Can a perforated septum repair itself?

Can a perforated septum heal on its own? Sometimes, but it primarily depends upon the size of the hole, the location of the perforation and the extent of the tissue damage. It’s unlikely that a perforated septum will completely heal on its own, and in many cases, it’s more likely to get worse.

How long does septum perforation take to heal?

Recovery time from septal perforation repair surgery is similar to revision rhinoplasty surgery. The recovery period is about 10 to 14 days. However, most patients are up and about within several days.

Is perforated septum serious?

A septal perforation can cause lifelong symptoms such as chronic crusting, bleeding and whistling. The local mucosal inflammation and blood often leads to an inflammation of the mucosa which can lead to mucosal breakdown and exposure of the cartilage. This in turn produces a chronic chondritis (cartilage inflammation).

How common is nasal septum perforation?

Although the incidence of septal perforation is reported to be around 1\%, it is actually much more. Septal perforations may occur due to iatrogenic, trauma, drug use (steroids, cocaine, etc.) and cauterization. The most common cause of septum surgery is secondary to infection.

What is considered a large septal perforation?

Septal perforations are classified according to site and topography: cartilaginous, osteocartilaginous or intermediate, bone or posterior; according to size: small (< 1 cm in diameter), medium (1-2 cm) and large (> 2 cm).

How common is a perforated septum?

Will a septal perforation get bigger?

Eventhough some septal perforations can grow very slowly, we can not predict which patients will have a protracted rate of growth from those whose perforations will grow rapidly.

Can a large perforated septum be fixed?

Surgery can sometimes fix a perforated septum, but it doesn’t always work, and it’s not always needed. In general, small holes are easier to fix than larger ones.