Septal Perforation Repair in San Francisco, CA

Dr. Mehta is one of San Francisco’s leading specialists in septal perforation repair. This delicate surgery is done to correct a hole in the nasal septum due to trauma, surgical complications, and more.

Understanding Septal Perforation

The septum is the vertical structure (composed of bone and cartilage) that divides the nose into two halves. It’s covered on each side by soft tissue and mucosa. When a hole develops in this structure, it’s called a septal perforation. The most common causes include trauma, drug use (cocaine), nasal sprays, infections, surgery, and repeated cauterizations for nosebleeds.

Symptoms

Some septal perforations are asymptomatic. In those cases, you don’t need a repair as long as your condition is monitored over time. If you are experiencing symptoms, they may include:

Difficulty breathing
Congestion and whistling
Crusting around the perforation
Nosebleeds
Runny nose

Your Septal Perforation Repair

We will complete your septal perforation repair at a San Francisco Bay area surgical center. The procedure takes between one and three hours and you’ll return home the same day to begin the healing process.

In many cases, we can repair the perforation using a closed surgical approach. That means there are no external incisions, and all the work takes place inside the nostrils. However, if you have a larger perforation, you may need an open approach. In this case, Dr. Mehta will create a small inverted V-shaped incision between your nostrils.

What To Know About Septal Perforation Repair

When repairing septal perforations in San Francisco, Dr. Mehta may:

Rotate mucosal flaps from portions of the septum that are intact.
Rotate tissue from the turbinates, which are structures inside the nose on either side of the septum.
Repair the perforation with a temporalis fascia graft, which is a thin piece of tissue taken from the covering of the bite muscle. To harvest this graft, Dr. Mehta will make a tiny incision behind the hairline. He won’t cut or shave your hair, and the incision heals very well.

With all the above techniques, Dr. Mehta will also use the PDS Flexible Plate. This thin plate provides structural support to the fascia graft or mucosal flap during the recovery process. It’s made of the same material as dissolvable sutures. Dr. Mehta places this plate during surgery so that it spans the perforation. Then, he covers both sides of the plate with fascia or mucosa. As you heal, the PDS plate slowly dissolves inside the septum.

Once the procedure is complete, Dr. Mehta will stabilize the repair with Doyle Splints. He’ll remove them during an office visit one to two weeks after your surgery.

Rhinoplasty and Septal Perforation

Many of our San Francisco septal perforation repair patients also want to reshape their noses cosmetically. In these cases, Dr. Mehta can perform your nose job and your perforation repair simultaneously.

The procedures involve similar approaches, and the cartilage or fascia that’s used to repair your perforation can also help with cosmetic nasal reshaping. By combining the procedures, you also only have one recovery period.

FAQ

Can a septal perforation heal on its own?

Is septal perforation repair covered by insurance?

Can a septal perforation heal on its own?

It’s possible for small perforations to heal on their own. Larger perforations typically require surgical repair.

Is septal perforation repair covered by insurance?

Insurance may cover a portion of your septal perforation repair. During your private consultation at our San Francisco Bay area office, our staff will review your insurance coverage and help you determine if the procedure is covered by your plan.

Septal Perforation Repair in San Francisco, CA

Understanding Septal Perforation

Symptoms

Your Septal Perforation Repair

What To Know About Septal Perforation Repair

Rhinoplasty and Septal Perforation

FAQ

Can a septal perforation heal on its own?

Is septal perforation repair covered by insurance?

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