Comparison of complications of septoplasty with and without nasal splint

Background: Nasal obstruction is one of the common problems of patients. The most common structural cause of it is septal deviation. Septoplasty is the third common head and neck procedure. Splint is one of the most commonly used surgical devices for septal support, prevent adhesion and accelerate mucus healing. However, some studies have shown increased incidence of epistaxis, sleep disturbances, discomfort, PND, infection and perforation in patients using splint. This study was designed to compare the complications of septoplasty with and without nasal splint.

Methods: In this study, 48 septoplasty candidates which admitted to Imam Reza Hospital during the second half of 2015 were enrolled. They were divided into two equal groups of intervention (suture) and control (splint). The two groups were evaluated for perforation, hematoma and pain, 2 weeks after surgery. All data was collected and analyzed.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 27.65 ± 6.7 years and the sex ratio was 1:1.4. The severity of pain was lower in the intervention group (without splint) based on VAS and VRS (P <0.01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of headache, sleep disturbances, epistaxis and epiphora after surgery in the two groups. Infection, hematoma and perforation of the nasal wall were not recorded in any of the studied groups.

Conclusion: The complications due to septoplasty in patients without splint are not more common and the amount of postoperative pain is significantly lower in these patients. Therefore, splint shouldn’t be used in patients who have septoplasty alone.