Traditional surgeries of the nasal septum improve the nasal airway but recent developments of endoscopic techniques have brought focus over several aspects of possible advantages over traditional techniques. These are due to better visualization and illumination, better accessibility and evaluation of exact pathology, lesser need of unnecessary manipulation, resection and overexposure of the septal framework and improving the scope for a revision surgery if required later.

Sixty cases of deviated nasal septum (DNS) refractory to conservative medical treatment were divided into two groups of 30 patients and underwent correction surgery for nasal septal deformity using both endoscopic and conventional techniques.

The postoperative follow-up was done at 1, 2, 4 weeks and 3 months. The clinical results of endoscopic septoplasty were found better as compared to conventional techniques with lesser complications and lesser period of hospitalization. However, the statistical analysis did not show a difference between the two groups.

The use of endoscopic techniques offers lesser complications and lesser period of hospitalization. However, this study of limited series needs further extensive evaluation to statistically establish the proposed results in future.

Kaushik S, Vashistha S, Jain NK. Endoscopic vs Conventional Septoplasty: A Comparative Study. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2013;6(2):84-87.