Septoplasty is an operation that straightens the nasal septum. It is performed under general anesthesia. Commonly, it is performed as an outpatient procedure, that is, you come in the morning and leave later in the afternoon. There is relatively little discomfort from this surgery and most individuals rarely take more than Tylenol for their discomfort.
Nasal packing is rarely used and for most surgeries involving the septum, silastic splints are placed in each nostril, and then sutured together to hold the septum firmly in the midline. Most people are hardly aware that these are in their nose. Most tolerate their presence without discomfort. Splints are removed 3 days after surgery. Following this, there will be some crusting in the nose which can last anywhere from one to three weeks. Keeping your nose cleared with Vaseline and water. Generally one will appreciate improvement in the nasal airway by two to three weeks, but on occasion it takes up to three months to detect this improvement. The septoplasty is not universally successful, and it may fail because you have other nasal problems such as allergy; in many cases the cartilage has a rebound and a memory, and even though the surgery has been correctly performed, the septum returns to its previously deviated state.
If your external nose is crooked, you will require a rhinoplasty to straighten this. Rhinoplasty is easily combined with a septoplasty in which case it is called a septorhinoplasty. If you have ever thought about having the appearance of your nose changed, this is the time to do so and you should discuss it with your surgeon during the preoperative planning stages.
A relatively new important development in paranasal sinus surgery is endoscopic sinus surgery. Using small endoscopes to look inside the nose, the surgery is directed at opening the natural drainage channels for the maxillary, ethmoid, and frontal sinuses. Older operations made new drainage channels which did not function physiologically, and frankly did not perform satisfactorily. The new endoscopic sinus surgery is a more natural procedure, substantially less involved, and is performed under direct vision. This is not to say it is without risk, but the endoscope adds an element of safety.
This procedure takes practice to perfect, but in our hands, has become the procedure of choice when sinus surgery is required. It does the least harm, removes the least amount of your own tissues, and in our opinion, most effectively reestablishes the natural outflow of sinus secretions and the inflow of air.
Endoscopic sinus surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Most patients prefer general anesthesia. The surgery is performed as an outpatient, meaning you go home the same afternoon. The discomfort is minimal, and far less than with the older more conventional operations.
Read the information/instruction sheet provided for individuals who are having endoscopic sinus surgery.