Royal National
Throat, Nose and
Ear Hospital
Septal surgery
Ear, Nose and Throat
Surgery
2
What is septal surgery?
The partition in the middle of your nose is a
thin piece of cartilage and bone called the
septum. In some people the septum is bent
and can block the nose. Sometimes this can
happen through injury, but often it just grows
that way. Either way, doctors can operate to
straighten it.
Why have septal surgery?
If you have a blocked nose because of a
bent septum, an operation can help you to
breathe more easily.
Do I have to have septal surgery?
A bent septum does you no harm, so you
can just leave it if you want to. Only you can
decide if it is causing you so much bother
that you want it straightened.
Only an operation can fix a bent septum. But
nasal spray or drops prescribed by your
doctor can help treat swelling in the nose,
which might also be making your nose feel
blocked.
Before your operation
Arrange for a couple of weeks off work and
check that you have a relative or friend who
can take you home and look after you for a
few days after the operation.
3
We may ask you to attend the preassessment clinic, either on the day of your
outpatient clinic appointment or following a
telephone health questionnaire. This is to
ensure that you are fit for your surgery.
How is the operation done?
It takes about half an hour and you are given
a general anaesthetic. It is all done inside
your nose - there will be no scars on your
face. The doctors make a cut inside your
nose and straighten out the septum by
taking away some of the cartilage and bone.
The cut is then closed with some stitches.
Asking for your consent
We want to involve you in all the decisions
about your care and treatment. If you decide
to go ahead with treatment, by law we must
ask for your consent and will ask you to sign
a consent form. This confirms that you agree
to have the procedure and understand what
it involves. Staff will explain all the risks,
benefits and alternatives before they ask you
to sign a consent form. If you are unsure
about any aspect of your proposed
treatment, please don’t hesitate to speak
with a senior member of staff again.
Will I have to stay in hospital?
You will go home on the day of the operation,
as long as the operation is straightforward
and we think that your general state of health
and home circumstances are suitable.
4
Packs and splints.
The doctors may need to put a short
dressing in each side of your nose to keep
things in place and prevent bleeding. These
dressings are called ‘packs’, and they block
your nose so that you have to breathe
through your mouth. They are removed
before you go home. This may be
uncomfortable and you may get a little bit of
bleeding which will usually settle quickly.
You may have some pieces of plastic in your
nose to aid healing. These are called ‘splints’
and they will be taken out in the outpatients
clinic after about a week.
Does it hurt?
The front of your nose may be tender with
some swelling and you may also experience
headaches. The painkillers you have at
home should help manage this pain. You
may also get some blood-coloured watery
fluid from you nose for the first two weeks or
so, this is normal.
How long will I be off work?
Ask your nurse if you need a sick note for
your time in hospital. You will need to rest at
home for at least a week afterwards. If you
do heavy lifting and carrying at work, you
should take two weeks off. You should not
play football or other sports for about a
month.
5
Can there be problems?
Septal surgery is safe, but every operation
has a small risk. Please discuss this with
your doctor when you visit the hospital the
most common problems are:
Sometimes your nose bleeds after the
operation and we may need to put packs in
to stop it.
Infection is very rare after this operation, but
if it happens it can be serious. So if your
nose is getting more painful or more blocked
see your GP.
Rarely the operation may leave a hole in
your septum, which causes a whistling
sound when you breathe because air goes
from one side of your nose to the other. Most
of the time is causes no problems and needs
no treatment, but further surgery can be
carried out if necessary to repair the hole.
Very rarely you may notice that the shape of
your nose has changed slightly, with a dip in
the bridge of your nose. Most people do not
have any changes, but if you are not happy,
it can be fixed with surgery.
Very rarely, you may have some numbness
of your teeth, which usually settles in time.
6
After you leave hospital
Do not blow your nose for 48 hours and try to
sneeze with your mouth open to prevent it
from starting to bleed. If it does bleed, pinch
your nose for ten minutes whilst sitting
upright with your head tilted forward. It will
also help to apply ice to the bridge of your
nose and to suck ice. Try to avoid hot food
and drinks as these can increase the chance
of bleeding.
To prevent further bleeding we advise you
not to fly for two weeks after your nasal
surgery.
Your nose will be stuffy and blocked for a few
weeks and during this time you should try
and stay away from dusty or smoky places.
We may give you some drops or spray to
help reduce this congestion, but you may
experience these changes for up to three
months.
You don’t have to come back to have your
stitches removed - they will dissolve and fall
out by themselves.
If you have any problems
If you are worried once you have left the
hospital, please contact your ward:
B Ward
C Ward
020 3456 5029
020 3456 5027
7
Where can I get more information?
NHS Direct
Telephone: 0845 4647
Website:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
University College London Hospitals
235 Euston Road, London. NW1 2BU
Switchboard: 0845 155 5000
Website:
www.uclh.nhs.uk
UCLH cannot accept responsibility for
information provided by external
organisations.
PALS - If you have any concerns
PALS is a patient-friendly, easy to access
service designed to provide a personal
contact point to assist patients, relatives and
carers. If you have a problem that you have
not been able to sort out we can help you to
resolve it. PALS are open 10:00 till 16:00
Monday to Friday.
Telephone:
Email:
020 3447 3042
[email protected]
If you need a large print, audio or
translated copy of the document,
please contact us on 020 3456 5305.
We will try our best to meet your
needs.
How to get here
The hospital is near King’s Cross Station.
You are advised to travel by public transport
due to no parking at the hospital. Pay and
display parking may be available nearby.
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Last review date:
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Next review date:
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Leaflet code:
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© University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Created by Medical Illustration RNTNEH 020 3456 5103 Unique Code: 26992