Deviated Septum Surgery

Deviated Septum Laser Surgery: A Plain English Guide

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It is estimated that 80% of the population of the United States has a deviated septum, a condition that can impact the quality of life depending on the severity of the deviation. This physical deformation, which usually happens during childbirth or due to injury to the nose, reduces the available space for air to comfortably flow into your body, which leads to several complications such as headaches, nosebleeds, stuffed and/or runny nose.

Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with this problem. There is medication, such as decongestants, nasal steroid sprays, and antihistaminics; if you suffer from sleep apnea (have trouble breathing while sleeping), there are many tools to help you lie down on your bed in the most beneficial position; and, if none of the above represent a positive change on your wellbeing, you can have surgery to correct the deformation.

The traditional deviated septum surgery usually involves lifting your mucous membrane and then performing the necessary cuts to straighten the septum. If your turbinates (the air channels that lead the air from your nose to your throat) are swollen, the doctor can also remove parts of them or shrink them resorting to radiotherapy. After the procedure is done, you will be recovering for at least 3 to 4 weeks.

However, there is another way to correct a deviated septum through surgery. Instead of cutting the bone and cartilage and all the bruising associated with this, laser surgery offers a different, effective and easier way to solve this problem.

What is Deviated Septum Laser Surgery?

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Unlike the procedure we described above, this particular type of surgery uses laser technology to do the corrections to your septum. The heat generated by the laser will soften the tissues, allowing the doctor to shape your septum to achieve a form that will improve your breathing.

Thanks to the precision of lasers, only the parts that need to be modified will be affected, and there is no cutting or bruising involved as the laser cauterizes any wounds that would appear.

How is Deviated Septum Laser Surgery Different from Other Procedures to Fix a Deviated Septum?

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Using a laser in this surgery brings many benefits when compared to the traditional way:

  1. 1
    The laser is very precise, which means that the doctor can point it directly at the areas that need to be shaped, without touching areas where intervention isn't needed;
  2. 2
    While general anesthesia might be sometimes considered for the traditional surgery, in the laser version only local anesthesia is required;
  3. 3
    The heat cauterizes the wounds as it cuts, which reduces the bleeding;
  4. 4
    After the surgery is complete, your nose won't be filled with internal splints or soft packing material, sparing you from that discomfort;
  5. 5
     that the healing time is two times quicker;
  6. 6
    The procedure lasts up to 20 minutes (down from up to one hour and a half);

How Long is the Recovery from Deviated Septum Laser Surgery?

Since there is no cutting, stitching, use of splints and packing material, the recovery process is much shorter. You could be ready to resume your normal life within one week, a much better prospect when compared with the three weeks needed to recover from a traditional deviated septum surgery.

What are the Best Tips to Prepare for and Recover from Deviated Septum Laser Surgery?

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In preparation for the surgery, your doctor will require exams to be carried out (such as an X-Ray and a blood test, for instance) and will observe the inside of your nose to determine how serious is the deviation, and what is the shape and size of your turbinates. These exams will help in understanding how the blockage is happening and what places can be modified to increase the airflow.

On the day of the procedure, local anesthesia will be administered and surgery will begin. Since the process is not as complex as other kinds of more invasive surgery, you can expect to leave the hospital on the same day without stitches, splints or packing material inside your nose. Patients that have undergone this process say that the pain is minimal.

Although the recovery process is faster and easier, you should still take some precautions with your nose:

  • don't bump your nose into other people or objects, as the tissue is still adapting to the new shape;
  • avoid strongly blowing your nose;
  • avoid people with colds or flu;
  • avoid smoking;

What Else Should a Patient Know About Deviated Septum Laser Surgery?

Some tissues in our body can "remember" their shape, something that is called the "shape-memory effect". Because of this, 7 to 10 days after the surgery, your septum might fluctuate back towards its original shape. This is only temporary, as 3 to 4 weeks later the septum tends to assume the shape that resulted from the procedure, and it will remain in that state for years to come. This is why it is important to mess as little as possible with your nose in the first few weeks, as it is adapting and finding its new place.

76% of the patients in this study saw great improvement to their airways, with reduced symptoms regarding nasal blockage, leading to a higher quality of life. In a separate study, patients also reported less overall nasal blockage and an improvement in snoring symptoms 4 to 6 months later.

In some more extreme cases of deformity, or of patients with more conditions such as rhinitis or chronic allergic conditions affecting the nasal area, the septum assumed a shape close to the original in the weeks after surgery and remained there without further changes. This situation happened to 24% of the patients in this study.

Summing Up 

If you’ve been suffering from the symptoms associated with having a deviated nasal septum, and medicine and positional devices for sleeping haven't greatly improved the quality of your life, surgery is the permanent solution to this problem.

We understand that the procedure might be a little daunting when you imagine it. However, the introduction of laser technology to this procedure added a lot of benefits, such as greater precision, less bruising, faster surgery times and a quicker and painless healing process.

The path to having a functional nose is not as painful and difficult as it used to be, so don't be afraid to take the necessary steps to improve your life.

References:

​​Laser Nasal Surgery to Correct Nasal Blocked

Laser-assisted outpatient septoplasty and laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for nasal obstruction and snoring.

