Septoplasty Recovery Procedure: Septoplasty Healing Procedure, Risks

Septoplasty is a procedure performed to straighten and correct the nasal septum, to remedy uncontrollable nose bleeding, and to repair hole in the septum. The septum is the part of the face that separates the two nasal cavities running down the middle of the nose. There are cases where the septum favors one nasal cavity resulting to an obstruction of airflow and consequently resulting to some serious problems such as chronic sinus. The problem can be corrected by reducing the inferior turbinate and enlarging the nasal cavity. But special care should be observed to avoid having an empty nose syndrome and ensure faster septoplasty recovery.

Septoplasty Healing Procedure:

An incision is made in the septum lining, and upon reaching the excess bone or cartilage, they are taken out or straightened. The septum is then stabilized with the aid of splints, plastic tubes or sutures for a few days. The stabilizer allows breathing from the nose and easier swallowing for the patient. Septoplasty is generally completed in sixty to ninety minutes or even less while septoplasty recovery will be in the next one to two weeks. It is least expected from the patient to encounter bruising and swelling after the procedure.

Septoplasty Recovery Risks:

Septoplasty recovery can be smooth if the procedure has been made properly. There will be no evident external bruising since the outer bones are not affected unlike in rhinoplasty. Some complications that could be encountered include:

• Allergies
• Bleeding
• Change in appearance
• Infection
• Nasal crusting
• No complete improvement in breathing
• Tear in the septum

Septoplasty Recovery Steps:

After the operation, the patient is allowed to go home right away to complete the septoplasty recovery. Upon leaving, the dressings are usually removed, but some surgeons prefer to tape gauze underneath the nose to help absorb bleeding. The gauze is changed every hour or if needed and bleeding normally stops in one to two days. The patient is allowed to blow the nose for the first time only after treating the nose with saline irrigations while normal blowing will be possible after one to two weeks.

Septoplasty recovery will be best facilitated if the surgeon’s list of instructions is properly followed. The patient should elevate the head while resting for the first two days, breathing should be made through the mouth until the nasal pack is removed and ice packs should be applied on the nose to hasten septoplasty recovery.