Deviated Septum Surgery: Could Be the Last Hope for Getting Good Sleep

Breathlessness during sleep can be a nightmarish experience. Yet many people manage to live through this disabling experience when they have nasal blockage and cannot breathe properly. Nasal blockage can be caused by various factors, including anatomical defects like septal deviation, crooked bone at the bridge of the nose, etc. To get assured relief from breathlessness caused by septal deviation, surgery is often the last and only hope. This makes deviated septum surgery, the most preferred option.

A very common outcome of septal deviation is sleep apnea, one of the worst types of sleep disorders marked by recurrent pauses in breathing, which depending on the severity may be 5 to 30 times in an hour and several times during the night. It happens when there is a complete collapse and blockage of the upper respiratory tract. Interestingly, this is a sleep disorder that is fallout of neglected snoring.

Though nasal surgeries are very common in the US, not many are aware of their implications and rationale. To understand why doctors are compelled to perform surgery to clear nasal obstructions you need to revisit the anatomy of the nose.

What exactly is septal deviation?

The nasal cavity is divided into two halves – the left and right nostril with the help of a central cartilage that is covered with mucous. This is called the septum. The perfect condition is when the cartilage is right at the center dividing the nasal cavity into two equal halves. More often than not, the septum is slightly inclined on one side making one nostril narrower than the other. This situation is called deviated nasal septum.

What are the deviated septum symptoms?

Some typical signs include:

– Persistent snoring problems
– Repeated infections of the sinus
– Problems with breathing
– Nasal congestion and postnasal drip;
– Pain on the face and headaches.
– Nose bleeds/nasal discharge

Why do doctors perform surgery to correct the condition?

Doctors do not normally prefer surgical intervention during the initial phases of treating snoring – a natural outcome of nasal blockage. Several non-invasive methods are applied to bring relief from breathlessness and other breathing problems including weight loss, quitting alcohol, raising pillow height, altering sleeping posture, using special pillows and other anti-snoring devices and appliances.

But such non-invasive methods may not always yield the desired results. When faced with such a situation, doctors are compelled to perform nasal surgery to reposition the septum and restore obstruction-free breathing.

There are two types of surgeries performed to rectify septal deviation: septoplasty and somnoplasty. These are minimally invasive, do not require hospital stay and are done at the outpatient clinic of an ENT surgeon.

Using the RFTA (radiofrequency tissue ablation) technology, somnoplasty is a FDA-approved procedure whereas septoplasty is more common of the two and takes not more than 90minutes for completion.

Some of the expected after-effects during surgery recovery period include: septal perforation, bleeding, infection, pain and discomfort. No matter which type of deviated septum surgery is performed, these effects quickly subside with proper medication.

Marc MacDonald is an independent health researcher on obstructive sleep apnea, hypersomnia, and narcolepsy medicine, among others. To know more about this article’s main topic, visit his Septoplasty Surgery website.