What is Septoplasty

The nasal septum is the partition inside the nose made of cartilage (gristle) which separates the two nostrils. Usually the septum is straight and upright, and is in the middle of the nose. Inside your nose, the septum is bent over. You may feel that your nose is blocked or may have headaches and pain in the face. You may have sinus (the space inside any face bone) infections and even ear problems. Straightening out the septum will help you to breathe through your nose more easily, and lessen problems with your sinuses and ears.

What will happen before the Operation

you may be checked for past illnesses and may have special tests to make sure that you are well prepared and that you can have the operation as safely as possible.. Please tell the doctors and nurses of any allergies to tablets, medicines or dressings. You will have the operation explained to you and will be asked to fill in an operation consent form If you have a cold in the week before your admission to hospital, please telephone the ward and let the ward sister know. The operation will usually be put off, and you will be given time to get better before being sent for again. You need to get over your cold before you have your operation because by the general anaesthetic the cold could turn into a serious chest infection.

The Operation

You will have a general anaesthetic and be completely asleep. A small cut will be made in the skin over the septum inside the nose. The surgeon will then straighten out the cartilage and move it back into the middle of the nose. Further back, the septum changes into bone, and this may be crooked. The surgeon will remove small pieces of bone to make it straight again. The cut inside the nose will be closed with stitches which will dissolve on their own and do not need to be removed. Plastic splints and gauze packing soaked in Vaseline will then put into the nose to keep everything straight and stop any bleeding. Because you will be asleep you will not feel any pain at all during the operation. The nasal packing and splints will be removed on the second morning after your operation by the nurses on the ward. You should be fit to go home later that day.