[ Is septal perforation incurable? No. We can fix it. ]
Why do nasal septal perforation occur?
This is a complication that generally occurs during the process of extracting septal cartilage. If only the septal mucosa on one side is damaged or the cartilage remains, perforation does not occur and it recovers well, but if there is no cartilage between the septal mucosa on both sides and the mucosa on both sides is damaged in the same area, perforation occurs.
Does nasal septal perforation always require surgery?
Small perforations or asymptomatic perforations do not cause any particular problems, but if whistling sounds are heard through the perforation site or the patient experiences psychological problems, it should be surgically corrected. However, since septal perforation surgery has a relatively high failure rate, it is necessary to explain this to the patient before the surgery and perform the surgery.
Surgical method for septal perforation
After carefully peeling the mucosa on both sides of the perforation site, a flap is created from the mucosa on one side and the perforation site is filled. Then, if a cartilage piece is inserted into the mucosa on both sides, the probability of the perforation being closed can be increased.
Some people say septal perforation is incurable. Is that true?
The small-sized septal perforation seen in the above case can be corrected relatively easily. What is surgically important is the correction of large septal perforation.
Even if large septal perforation does not cause symptoms, it can cause psychological anxiety and distress in patients, so it is good to treat it, but many patients mistakenly believe that it is incurable.
However, large septal perforation is clearly treatable. In the case of large septal perforation, it is surgically very difficult to correct. It is impossible to close the perforation by pulling the mucosa on one side, so the mucosa must be pulled from both the upper and lower directions to correct it, and if necessary, cartilage must be harvested and used as a supplement.
The case below is a case of a large septal perforation of more than 1 cm that was corrected using costal cartilage. It was corrected at the same time as functional rhinoplasty.
