Objective: To describe the relevant factors of endoscopic surgery in patients with nasal septal perforation.
Methods: Twenty-three patients with nasal septal perforation were treated under nasal endoscope. Four kinds of reconstruction materials were used to accomplish the closure of perforation: residual osseous septum or temporalis fascia, inverting septal mucoperichondrial flap, autologous connective tissue insert overlaid with mucous flaps and turbinate flap. The reconstructed septum was packed by moist dressing with silicone or plastic splints.
Results: Seven patients underwent direct closure. Inverting flap repair for five cases, shifting flap closure for ten cases, and repair with turbinate flap in one case. During the follow-up ranging from four weeks to seven months, the successful reconstruction was achieved in 19 cases (82.6%). The problems in the remaining four cases were: mucosal flap displacement, fascia flap shrank and so caused reperforation, two perforations present with only the larger one repaired, the mucosal flap was smaller in size than the perforation.
Conclusions: Intranasal endoscopic reconstruction surgery is a reasonable management for nasal septal perforation.