How common is a perforated septum after a septoplasty? are there any people more likely to end up with a perforated septum? my doctor says i need a septoplasty, but i'm worried about ending up with a bigger problem.

A : A post-operative septal perforation is pretty unlikely. It is a little more common in revision septoplasty surgery and in extremely deviated septums. In the small number of situations in which it occurs it is usually asymptomatic, but there are ways of treating it if needed.

The : The generally reported risk of septal perforation following septoplasty is less than 5%. Most of these are recognized and repaired at the time of the surgery or are recognized later and often remain asymptomatic. I would imagine that patients who have thin attenuated mucosal tissues, underlying inflammatory or granulomatous diseases creating scarified tissue are at higher risk. Certainly the more common scenario is a severely deviated septum where there is little room around which to elevate the septal mucosal flaps. An experienced septoplasty surgeon should be able to handle this.

Perforations : Perforations of the septum during the septoplasty do happen, but as long as they are recognized and taken care of immediately, not future problem should occur. Good luck from nyc. For more info visit www.Drgrossman.Com.

Septal perforation: most patients who undergo septoplasty do not have perforations