​Laser assisted septal cartilage reshaping (LASCR): A prospective study in 12 patients

​Laser procedure effective in correcting nasal blockages associated with deviated septum​​​

Deviated Septum & Sleep Apnea: Your Complete Guide

Deviated Septum Pain: Common Causes and Cures

Types of Deviated Septum Surgery: A Quick Explanation of the Major Procedures

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A deviated septum occurs when the thin wall between your nostrils is twisted to one side. It's actually pretty common in a lot of people.

When a deviated septum is severe, it can block one side of your nose and reduce airflow, causing difficulty breathing. Treatment of a severely deviated septum may include medications to reduce the swelling or nasal dilators that help open the nasal passages. When medications don't work, you may need surgery to correct the septum and help normalize breathing.

When it comes to surgical procedures that can correct a deviated septum, you have a few different options to choose from:

Septoplasty

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Deviated Septum Surgery or a "septoplasty", unless major complications arise, is a fairly common outpatient procedure that is done in a hospital, clinic, or surgery center.

The surgery is minimally invasive meaning no external incisions are made and any stitches put in will dissolve by themselves within a few days. It's around a 30-90 minute operation and once the anesthesia has worn off, most patients can go home the same day (someone else will need to drive them home.)

During the procedure, the septum is straightened and repositioned in the middle of the nose. The surgeon does this by making an incision to separate the mucosa (the soft layer of tissue lining the nasal passages) from the cartilage and bone. The surgeon then trims or straightens the bent cartilage and replaces the mucosa over the cartilage and bone.

After the surgery, you may have a nasal splint or pack placed in your nostrils to keep the septum in place during the healing process.

Deviated Septum Balloon Surgery

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Also known as a Balloon Sinuplasty, this procedure uses a balloon attached to a wire catheter and is inserted into the nasal cavity. The balloon is then inflated and expands and remolds the collapsed or deviated wall of the nose. Once this correction has been made, the patient can then breathe normally and comfortably without any complications.

This procedure is minimally invasive and can be done in a doctor's office as opposed to a hospital or surgery center and can be done with local anesthesia as opposed to general anesthesia. No surgical cuts are required which reduces risks of bleeding and infection and the recovery period can be only a single day of rest before returning to work.

Deviated Septum Endoscopy Surgery

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Endoscopy or Sinoscopy as it is commonly referred to in medical terms is another procedure that can repair a deviated septum.

This procedure is unique from a septoplasty in that a small camera tool called an endoscope is inserted into the nasal cavity, and with an eyepiece, the surgeon can go into the exact location and correct the obstruction without having to make any cuts to the face.

Due to the minimal invasiveness of the procedure, the patient can go home the same day as the procedure is done.

By improving nasal drainage this procedure can improve airflow and other nasal functions that may suffer due to a deviated septum or other sinus problems.

Deviated Septum Surgery Combined with Other Surgeries

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Many patients who have a septoplasty performed, will choose to add an additional surgery on top of it and kill two birds with one stone. The most common type of surgery done together with a septoplasty is a rhinoplasty.

Patients who wish to have cosmetic work done to fix anything they don't like about their nose will do go ahead and do it if they are having a septoplasty done anyway.

Rhinoplasty with a Septoplasty

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Also known as a Septorhinoplasty, these two surgeries are often combined and should be done by one surgeon.

A rhinoplasty is a procedure done to reshape the external part of the nose and the septoplasty fixes the internal structure and any issues such as obstruction or other airway blockages. These two procedures done together allow the surgeon to improve both the form and function of the nose in one shot.

Some insurance companies may not choose to cover the rhinoplasty because it is the cosmetic part of the surgery and not medically necessary. Therefore you may be required to pay for that part upfront.

The combined procedures are more invasive than a septoplasty done on its own and are done with general anesthesia in a surgery center or hospital. The procedure takes between 1-2 hours and patients will generally need to wear a splint or cast on their nose while it heals.

Around a week after surgery, the cast is removed and patients can go back to work. There is usually swelling that will develop under the eye area but will gradually subside over a month. The nose will continue to heal for a year after the surgery is done and regular check-ups will be required during that time.

Deviated Septum and Turbinate Reduction Surgery

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A septoplasty done together with a turbinate reduction surgery is also pretty common.

Turbinates are small fleshy structures in your nose that help filter, warm, and moisten the air you breathe before it goes into your lungs. If they become enlarged or displaced they can make breathing more difficult and often times if they are chronic they will need to be operated on to fix them.

During the surgical procedure, the surgeon goes in with a knife and surgically removes some of the bone that is underneath the turbinates to reduce their overall size.

Other times the procedure is done with a shaving device in which the surgeon goes in and shaves done some of the tissue. The procedure is done with local anesthesia given through an IV and depending on the type of turbinate reduction surgery that was done, the recovery time can take up to 6 months. The area may need to be packed with gauze to keep the tissues in place which will heal over time.

To avoid bleeding or swelling you will be advised not to do any strenuous activity or blow your nose for the first few weeks of the healing process.

Sources:

Turbinate Reduction: Before and After, Recovery, Side Effects, and Cos

Rhinoplasty with Septoplasty | Septorhinoplasty Surgery

Ask a Surgeon - Nose Reshaping

What is Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Deviated Septum Information

Balloon Sinuplasty: Myths and Facts

Balloon Dilation Sinus Surgery

Balloon Septum | Balloon Sinuplasty Surgery

Deviated Septum & Sleep Apnea: Your Complete Guide

What is a Deviated Septum? Your 2-Minute Guide

Deviated Septum Treatment: 2 Popular Options