Clinical Outcome Study after External Approach Septoplasty

Background and Objectives This study aims to investigate the indications of external approach septoplasty and improvement in subjective symptoms and objective parameters in patients who underwent external approach septoplasty to correct septal deviation with various types of deformities.Subjects and Method Thirty-one patients who underwent external approach septoplasty from October 2014 to January 2019 were classified by direction, location, and degree of nasal septal deviation, septal shape and surgical techniques. Through acoustic rhinometry, the minimum cross-sectional area and nasal volume were measured before and after surgery. To evaluate the improvement in symptoms, the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) survey and nasal congestion visual analogue scale (VAS) were also measured.Results We found significant correlations between: the direction and degree of nasal septal deviation; the location and degree of nasal septal deviation; septal shape and location of the nasal septal deviation; septal shape and surgical techniques; and the degree of nasal septal deviation and presence of spreader grafts. The NOSE scale following external approach septoplasty improved from 14.7±4.4 to 3.1±3.2 (p<0.001), while the VAS score improved from 7.2±2.3 to 1.2±1.4 (p<0.001). Also, acoustic rhinometry showed that the minimum cross-sectional area and nasal volume at the convex side of nasal cavity significantly increased after surgery.Conclusion The external approach septoplasty is a surgical technique that is effective not only in improving subjective symptoms, but also in improving objective parameters. External approach septoplasty could be used in case of caudal and/or dorsal nasal septal deviation.