SEPTOPLASTY WITHOUT NASAL PACKING

Background: Septoplasty is routinely performed for deflected nasal septum. The unpleasant part of this procedure is postoperative nasal packing. This study was conducted to access the outcome of septoplasty without nasal packing. Methodology: This descriptive study was carried out in ENT Department Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar over a period of two years from January 2006 to December 2007. All patients with deflected nasal septum underwent septoplasty operation. All patients were closely monitored for 12 hours postoperatively. Results: Seventy patients with deflected nasal septum were operated during the study period. Age range was 16-40 years. Sixty-three (90%) had no problem. Two(2.85%) cases were given intranasal packing with paraffine gauze for 24 hours at the end of surgery because of excessive per operative bleeding. Five (7.14%) patients landed with bleeding within 12 hours of operation. Conclusion: The frequency of bleeding after septoplasty without nasal packing is low and nasal packing should be reserved only for selected cases.