If you experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing through your nose, recurrent sinus infections, or nosebleeds that have failed to clear with medical therapy , you may consider surgery to correct a deviated septum. Septoplasty is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that is performed entirely through the nostrils and can be combined with sinus surgery, or rhinoplasty. During the septoplasty procedure, the septum bone and cartilage which is located in the middle of your nose is repositioned and straightened. This short outpatient procedure can be performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation, or general anesthesia if necessary. Nasal packing is not typically required and there is no expected facial swelling or bruising. The nasal airway is immediately open and the obstruction is relieved. There can of course be some mild post-operative congestion, which is easily managed with nasal spray. Post-operative pain is minimal and you should be able to return to normal activities in 24 hours.
After the septoplasty procedure, you are moved to a recovery room, where you will be monitored for about an hour. You will be able to go home the same day and continue to eat a normal diet, but expect to be on bed rest for 24 hours. To further decrease the chances of bleeding and swelling, your doctor may ask that you to follow certain precautions for one week after surgery. These may include: avoiding strenuous activities, elevating your head while sleeping, not blowing your nose, and avoiding aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, or other blood thinning medications. As with any major surgery, septoplasty carries risks, such as bleeding, infection and an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. Additional surgery may be required to treat some of these complications or if the outcome of the surgery doesn’t match your expectations. It is important to speak with your surgeon about all of the risks before surgery.