Septoplasty

Goals: Improve breathing, reduce snoring, improve CPAP tolerance, reduce headaches/facial pressure and sinus infections. 

Risks: Bleeding, infection, scarring, poor healing, septal perforation, persistent or recurrent symptoms, and rare complications like loss of smell, CSF leak, or need for revision surgery. 

Typical Length: 30 min

Postoperative Care: 

Soft plastic splints are usually (but not always) placed in each nostril for one week; removed at the first follow-up appointment. 

Use pain medicine, antibiotics, and nasal saline spray as prescribed. 

Typical recovery includes most patients switching to plain Tylenol for pain control after about 3-4 days and feeling at 100% by 2-3 weeks. 

Unlike rhinoplasty, there’s rarely external swelling and never any external bruising, as all of the work is done inside the nose, through a single incision inside the nostril. 

Avoid Nose Blowing: Do not blow your nose for 2 weeks. Sneeze with your mouth open.

Activity Restrictions: No bending, lifting (>10 lbs or a jug of milk), or straining for 2 weeks. This includes exercise (i.e. anything that’s intended to maintain or build physical fitness), sexual activity, housework (i.e. vacuuming), and other strenuous activity.

Some bloody nasal drainage is normal for the first 1-2 weeks — use drip pads as needed.

Facial pressure, congestion, and mild headache are normal — typically resolves in 1-2 weeks.

Call your doctor if: You soak more than 4 pads in an hour, experience clear watery drainage from the nose, worsening headache, vision changes, fever, or foul-smelling drainage.

If you have sleep apnea and wear a CPAP, you will need to hold off on wearing it for 2 weeks after surgery.

Typical Recovery Timeline

• Day 1-3: The most uncomfortable period. Pressure, congestion, soreness, and fatigue are common.

• Days 3-7: Most patients improve steadily. Most stop narcotic pain medication during this period.

• Week 1: If splints were placed, they are usually removed at the first follow-up. Many patients can

return to non-strenuous work or school by this time.

• Weeks 2-4: Nasal stuffiness and swelling commonly continue during this period. Drainage should be

minimal or resolved. Most people feel close, if not fully, back to their 100%. Activity restrictions are

lifted.

• Weeks 4-6: Breathing and energy typically continue to normalize, though healing is still ongoing.

• Longer Recovery: General fatigue for 1-2 weeks is not uncommon and may be more pronounced after

more extensive surgery or when septorhinoplasty is also performed.

Typical Follow-Up:

Week 1 and again at 4-6 weeks after surgery. Some patients are also seen at 8 and 12 weeks depending

on healing, symptoms, or whether additional nasal reconstruction was performed.