Septoplasty

Patient must remain hospitalized for observation at least overnight following surgery. Any pain at the site of surgery (usually mild) is controlled with pain medication. During hospitalization, you should alert healthcare personnel to any new symptoms that appear, particularly the presence of nosebleeds. The morning after surgery, the endonasal swabs are generally removed (if present), nasal secretions are aspirated and the patient is discharged with the paraseptal plates in place and the indication to follow a therapy (which usually consists in performing nasal washes and the use of creams / nasal sprays). The first post-operative check-up is generally scheduled after 7-10 days, and on that occasion the paraseptal plates are removed and the healing of the tissues is checked, on the basis of which any further check-ups are scheduled. The patient will experiencea strong nasal respiratory obstruction for at least 10-15 days after surgery, in particular before the removal of swabs and plates; for the same period nasal secretions may appear, generally red/pink due to the presence of blood residue. You should avoid physical exertion, exposure to heat, smoking, use of medication that promotes bleeding (unless considered necessary), blowing your nose and sneezing with your mouth closed for about 3 weeks (it is useful as a substitute to do lots of nasal washes and sneezing with your mouth open), and follow any other instructions given by your health care providers.

Short-term complications

Complications of the surgery are variable, including based on the patient's comorbidities and the extent of the septal deviation, and will be explained in detail prior to surgery. The most common ones include:

• epistaxis, which should not be confused with the presence of secretions with minimal blood component. If this occurs during hospitalization, the health care providers should be notified; if the patient has already been discharged, it is generally indicated to compress the nasal pyramid, apply ice locally if possible and go immediately to the emergency room;
• surgical site infection, for which medical re-evaluation is required for proper medical or surgical management;
• formation of synechiae (scarring adhesions), reducing the space for respiratory flow;
• hemoseptum, which is a collection of blood below the mucosa of the septum, which may result in the need for surgical drainage.

Long-term complications

One of the complications of the surgery may be perforation of the nasal septum, which in some cases may heal on its own, in others it may stay for a long time. It is also possible that the surgery does not resolve or only partially resolves the nasal breathing obstruction. On the other hand, the possibility of aesthetic deformation of the nasal pyramid is very rare, in particular due to the "fall" of the nasal tip, if the supporting "skeleton" is insufficient.