Comparison of Nasal Packing and Septal Suturing Following Septoplasty

Lim, Eun Jung; Song, Sun Hee; Kim, Jung Soo

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Nasal packing at the completion of septoplasty is considered routine by most surgeons. However, nasal packing can cause nasal injury, hypoxia, cardiovascular change and most importantly patients' discomfort. The purpose of this study was to compare nasal packing and septal suture (through-and-through suture) with respect to immediate postoperative patients' discomfort and final outcome.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Fifty patients undergoing routine septoplasty were randomized on the basis of sex and age to receive either nasal packing or septal suture. Fourty-two patients completed their symptom and discomfort scores according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) for 4 days after septoplasty and completed another questionnaire before and 8 weeks after septoplasty.
RESULTS
The nasal packing group gave significantly higher scores in headache compared with the septal suturing group. The final outcome of the procedure was the same between both groups.
CONCLUSION
Septal suture is a good alternative for nasal packing. It does cause less pain for patients and no statistically significant differences in outcome were found between both groups.