An article in the July/August issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery says a surgical technique that requires the removal, restructure and re-implantation of the nasal septum appears to be a useful option to repair a severely deviated septum that is hard to treat.

A severe nasal septal deviation is usually the result of trauma, previous surgery or congenital malformations, like a cleft palate.  These conditions make it particularly difficult for plastic surgeons to correct, but the nasal septum affects appearance as well as the airway passage of the nose.  Traditional plastic surgery techniques can sometimes be insufficient in correcting severe septal deformities, according to the study’s author.  Because of this, there is sometimes the need to completely remove and correct the septum to achieve pleasing aesthetic results and necessary functioning.

Wolfgang Gubisch, M.D., reviewed medical charts of patients undergoing surgery of the nasal septum performed by him or under his supervision at a facial plastic surgery center.  After reviewing the charts of 2,119 patients from 1981 to 2004 with severe nasal septal deviations undergoing the surgery developed and refined by Gubisch, the study’s author concluded removal of the septum from the nose for repair is an important technique for surgeons correcting extensive nasal septal deviations resulting from trauma, previous surgery or congenital anomalies.