Extracorporeal septoplasty with internal nasal valve stabilisation

Abstract

Among various septoplasty techniques, the extracorporeal one is used for severe deformities of the caudal septum and consists essentially in removal of the nasal septum followed by correction of deformities. Reconstruction of the neo-septum is carried out by repositioning the septal fragments in a straight position. The disadvantages of this surgical technique are the septal haematoma, oedema of the mucosa in the valve area and some types of abnormalities of the middle third of the nose such as saddling of the dorsum. All of these conditions can be associated with various degrees of functional disorders. To prevent these possible complications, we developed a suture technique to fix the caudal portion of the neo-septum and avoid alterations or narrowing of the internal nasal valve. The purpose of this study is to describe extracorporeal septoplasty results with this suture technique in stabilising the internal nasal valve. From January 2011 to December 2013, a retrospective review of adult patients treated with extracorporeal septoplasty was performed at the ENT department of Imola Hospital. Pre-and post-operative evaluations were carried out by rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Statistical analysis was performed with commercially available software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). 133 cases fulfilled inclusion criteria and were enrolled. A significant improvement was evident after surgery based on the results of rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinology. Extracorporeal septoplasty with stabilisation of the internal nasal valve is an effective and reproducible surgical technique that yields optimal functional results.