The nasal septum is located in the medial wall of the nasal cavity. The lateral walls are the upper, middle and lower turbinates arranged in a tile-like pattern, which are also important structures of the nasal cavity. The septum is composed of three layers, the middle of which is a flat plate of cartilage and bone, and the sides are covered with mucous membrane, the pink-colored “meat” that you see when you open your nostrils and look in the mirror. The average thickness of cartilage and bone is 1mm-2mm, and the part near the nostrils is the anterior part, which is mainly square cartilage, that is, cartilage with a roughly square shape. The posterior part is mainly the vertical plate of the sieve bone, a true hard bone, which is connected to a bone plate called the sieve plate at the base of the skull. Inferiorly and posteriorly there are also bony plates called maxillary nasal crest and plastron. There is a network of tiny arteries and veins under the mucosa, which is responsible for nourishing the nasal septum.
The role of nasal septum 1, support the bridge of the nose.
If the nasal septum grows crooked or is injured and bent, the nasal cavity will be blocked and narrowed, which will directly affect the ventilation function of the nasal cavity. If the nasal cavity is not well ventilated, people can not breathe fresh air smoothly, can not replenish the oxygen in the body’s blood, the brain, heart and lung function will be affected. At this time, some people always feel that the nose is not ventilated, holding air, uncomfortable; some people feel that there is not enough air when running; some people do not sleep well at night, snoring, dry mouth after waking up the next day (because of open-mouth breathing), sleepy during the day, dizziness, general lack of energy, even chest tightness, shortness of breath. Sometimes, the nasal septum grows crooked or bent deformation not only affects the ventilation, but also affects the appearance.
2. It is the first line of defense of the human body.
The mucosa of the nasal septum and turbinate mucosa together with the air inhaled into the nasal cavity is heated, humidified, de-bacterized and filtered by impurities. After the nasal septum treatment, the air that reaches the human throat is warm, moist, clean and clean. The mucosal epithelium of the nasal septum is composed of columnar ciliated cells and glandular cells. The glandular cells secrete mucus, which is evenly distributed on the surface of the nasal mucosa, forming a mucus blanket. There are about 200-300 cilia on the head of each ciliated cell, and the cilia are immersed in the mucus, like reeds in the lake water. The cilia keep swinging back and forth, pushing the mucus blanket toward the posterior part of the nasal cavity – the nasopharynx. Impurities, foreign bodies, viruses and bacteria that enter the nasal cavity fall on the mucus blanket and are sent to the nasopharynx, where they are finally spit out with phlegm or swallowed into the stomach and digested by stomach acid. There are also immunoglobulins and lysozyme in the mucus, which play a bactericidal and antibacterial role. The rich blood vessels of the nasal mucosa warm the air and the mucus humidifies the air.
The surgical methods for deviated nasal septum are divided into traditional surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Traditional surgery includes: 1. Submucosal resection of nasal septum: it is to peel off the mucosa covering both sides of the nasal septal cartilage and bone, expose the deviated part of cartilage and bone, remove them, and keep the L-shaped stent with 10mm width at the front and upper edge. This method is relatively more traumatic, and only the mucosa on both sides of the postoperative me remains. If the deviation is serious during the operation and there are tears where the peeling is not smooth, the septum is prone to perforation.
2. Submucosal correction of nasal septum: the surgical method is the same as the previous one, but the cartilage and bone taken out are put back into the middle of the two layers of mucosa after trimming, so that the me is stronger and the probability of perforation is smaller.
Advantages of endoscopic reduction rhinoplasty – septoplasty: minimally invasive, time saving, use of autologous tissue, money saving, minimal probability of complications. Either procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Local anesthesia saves surgical time and cost and avoids the risks of general anesthesia. However, the patient will experience some pain during the operation, which is usually tolerable, and people who are timid and afraid of pain cannot insist on cooperating with the surgery. The disadvantage is that it increases the time of general anesthesia and the recovery time after surgery, which increases the cost of anesthesia, and if the trachea is intubated, it increases the risk of intubation. The surgery can be done on an outpatient basis and go home the same day it is done. However, most patients are hospitalized for surgery, which takes about 5-7 days, due to reasons such as smaller health insurance reimbursement rates for outpatient than inpatient.
Although the nasal septum is in the middle of the nasal cavity, it is also prone to injury. Hard impact on the nose can cause me fracture and deformation. Improper nasal medication and frequent digging of the nostrils with fingers can cause mucous membrane erosion or even perforation. A broken mucosa can cause nasal bleeding. Therefore, you need to protect it well.