Very often, people do not even suspect that many of their health problems are associated with an irregular nose shape, or rather – nasal septum. Quite rarely, the curvature of the nasal septum is so pronounced that others notice it, although this happens. But in this case, the patient himself knows that he needs a nose shape correction. And when, during an appointment with an ENT specialist, a person complains of chronic sinusitis, sinusitis or tonsillitis, frequent nosebleeds and endlessly recurring respiratory diseases, snoring, difficulty breathing through the nose, hearing loss – sometimes he is very surprised to learn that the cause of all his health troubles lies in the curvature of the nasal septum.
Causes of deviated septum
Not always the curvature of the nasal septum is the result of an injury in the nose, due to which the cartilage and bone have shifted in one direction or another. Most often, patients in whom an otorhinolaryngologist detects a deviated septum deny any head trauma in the past. Nasal septal deformity can occur as a result of birth trauma, as well as due to a violation of the development of the facial skeleton during a particularly intensive growth in childhood or adolescence.
Because the cartilage of the nasal septum is encased in a bone "frame", and the rate of growth of the cartilage can outpace the growth of the skeletal skeleton around, in some cases a forced bending of the cartilaginous part of the septum is formed.
Recommendations and contraindications for septoplasty
The nasal septum is a mucosal-covered plate of cartilage and bone that ”blocks” nasal cavity into two halves. Many patients believe that the nasal septum should divide the nasal cavity into two completely equivalent halves. But the human body is not perfectly symmetrical, and the nasal cavity is not perfectly even either. Her septum has curves, bone-cartilaginous outgrowths, which doctors call ridges and spikes.
If the nasal septal curvature is mild, usually the plastic surgeon does not insist on any intervention. However, if we are talking about a significant violation of nasal breathing, which causes health problems, then, of course, a surgical correction of the nasal septum will be a reasonable solution.
It should be noted that sometimes patients are distrustful of the surgeon's recommendations for plastic surgery of a deviated septum. So, to the question "How do you breathe through your nose?" the patient may respond, "I'm breathing normally, normally!" However, during further questioning, it turns out that the patient sleeps with his mouth open, complains of snoring and poor sense of smell. An interesting situation is when, some time after the nasal septum plasty, the patient tells the doctor: “I just didn’t know how it really is — breathe through your nose!”.
Many experts do not recommend septoplasty for patients of the older age group, since the performance of surgical interventions in them is associated with an increased risk of anesthesia and the operation itself. Some believe that children can be performed septoplasty no earlier than the age of 17-18 years due to the immaturity of their skeleton. However, the lack of full-fledged nasal breathing in a child can adversely affect the process of his physical and mental development, cause malocclusion and impaired tooth growth. Most reputable otorhinolaryngologists believe that if there are clear indications, surgical intervention on the nasal septum can be performed on a child from the age of 11, and if there is a particularly pronounced difficulty in nasal breathing, the question of surgery may be considered,
How a septoplasty is performedThe operation consists in the removal of curved sections of cartilage and bone. At the same time, the mucous membrane covering the nasal septum is preserved, and after the operation, there is no hole left on the septum - it just becomes thinner and does not consist of cartilage, but of fibrous tissue. The operation is performed endonasally (i.e., through the nasal cavity without visible incisions in the skin of the face) and lasts about an hour. The incision is made inside the nose, and the scar is not subsequently visible. If necessary, other endoscopic operations on the paranasal sinuses, turbinates, removal of adenoid vegetations are simultaneously performed. At the end of the operation, the nasal septum is fixed in the middle position with special plates (splints). Swabs are inserted into the nasal cavity, which support the nasal septum in the proper position and absorb bloody secretions.
After the operation, painkillers and antipyretics, antibiotics are prescribed. Tampons are removed from the nasal cavity after 1-2 days, accompanying the procedure with the introduction of painkillers and hemostatic drugs. The patient should be warned that within a few days after the removal of the tampons, he will not feel a marked improvement in nasal breathing. This is due to the swelling of the mucous membrane as a result of the operation and the accumulation of blood clots and mucus in the nasal passages. In most patients, complete subjective normalization of nasal breathing is observed 5–6 weeks after surgery. In the case of concomitant allergic rhinitis and some other conditions, the recovery period may be delayed, and then there will be a need for additional prescriptions.