significant pain, and antibiotics are not often necessary unless packing is in place more than 24 hours. If there is a lot of pain, medication will be prescribed. Ice packs help to relieve the normal discomfort following this surgery. The risks involved are the same as with any surgery, but complications are not usual. Within a few weeks, most people see a significant reduction in symptoms as normal breathing is restored.

 

 

 

 

 

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Articles

• Rhinoplasty Information
• Rhinoplasty Plastic Surgery
• Bulbous Rhinoplasty
• Rhinoplasty Procedure
• Rhinoplasty Cost
• Laser Rhinoplasty
• Rhinoplasty Before And After
• Septoplasty
• Recovery From Rhinoplasty
• Male Rhinoplasty
• Rhinoplasty Results
• Revision Rhinoplasty



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