Posterior septal resection: a simple surgical option for management of nasal septal perforation.

IMPORTANCE: Large and complex nasal septal perforations may cause considerable patient discomfort and are challenging to repair. Posterior septal resection (PSR) is a simple procedure and can be incorporated into the surgical management algorithm for this patient population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate PSR for the treatment of symptomatic complex and large nasal septal perforations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective medical chart review from 1995 through 2007 of patients who underwent PSR. Medical charts were reviewed, and a follow-up telephone questionnaire was performed.

INTERVENTIONS: Posterior septal resection.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Improvement of selected symptoms after PSR.

RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were identified, 16 patients had thorough documentation of perioperative information contained in their medical charts, and 12 patients were available for follow-up survey. All patients tolerated the procedure well without long-term sequelae from surgery. Overall nasal discomfort was significantly improved in 12 of 12 patients (P < .001). All nasal symptom scores of obstruction, pain, whistling, drainage, crusting, and epistaxis showed statistically significant (P < .05) improvement from preoperative values. Nasal obstruction and crusting were symptoms that improved with high statistical significance (P < .001). Patients reported on average a 79% improvement (range, 45%-100% improvement) in nasal airway, with only 1 patient reporting no improvement. All patients were satisfied with their surgery and would undergo the procedure again and recommend it to others.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Posterior septal resection provides overall patient satisfaction and improvement in subjective nasal symptom scores when used for large and complex septal perforations. This simple procedure may be included in the treatment algorithm of large and complex symptomatic septal perforations.