Septoplasty is surgery inside your nose to straighten a deviated septum. Your septum, about 7 centimeters long (2.5 to 3 inches) in adults, consists of cartilage and bone. It separates the inside of your nose into two chambers, or nostrils.
A deviated septum is a septum that’s crooked or bent instead of straight. It can block one or both nostrils and interfere with airflow. Your septum can become deviated from an injury, but you can also be born with it.
People with a deviated septum and have nasal obstruction may need a septoplasty. In addition, healthcare providers may recommend septoplasty to:
Remove nasal polyps
Treat chronic sinusitis
Stop recurrent (chronic) nosebleeds (less common)
Address other conditions that block your nasal airway
While septoplasty is often performed as a stand-alone procedure, your provider may recommend septoplasty and turbinate reduction. During turbinate reduction, your surgeon reduces the size of the small, bony structures inside your nose.
Septoplasty is most commonly performed in adolescents and adults. While it’s not generally done in young children, there are certain instances when your child’s provider may recommend it.
Septoplasty is usually performed on an outpatient basis, so most people go home the day of their surgery. In most cases, a healthcare provider will place you under general anesthesia. This means you’ll be asleep during the operation. Local anesthesia, which numbs the part of the body targeted for surgery, might be an option.
The procedure takes place entirely inside your nose. Your surgeon creates an incision (cut) on one side of your nose and lifts the mucosa (a thin membrane that covers and protects the septum). This allows your surgeon to reshape the septum’s bone and cartilage. Sometimes your surgeon will remove parts of the bone and cartilage, then reshape and reposition your nose’s underlying structures. Afterward, they’ll reposition the mucosa back over the septum. Your nose is not broken during surgery. The operation takes between 30 and 90 minutes.
Afterward, your surgeon may insert splints or soft packing to hold nasal tissue in place, prevent nosebleeds and reduce the risk of scar tissue. Usually, the splints stay in one week. Sometimes, your surgeon might leave only dissolving stitches, which disappear on their own over time.
Septoplasty can improve airflow through your nasal passages. This can result in a number of benefits. For example, septoplasty:
Treats breathing problems caused by a deviated septum, nasal polyps or other similar conditions
Can reduce or eliminate snoring, giving you a better night’s rest
Allows your sinuses to drain better, resulting in fewer sinus infections.
Initial septoplasty recovery usually takes about one week or less. But, overall healing of the bone and cartilage will continue for several months to one year.