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Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery)

Straightens a bent nasal septum from inside the nose, so air moves freely through both nostrils and you can breathe and sleep more easily.

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Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery) at Prakash Hospital, ENT
Surgery duration
45 to 90 minutes
Anaesthesia
General, sometimes local
Hospital stay
Day care or one night
Recovery
1 to 2 weeks off work
On this page

Overview

One side of your nose is always blocked. You've tried every spray the chemist offered, you sleep with your mouth open and wake with a dry throat, and colds settle in your sinuses for weeks. Sometimes there's an old knock to the nose behind it. Often there's no clear reason at all.

The septum is the wall of cartilage and thin bone that divides the nose into two passages. A slight bend is normal, and most people have one. When the bend narrows one side enough to cause symptoms, it's called a deviated nasal septum (DNS). In septoplasty, the surgeon works entirely through the nostrils. The lining over the septum is lifted, the bent cartilage and bone are trimmed, straightened or moved back to the middle, and the lining is laid back down. The outside of your nose stays the same.

Most people breathe noticeably better once the swelling settles, usually over 4 to 6 weeks. Septoplasty won't cure an allergy, though. If swollen turbinates (the fleshy ridges on the side walls of the nose) add to the blockage, they're often reduced in the same operation.

Before recommending septoplasty, our ENT team examines your nose with a video endoscope and looks for other causes of blockage, such as allergy, polyps or sinus disease. If you also have chronic sinusitis, septoplasty is often combined with FESS.

Why it's done

Surgery makes sense when the blockage clearly comes from the septum, it affects your daily life, and medicines have had a fair trial.

  • A constantly blocked nostril on one or both sides that sprays don't clear
  • Snoring or mouth breathing at night caused by nasal blockage
  • Repeated sinus infections, where the bend narrows sinus drainage
  • Frequent nosebleeds from a sharp spur on the septum
  • Facial pain or headache from a spur pressing on the side wall of the nose, in selected cases once other causes are ruled out
  • Making room for other surgery, such as sinus surgery, when the bend blocks access
  • Difficulty using a CPAP mask for sleep apnoea because the nose is blocked

Is it right for you?

Usually a good fit

  • Endoscopy shows a clear bend on the side that feels blocked
  • About 3 months of nasal sprays and allergy treatment haven't helped enough
  • Your nose has finished growing, which usually means age 16 to 18 or older

May not be suitable

  • Blockage mainly from allergic rhinitis or a swollen lining, which responds better to medicines
  • A cold, sinus infection or allergy flare around the date of surgery
  • Children and young teenagers, except for severe blockage, because surgery can affect how the nose grows
  • Heavy smoking that you can't stop beforehand, since it slows healing
  • Uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure, until treated

Types and techniques

Conventional septoplasty

Done with a headlight through a cut just inside one nostril. It suits most bends in the front and middle of the septum.

Endoscopic septoplasty

The surgeon uses a thin telescope and a video screen to see deep inside the nose. It suits isolated spurs further back and is easy to combine with sinus surgery.

Turbinate reduction

If the turbinates are swollen, they're shrunk at the same time, either by removing some bone or tissue from under their lining or with radiofrequency. It adds little to recovery and improves airflow.

Septorhinoplasty

If the outside of the nose is also crooked, for example after an injury, the septum and the external nose can be corrected together. It's a bigger operation, with bruising around the eyes for a week or two.

Preparing for surgery

  • A nasal endoscopy and, if sinus disease is suspected, a CT scan of the sinuses
  • Routine blood tests, plus an ECG if you're over 40 or have heart problems
  • Aspirin, clopidogrel and other blood thinners are usually stopped 5 to 7 days before, only on your doctor's advice. Mention herbal supplements and fish oil too
  • Stop smoking at least 2 to 3 weeks before, and ideally for good
  • Keep using your allergy sprays until the day of surgery unless told otherwise
  • No food for about 6 hours before a general anaesthetic
  • Plan a week off work, or two if your job is physical or dusty
  • At home, keep soft tissues, saline spray and an extra pillow ready, since sleeping with your head raised reduces swelling
  • Septoplasty for breathing problems is usually covered by insurance, while purely cosmetic nose surgery usually isn't. See our insurance and TPA panels

The procedure, step by step

  1. 01

    Anaesthesia

    Most septoplasties are done under general anaesthesia. The inside of the nose is also numbed and treated with a decongestant that shrinks the lining and reduces bleeding.

  2. 02

    A cut inside the nostril

    The surgeon makes a small cut in the lining of the septum just inside one nostril. Nothing is cut on the outside.

  3. 03

    Lifting the lining

    The lining is carefully lifted off the cartilage and bone, on one or both sides, a little like peeling a label off a bottle.

  4. 04

    Straightening the septum

    Bent or buckled parts are trimmed, straightened or moved back to the midline. A strip of cartilage along the front and top is always kept, because it holds up the shape of your nose.

  5. 05

    Closing and splinting

    The lining is laid back and held with dissolving stitches. Thin, soft silicone splints or light packs may be placed to keep everything in position while it heals.

  6. 06

    Waking up

    The operation takes 45 to 90 minutes. You'll breathe through your mouth at first if packs are in, which is uncomfortable but temporary.

