Laser-assisted outpatient septoplasty results on 120 patients.

OBJECTIVE: I describe a new outpatient technique of septoplasty, advocated to minimize and simplify surgery under local anesthesia with new laser instruments especially designed.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: This quick technique takes 5 minutes and has a specific clinical application in chronic nasal obstruction due to moderate anterior septal deviation in adults. It is less invasive that traditional septoplasty and potentially more advantageous in terms of decreased patient recovery time, less morbidity, lower medical costs, and faster return to full activity.

METHODS: I retrospectively review my experience with 120 patients, from August 1995 to November 1996, with a patient evaluation pre- and postoperatively, at first by a direct interview with clinical examination and acoustic rhinometry, then by a telephone interview with strictly standardized questioning.

RESULTS: Of the 120 patients, a surgical success rate of 96% on the nasal obstruction was achieved. Many patients experienced improvement on other symptoms like nasal discharge, frequent sneezing, frequent headaches, recurrent rhinosinusitis, and sense of smell and sleep troubles. Observations comparing pre- and post-operative rhinometries revealed a significant increase of the size of the mean minimal cross-sectional areas (MCA) of the narrow side, at the anterior part of the nose, an increase of the mean nasal cavity volume (NCV), and a decrease of mean nasal airway resistance (NAR).

CONCLUSIONS: This new technique appears to be a safe, quick, simple, predictable, bloodless, and virtually painless in-office procedure without side effects. These encouraging good preliminary results must be confirmed by further study and long-term follow-up.