Daniel G. Becker MD FACS
Becker Nose and Sinus Center, LLC
400 Medical Center Drive, Suite B
Sewell and Princeton, New Jersey USA
856 589-6673
856 589-3443 fax
drbecker@therhinoplastycenter.com

Clinical Professor & Director of Facial Plastic Surgery
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadephia, Pennsylvania

Clinical Professor
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
University of Virginia Medical Center
Charlottesville, Virginia

Nasal septal perforations can be problematic to patients and challenging to surgeons. The perforated nasal septum often has obliterated surgical tissue planes that may be difficult to dissect. Although the literature suggests numerous techniques for management and repair, a more limited number of techniques have achieved widespread favor. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the anatomy, pathophysiology, and evaluation of nasal septal perforations and describe the general principles behind the more commonly used repair techniques.

Daniel G. Becker, MD FACS
Becker Nose and Sinus Center, LLC
400 Medical Center Drive, Suite B
Sewell and Princeton, New Jersey USA
856 589-6673
856 589-3443 fax
drbecker@therhinoplastycenter.com

Clinical Professor
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadephia, Pennsylvania

Clinical Professor
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
University of Virginia Medical Center
Charlottesville, Virginia

Abstract

Often, rhinoplasty patients present not just for aesthetic correction, but for improvement of their nasal breathing due to functional abnormalities or problems. Because the aesthetic and functional problems must be addressed together, an understanding of both the internal and external anatomy is essential. In this article, the authors review the differential diagnosis of nasal obstruction and the important components of a thorough examination. In this article, medical treatment options are not discussed, but just as an exacting aesthetic analysis leads to an appropriate cosmetic rhinoplasty plan, a thorough functional analysis will dictate the appropriate medical or surgical treatment.