Benefits and risks

Benefits

  • Easier breathing through the nose, day and night
  • Less snoring and mouth breathing for many people, though snoring from other causes may continue
  • Better sinus drainage and fewer sinus infections when the bend was part of the problem
  • Less reliance on decongestant sprays, which damage the lining when overused
  • No visible scar and no change in the shape of your nose

Possible risks

  • Bleeding, usually minor. Heavier bleeding that needs treatment happens in roughly 1 in 100
  • A collection of blood or pus under the lining of the septum, which is rare but needs prompt drainage
  • A small hole in the septum (perforation) in about 1 to 3 in 100. Many cause no symptoms
  • Numbness of the front teeth or upper lip for a few weeks, rarely longer
  • Blockage that persists or returns, sometimes needing further treatment
  • Rarely, a change in the shape of the nose, such as a dip in the bridge

Recovery timeline

Expect the nose to feel more blocked in the first week than it did before surgery. That's swelling, and it passes.

  1. 01

    Day 0 to 1

    If packs are in, you'll breathe through your mouth. They usually come out the next morning, which is uncomfortable for a few seconds. Most people go home the same day or the day after.

  2. 02

    Days 2 to 7

    Blood-tinged mucus and a stuffy nose are normal. Use saline sprays or rinses as advised, sleep with your head raised, and don't blow your nose hard. If you need to sneeze, keep your mouth open. Avoid bending and lifting, and eat enough dal, vegetables and fruit that you don't strain on the toilet.

  3. 03

    Weeks 1 to 2

    Splints, if used, come out at a clinic visit around 7 to 10 days, and breathing often improves straight away. Most people are back at office work within a week.

  4. 04

    Weeks 2 to 6

    Crusting settles and airflow keeps improving. Avoid contact sports and heavy gym work for about 4 to 6 weeks. The final result is usually clear by 3 months.

When to call your doctor

  • Steady bleeding from the nose that doesn't stop after 15 minutes of pinching the soft part and leaning forward
  • Fever above 38°C (100.4°F), or increasing pain and swelling at the tip of the nose
  • A blockage on both sides that gets steadily worse after the first few days, with throbbing pain
  • Foul-smelling discharge from the nose
  • Swelling or redness around the eyes, or any change in vision

Call us on +91-8826000033 or come straight to our 24/7 emergency department.

Alternatives to surgery

Nasal sprays and allergy treatment

Steroid sprays, antihistamines and saline rinses treat a swollen lining. If allergy is the main problem, they may be all you need, and surgery wouldn't fix the allergy anyway.

Nasal strips and dilators

Strips across the nose or small dilators inside the nostril open the airway a little during sleep or exercise. They help some people with mild blockage but don't straighten the septum.

Living with it

A bent septum isn't dangerous. If your symptoms are mild, there's no medical need to operate.

Talk to our ENT team

Ask about your options, the cost and your insurance before you decide. See the insurance and TPA panels we work with.

Book an Appointment+91-8826000033

This page explains Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery) in general terms. Your own plan depends on your health, your test results and your doctor's advice. Please read our medical disclaimer.

Your care team

Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery) is led by our ENT team, with other departments stepping in at each stage of your care.

ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) Department
Leads your treatment

ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) Department

At Prakash Hospital, our ENT Department offers expert diagnosis and advanced treatments for ear, nose, throat, head, and neck conditions, ensuring better health and quality of life for all ages.

What the department treats

Sinus Surgery (FESS)

Tympanoplasty

Septoplasty

Tonsillectomy

Hearing Aid Fitting

Allergy Management

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Other departments involved

Diagnostic

Does the CT scan of your sinuses and your pre-operative blood tests.

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General Medicine

Gets blood pressure and diabetes under control before surgery, since both affect bleeding and healing.

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Meet the specialists

Related procedures

Procedures often considered alongside Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery), or that treat related conditions.

FESS (Sinus Surgery)

Endoscopic surgery through the nose that clears blocked sinuses and polyps when medicines stop working.

Adenoidectomy

Removes enlarged adenoids that block a child's nose, disturb sleep or keep causing ear infections.

Tonsillectomy

Removes tonsils that cause repeated throat infections or block a child's breathing during sleep.

Tympanoplasty

Closes a hole in the eardrum with your own tissue to stop ear discharge and protect or improve hearing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about Septoplasty (Deviated Nasal Septum Surgery) at Prakash Hospital, Noida.

Will septoplasty change the shape of my nose?

No. Septoplasty is done from the inside and doesn't alter how your nose looks. If you'd like the outside changed as well, that's a separate or combined operation called septorhinoplasty, which your surgeon can discuss with you.

Is septoplasty painful?

Most people describe pressure and a heavy, blocked feeling more than pain, a bit like a bad cold. Removing the packs is the worst moment and lasts a few seconds. Paracetamol usually controls the discomfort.

Will it stop my snoring?

If your snoring comes from nose blockage, it often improves. Snoring from the throat, the soft palate or extra weight may carry on. If you have sleep apnoea, a clearer nose can make a CPAP machine much easier to use.

When can I drive or ride my two-wheeler?

You can usually drive a car after 2 to 3 days, once you're off strong painkillers. Wait about two weeks before riding a two-wheeler, and cover your nose against dust and wind with a mask or a full-face helmet.

Can the septum bend again?

It's uncommon. Cartilage has some memory, so a few people have a slight drift over time, and a fresh injury can bend it again. Revision surgery is possible if needed.

Is there an age limit?

Full septoplasty is usually done from about 16 to 18, once the nose has stopped growing. In children, only severe blockage is treated, with a limited operation. There's no upper age limit if you're fit for anaesthesia.

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