Deviated Septum and Chronic Sinus Issues: When Surgery May Be the Answer

When we breathe, air enters through the nose and passes through the sinuses, the air-filled cavities in the bones of the skull. We have four pairs of sinuses, named for the bones they’re located in (ethmoid, sphenoid, maxillary, and frontal), and this stage of breathing also helps produce mucus, humidify the air, and enhance our voices.

Sadly, sinus problems are all too common, and the discomfort they cause can make breathing harder. Often, this stems from upper respiratory illnesses, but structural issues in the nose, such as a deviated septum, can also cause breathing problems that require treatment. This can usually be addressed with conservative methods, but sometimes surgery is the best solution.

For help with issues related to a deviated septum or other sinus-related problems, Drs. Wade Han, Elvira Livigni De Armas, and the dedicated team at Florida Ear Nose Throat & Plastic Surgery Center have many solutions for residents in Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida.

Facts about a deviated septum

Your nose sits right in the middle of your face, and the septum, the dividing bone and cartilage that separates your nostrils, is, along with the nostrils, the most visible part. When breathing through the nose, you inhale through your nostrils, and that air travels up the air passages divided by the septum.

Deviation in this part of your nose can result from several causes, including facial trauma from falls or assault and congenital causes. Most people have some degree of deviation in this area of the nose, and treatment is only required if it interferes with breathing.

How does it lead to chronic sinus problems?

Mild shifts of the septum to one side or the other are fine, as long as the deviation isn’t severe enough to obstruct air passages. Many issues can come from this problem, including indirect impacts on nasal ventilation and drainage common in sinusitis, and in severe cases, partial or complete blockage of the sinuses.

A deviated septum, combined with allergies, can impair normal breathing, and sinus inflammation from allergens can further impede airflow. Environmental pollutants and habits such as smoking are other factors that may contribute to breathing issues associated with a deviated septum.

Reasons for surgical treatments

Mild issues with this condition get treated with things like nasal antihistamines, steroid sprays, and decongestants. A reshaping of your septum, called a septoplasty, is performed only when functional breathing problems become severe enough that other solutions fail. It treats a range of breathing-related issues, including removing nasal polyps, managing obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic sinusitis.

The procedure can take up to 90 minutes and is frequently done on an outpatient basis. This means no hospital stays and only mild to moderate discomfort upon completion. Initial recovery occurs in a couple of weeks, when most discomfort subsides, but overall bone and tissue healing takes several months.

Septoplasty isn’t always the solution for your deviated septum, but sometimes it provides the best choice for your needs. To determine whether your deviated septum requires septoplasty, schedule an appointment with Drs. Han, Livigni De Armas, and the team at Florida Ear Nose Throat & Plastic Surgery Center today.