“Septal Perforation Repair ... - Florida”

Had a septorhinoplasty in the early summer of 2010 followed by a revision septoplasty in the late summer. Then discovered a perforation about a quarter inch in diameter. Whistling, crusting, and bleeding were daily problems. Due to my public speaking responsibilities, I had the perforation repaired in January 2011 (4 months after the revision septoplasty).

Pros:
+ Seems like the repair has worked, no more whistling (4 weeks post-op).
+ Insurance covered about 98% of the medical bills (approaching $40,000 with follow-up debridements, Rx, etc.)

Cons:
- Extremely difficult to find a surgeon who could repair the hole.
- Short amount of time between the prior nose surgery and the perforation repair led to substantial swelling (septum was about a half-inch wide at 1 day post-op). This swelling prevented proper drainage, which led to a sinus infection, headaches, etc.
- External shape of the nose was altered even though all incisions were performed internally. The movement of mucosal flaps created thin areas inside the nostrils. This has left my nose very flimsy and the nostrils get drawn inward when breathing in.
- Surgery was out-patient but under general anesthesia (4 hrs) since it was endoscopic.
- The surgeon is employed by a major hospital so he always rushed between patients and did not respond to email, etc.

Updated on 10 Apr 2011:
+ The repair has closed the perforation (14 weeks post-op). The surgeon has given me a nearly 100% likelihood that the septum will heal fully (in 6 months) without any additional complication.

Cons:
- Still very dry and tender; tissues still somewhat flimsy.