What is Septum?
The septum is a wall that normally divides the nose into two equal parts inside. It consists of cartilage at the front and a thin piece of bone at the back, and is covered by a skin-like membrane called the mucous membrane. On both sides of the nasal cavity, there are meats called concha, which provide nasal secretions and are necessary for the continuation of nasal physiology. These organs are 6 in number, three on each side. Some people may have more. In a normal nose, the septum is in the midline and the turbinates are of normal size. In the presence of septum deviation, the air passage narrows and growths occur in the turbinates.
What is Septum Deviation?
It can simply be called a curved septum. All or part of the septum is not in the midline and narrows the nasal air passage on the curved side. It is usually due to bumps that occurred during or after birth. The greater the deviation, the greater the nasal congestion. Patients often do not realize this, as breathing can be done from the non-occluded side. However, over time, edema and flesh growths (concha hypertrophies) occur as a reaction on the normal side, and nasal congestion becomes evident.
What Else Does Septum Deviation Cause?
The air required for the lungs must pass through the nose. During this transition, the air is kept suitable for the lungs by processes such as heating, humidification and cleaning. As a result of the deviated septum, air passage through the nose decreases. Untreated air taken by mouth can cause problems in the upper respiratory tract and lungs. Impairment of air passage due to deviation and hypertrophy also disrupts the movement of normal nasal secretions, causing them to become darker. The patient perceives this as nasal discharge. As these secretions become darker and lose their properties, the discomfort increases further, making it easier for diseases such as sinusitis and polyps to occur. Another problem is the occlusion of the olfactory region in the nose, and the reduction of smell as a result of the odor molecules not reaching this region.
How Can It Be Fixed?
The only treatment to be applied is the correction of this curvature with an operation. In this surgical technique, called septoplasty, the curved septum areas are corrected without damaging the mucosa, while preserving the cartilage support. In the techniques applied by some surgeons, as a result of the complete removal of the septum cartilages, falls and deformities are observed on the nasal dorsum.
In this method, all procedures are performed inside the nose and no incision marks are seen outside. Anesthesia can be local or general. The risk of general anesthesia applied in equipped operating rooms is very low with our current facilities. Nasal pads placed in the nose after surgery are usually kept for 1-2 days. The tampons used today are soft that do not injure the nose and absorb the accumulated blood. Its application and removal does not cause pain.
How Long Does Recovery Take?
There is no swelling or bruising on the face. The patient is usually sent home the same day. The next day, he can do all kinds of activities and return to work in a few days. However, it takes 2 weeks for the nasal tissues to fully heal.
