Nasal septal deviation

The nasal septum is the cartilage partition that separates the two sides of the nose. If the septum is bent, it can cause blockage. This is often caused by previous trauma to the nose (eg a broken nose) but sometimes people are born with a bent septum. If the bend in the septum is bad enough, you may be offered either a septoplasty (to correct the bend in the cartilage) or a septorhinoplasty (to correct and deviation of the nasal bones if neccessary). Sometimes other conditions co-exist (eg chronic rhinosinusitis or allergic rhinitis), which means that even if the septum is straightened, you may need to continue other treatments (eg nasal steroid sprays, saline washes) in the long term to get maximum benefit. Septoplasty is an effective treatment for the right patients, but there are some risks, which include: bleeding, infection, failure/recurrence, and rarely cosmetic deformity (a “saddle” nose) or septal perforation (a hole inside the nose).