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We appreciate and encourage feedback. If you need advice or
are concerned about any aspect of care or treatment please
speak to a member of staff or contact the Patient Advice and
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Letter: NUH NHS Trust, c/o PALS, Freepost NEA 14614,
Nottingham NG7 1BR
Repair of septal perforation
ENT department
www.nuh.nhs.uk
This document can be provided in different languages
and formats. For more information please contact:
Ear, Nose and Throat out-patient department,
ENT Building, QMC campus,
A Floor, East block,
Tel: 0115 924 9924 ext. 61111/61112
Angela Gent, ENT department © April 2011. All rights reserved. Nottingham
University Hospitals NHS Trust. Review April 2013. Ref: 0260/v4/0411/CR.
Why have a perforation repaired?
You have a hole in the middle partition of your nose, called a
septal perforation. This may have been giving you problems with
whistling, crusting and bleeding. You may have noticed that you
make a whistling sound when you breathe. The doctors are
going to try to close the hole for you.
What happens?
Under a general anaesthetic the doctors will remove a small
amount of tissue from your ear or another part of your nose, to
use as a graft. They will attach this tissue to the middle partition
of your nose to close the hole.
You should plan on having two weeks off work, school or
college. If you need a sick note please ask the doctors on the
morning after your operation.
Does it hurt?
You may find it uncomfortable; any pain should be well
controlled by the tablets you would usually take for a headache.
Your nose will feel blocked until the splints are removed eight to
ten days after surgery.
Any problems?
After the operation you will have a dressing in your nose to stop
any bleeding. This is usually removed the next morning.
There is always a risk of bleeding with any nasal operations; this
is usually well controlled by the time you go home. There are no
guarantees of success with the graft taking; your doctor will
have discussed this with you.
You will also have two thin sheets of plastic, one on either side
of the partition down the middle of your nose. These are to help
protect the graft. They will remain in place for about 10 days and
will be removed at your out-patient appointment.
If you are concerned in any way, if your nose starts to discharge,
bleed or become painful, or you suddenly develop a
temperature, please contact the hospital or your general
practitioner (GP) immediately.
On discharge
You will be given an appointment to return to the outpatients
department either before you leave the ward or later through the
post.
You will be allowed home the next day once the packs are out
and any bleeding has settled. Try not to blow your nose hard for
a few days. You can sniff and spit out any blood-stained mucus.
Your nose may well feel blocked until the splints come out, and
it is likely to run a lot.
You will need to keep your nose clean by following the
instructions on douching and using the prescribed cream given
to you before discharge or some Vaseline. If you have had a
graft taken you will need to keep the area clean and dry. Any
dressings or sutures can be removed in clinic.
Contact us
If you have any queries or concerns please contact us on:
Switchboard: 0115 9249924
C24D: ext 69024
C25: ext 69025
EDCU: ext 63015
ENT Clinic: ext 61111