Introduction

Dr Robinson performs several septal perforation repairs each year. These repairs are done when patients are symptomatic of their perforation. Septal perforation repair is a meticulous and challenging operation that requires a high degree of attention to detail to be successful.

Causes

Causes of a septal perforation include:

• Previous surgery.
• Previous trauma.
• Piercing of the nose.
• Cocaine use.
• Exposure to chemicals.
• Picking the nose.
• Rare infections.

Symptoms

Many patients have no symptoms of their septal perforation. The symptoms which a patient may have associated with their perforation include:

• Feeling of stuffiness.
• Feeling of congestion.
• Whistling.
• Bleeding.
• Blocked nose.

If patients are symptomatic of their perforation and the cause of the perforation has stabilised (no longer have a nose piercing, or no longer using recreational drugs etc.) then it is an option to have the perforation repaired. Dr Robinson uses an endoscopic anterior ethmoid artery flap to repair the perforations and has an over 80% closure rate when patients haven’t had an operation prior to coming to see Dr Robinson. Septal perforation repair is an operation that requires meticulous care and attention to ensure that the flap for repair is rotated correctly and meticulously closed.

If a septal perforation is too big to be repaired and a patient is symptomatic then the only other option may be to enlarge the perforation to reduce the turbulent airflow in the nose.

Related Information

Septal Perforation Repair

To discuss fixing your septal perforation, please make an appointment with Dr Dan Robinson.