Background: After septoplasty, the rhinologic surgeon often encounters an unexpected deviation of the septum toward the side contralateral to the initial deflection, a phenomenon which we would call an overcorrection.
Methods: To investigate the incidence of overcorrected septum, we assessed the incidence of overcorrection in different age groups by reviewing medical records.
Results: Of 1124 patients, 22 (2.0%) showed occurrence of overcorrection after septoplasty. The incidence of overcorrection was 7.3% (16/218) in subjects aged 10 to 19, 1.7% (5/294) in their twenties, 0.4% (1/250) in their thirties, and 0% in the older ages.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the risk of overcorrection following septoplasty is particularly higher in the younger patient group.