Pediatrics septoplasty
Septal cartilage of the nose has a key role in the development and growth of the face in children, so most physicians are disquiet about performing nasal surgeries in pediatrics age group.
In recent years, growing evidence suggested that deviated nasal septum can be treated in pediatrics with minimal or no affection to the development of the face.
For children who complain of severe nasal obstruction and subsequent breathing problems. In that case the septoplasty surgery may be adjuvant in therapy, especially after failure to achieve results with medical treatment alone.
In a review article by Cingi et al., septoplasty surgery in children was reviewed, discussing the possibility of affection of pediatrics facial growth. They found that septoplasty would be indicated in children with severe breathing problems, associated with deviated septum after failure of medical treatment to achieve improvements of symptoms.
In a study by Ori et al., more than a hundred child (111 child), whose age range from 6 to 13 years old underwent a septoplasty surgery from 2005 to 2010. Reviewing long term effects on children facial features, and improvement of symptoms. The study showed that no complications from the surgical procedure were reported, improvement in nasal breathing problems, and no affection to physiological facial and dental growth in subsequent follow up visits.
Pediatric septoplasty surgery can be done at any age, even at birth. Parts of nasal septum (cartilaginous septum) keep growing in children until 18 years old; some physicians argue against doing the septoplasty before 18 years old except in patients with severe symptoms.
A study by Lee.et al. found that undergoing the surgery before 18 years old increases the rate of rediverting again.
