Breathing freely is something that we all expect naturally. Even a slight irritation in the nose disrupts the routine. Not to mention other issues like snoring, labored breathing, etc. that come along with nasal blockages. If you too are suffering from long-term sinuses or a deviated septum, then a septoplasty done by India’s favorite rhinoplasty surgeon, Dr. Debraj Shome, is the answer to all your troubles.
What Is a Deviated Septum?
There is a thin wall that divides your nose into two parts from the center. This nasal wall is termed the deviated septum. It supports the nose and is made up of bones and auricular cartilage. Ideally, it should be a straight line, but it can be deviated or deformed in some cases. It can be this way since childbirth or later in life because of injuries, trauma to the nose, or poorly done previous rhinoplasties.
A deviated septum makes the nose look crooked or one-sided and causes many functional issues, such as nasal blockages, issues sleeping, snoring, headaches, facial pain, nosebleeds, and crusting in the nose. A mild deviation of the septum often goes unnoticed, but a severe deviation can require immediate attention. Septum deviation can be moderate, mild, or severe, depending on the angle of deviation from the straight line.
What Is Septoplasty?
Septoplasty is a type of nose surgery that is done to modify, move, change, or augment the structure of the septum in such a way that it divides the nose into two parts equally and eases breathing and sinus issues.
The decision to undergo septoplasty is made after a consultation with Dr. Debraj Shome, who can correctly assess the severity of the deviation and its effect on the patient’s quality of life. Some common indications for septoplasty are
- Chronic nasal congestion or obstruction: If the septum is deviated towards one side, then it causes one nasal passage to become narrower than the other. This causes nasal congestion and difficulty breathing from one or both nostrils.
- Breathing issues: In a severely deviated septum, the airflow can become turbulent, and breathing comfortably becomes a challenge, especially during sleeping or physical activity.
- Chronic sinus infections: Sinus can be a painful experience for people with deviated septum. The hinderance in drainage can lead to frequent sinus infections.
- Congestions: Blockage in the nasal passage can lead to a diminished ability to smell, taste, or even speak clearly and affect the overall quality of life.
- Snoring: This is a common issue for people suffering from a deviated septum. Blocked nostrils cause obstructive sleep apnoea, which leads to snoring and pausing in breathing during sleep. Both of which are dangerous conditions.
- Constant feeling of pain and pressure on the face: This happens because of the impact of a deviated septum on the sinus and nasal passages.
- Chronic nosebleeds: deviated septa tend to dry out one nostril, causing irritation and dryness and leading to frequent nosebleeds.
Septoplasty can be done for both cosmetic and functional reasons. The results of septoplasty are clear nasal airways, reduced nasal blockages, and a symmetrical nose. This surgery requires a lot of precision and perfection on the surgeon’s part, and hence you need the expertise of best rhinoplasty surgeon in india Dr. Debraj Shome, who has years of experience in performing nose jobs and septoplasty surgery.
Septoplasty surgery aims to strengthen the septum by trimming, moving, or replacing the cartilage or bone tissue in the nose so that the nose can get an aesthetic shape and form and get rid of all the functional issues such as breathing and blockages. At The Esthetic Clinics, Dr. Debraj Shome and his team of expert rhinoplasty surgeons have the right amount of experience and the latest instruments and devices at their disposal to give good results for septoplasty. Patients from all over the world have benefited from Dr. Debraj Shome’s expertise in deviated septum correction and septoplasty.
Steps for a Septoplasty
Preparing for Septoplasty
Septoplasty is a surgical procedure, and like other surgical procedures, it needs some preparation on your part to make sure that the surgery goes smoothly and recovery is hassle-free. The following steps will help minimize the complications:
- Consultation with the best septoplasty surgeon in India to evaluate the condition of the deviated septum, and the symptoms, and determine if septoplasty is the appropriate choice for you.
- Medical check-up: A basic medical and physical examination, including a nasal endoscopy, will help the surgeon plan the surgery better.
- Medications: Talk to Dr. Shome about any medications that you are taking, including supplements, herbal remedies, blood thinners, etc., that might interfere with the surgery. Some of them might have to be temporarily stopped before septoplasty.
- Arrange for transportation: Septoplasty is an outpatient procedure but still an invasive one, and you will be under the influence of anesthesia with packing on your nose. Make sure you arrange for someone to drive you home and take care of you for the day.
- Stop smoking and drinking before the surgery to reduce the risk of complications.
- Your surgeon will give you preoperative guidelines such as fasting for the surgery, preventive hygiene, medications to take, etc. so that you can be ready for septoplasty, and you should follow them.
Septoplasty Surgery
In general, septoplasty is an outpatient procedure and can be done in combination with rhinoplasty to correct other nose defects or as a stand-alone procedure. The steps to the surgery are as follows:
- Anaesthesia
- Incisions are made on the inside of the nose through the nostrils. There is no visible scarring outside post-septoplasty.
- The surgeon then carefully raises the mucus membrane and accesses the underlying septum cartilage and bone.
- Dr. Debraj Shome then realigns the bone and cartilage by removing parts of them or adding a cartilage graft to straighten the septum.
- In some cases, splints, sutures, and packing materials will be placed to add support to the newly aligned septum and prevent its shifting until the healing is done.
- The rhinoplasty surgeon will then place the mucous membrane back on and close the incisions using sutures.
- You can go home once the anesthesia wears off. It is important to rest and follow the postoperative care instructions during the recovery process.
Recovery Post-Septoplasty
Recovery Post-Septoplasty Is Simple:
It is common to feel some drowsiness and nausea a few hours following the surgery. You might also feel a bit of pain, but it is not a serious concern. The nasal packing helps in achieving proper healing. It is removed a day or two after the surgery. In order to minimize discomfort and ensure a smooth recovery
- Once you go home, rest as much as you can. Sleep with your head elevated on a pillow to promote drainage and reduce swelling.
- Clean the nasal passages with care. Use the prescribed nasal saline sprays and irrigators to keep the passage from drying.
- Resume normal activities as directed, but don’t exert or exercise too much until the healing is complete.
- Avoid smoking, as it can delay the healing process.
- Keep the incision site clean and dry.
- Take a balanced diet and keep your body hydrated to ensure proper healing.
- Avoid any trauma to the nose, as bumps or pressure on the nose can disrupt the newly aligned septum and delay the healing.
- Keep up with the follow-up appointments with your surgeon.
Septoplasty surgery is a challenging rhinoplasty and requires great detail and expertise from the surgeon’s part to get the best results possible.