Deviation, which can be summarized as difficulty in breathing as a result of distortion in the nasal bone, is a common problem encountered in men more nowadays. Here is what Assoc. Dr. Ozan Seymen Sezen, ENT Head Neck Surgery Specialist, stated about the issue.
What is deviation?
As its name suggests, deviation means the action of departing from an established course or accepted standard. We have a cartilage and a bone septum separating the two nasal cavities. The curvatures to right or left or to both sides are called as deviation.
What are the causes and symptoms?
The causes can be roughly divided into two to as congenital or later causes. Congenital disorders can occur genetically or in the womb and after birth. However, the most common cause is injuries to the nose during childhood or adulthood. The most important symptom is the difficulty in breathing.
Those patients have difficulty in breathing during the day, especially during exercise, at night this can sometimes cause snoring, exhausted and tired waking ups in the morning, or a dry mouth. This causes sinusitis because the nose’s normal airflow is disrupted. Patients may feel pressure changes, ear congestion and pain in their ears, especially when air pressure changes, during air travel, for example.
Among which age group and gender is deviation common?
Although it can be seen in all ages and genders, it is more common in the 20s and 30s. Studies have found that it’s seen 60 percent in men and 40 percent in women.
We have a high success rate
What is the success rate of the operations?
The success rate of the operations is high when the correct techniques are used. We have over 90 percent of success. After the operation, the complaint of breathing congestion is not due to deviation, it’s because concha, the thin and scroll-like bones in the sides of the nasal cavity might get thicker.
Also, the operation process is also very comfortable. For this reason, patients shouldn’t be stressed out about the operation.
Is the surgery performed under general anesthesia?
The surgery is not performed under general anesthesia in recent years, it can be performed with local anesthesia. The operation can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on the difficulty of the case. Then the patient either can go home in the evening or spend the night at the hospital. There is no serious pain after the operation. There could be nasal discharge with blood but it goes back to normal after a short while.
In the first week, nasal congestion occurs due to swelling. Contrary to the general belief, there is no swelling and bruising on the face. Patients may return to work and their daily life within a week.
Here are what deviation patients said
“I was panting when I was doing sports“
Mehmet N. Yılmaz (35)
- When did the problem start? Can you describe the symptoms?
The most common symptom is nasal breathing and snoring in sleep. I started to feel that last year, I was seriously struggling to breathe, my snoring had already started many years ago. When I woke up in the morning, my throat was dry. I was panting when I was jogging or doing sports. As a daily nuisance, I could not breathe from my nose while drinking water.
- Is there any preparation process before the surgery?
My doctor just asked me to do a CT scan. Other than that, there was no preparation except for not eating anything 12 hours prior to going to the hospital.
- Did you get anesthesia in surgery? Can you talk about the process?
I got anesthesia. It was a two-hour operation. I had a very short nausea caused by anesthesia. There was no pain, deviations and cysts in my sinuses were extracted. I had a little stitch and silicone bump on my nose. I was operated in the morning and I was discharged at 17.00 in the evening.
- Can you tell us about the recovery after surgery and the process of returning to normal?
I went back to my normal life the next day. The bumpers weren't clear from the outside. Buffers were removed after one week. I would like to point out that this is not a frightening process because there are no huge buffers as before. I used nasal spray and moisturizing gel in this process for three more weeks of control. The sores on the nose were also healed. In a nutshell, at the end of a month I was completely healed.
“Why didn’t I go under the operation before? I ask myself”
Banu H. Temel (29)
“I'd been snoring for years. I could hardly breathe from my left side in everyday life. Then over time my right side also congested. Allergic reactions followed this condition. I thought for a long time and decided to have an operation with a sudden decision. The operation took place under general anesthesia and I was operated in a state hospital. Preoperative lung and ECG tests were performed. I stopped eating and drinking 12 hours before the operation. My surgery was early in the morning so hunger and thirst was not a problem. The surgery took about an hour. When I woke up, I felt a slight tingling and pain in my nose. I had tampons on my nose. That day was a little difficult. At night it was hard to sleep with bumpers. I was discharged the next day, though. Buffers were removed after two days. Everything got easier when the bumpers come out. Now it's been two years. I've been so upset because I've never been in this operation before.”
