What happens During Surgery?
You will be admitted on the day of your surgery and will stay overnight in hospital. The operation lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, and is performed under a general anaesthetic.
For the septoplasty, a small cut is made on the inside of your nose on the septum, with any bent or obstructing bone/cartilage is removed or straightened. The reconstructed nasal septum is then secured with internal stitches. The stitches used inside the nose are designed to dissolve on their own over a few weeks when the nose lining has healed. The turbinates (“air-conditioning fins of the nose”) may be trimmed to reduce their size.
You will wake up in the recovery room usually with some packing in the nose to prevent early post-operative bleeding. The nose is not usually very painful. After an overnight stay you will be reviewed by the surgical team in the morning and any non-dissolving nasal packing is removed. This may be uncomfortable for a few seconds. Specific discharge instructions and post-operative appointments will be included in your discharge pack. Discharge medications will be supplied by the ward pharmacist. Medications vary but will include pain relief tablets, antibiotic tablets in some instances, and usually a saline nasal rinse to help ease the degree of crusting in the nose. Please follow the directions from the pharmacist.
How long will I stay in hospital?
You should be able to go home the same day. If you had non-dissolvable packing in your nose, you will need to stay overnight so the packing can be removed the next morning.
What is my recovery time?
This is generally not a very painful operation from which to recover. For the first few weeks your nose will feel quite blocked and you will have increased mucus and some dried blood in the nose. Saline rinses may be recommended. The front of the nose may be tender from the small dissolvable sutures just inside the nostril. It is important to follow the prescribed rest period at home. Vigorous exercise should be avoided for at least 2 weeks. You may need up to 2 weeks off work (a medical certificate will be supplied if needed). Your nose should have fully healed approximately 6 weeks after the surgery.
