Silicon Nasal Splints v/s Conventional Nasal Packing: A Comparative Study to Assess Post Operative Outcome After Septoplasty

Introduction: Nasal packing after septoplasty surgery is a common practice among ENT surgeons.Conventional nasal packing with antibiotic ribbon gauze, merocele and nasal silicon splints are commonly used for nasal packing after septoplasty surgery.Silicon nasal splint has been tried as an alternative in an attempt to diminish morbidity associated with nasal packing.The aim of our study is to compare between silicon nasal splints and conventional ribbon gauze nasal packing with a focus on assessing their impact on postoperative outcomes. Methods:A 1-year comparative study was conducted on 50 patients who underwent septoplasty in Otorhinolaryngology department at Ananta institute of medical sciences and research centre, Rajsamand, Rajasthan.Patients were randomly allotted in 2 groups; in group A nasal packing done with conventional ribbon gauge and in group B packing done with silicon septal splint.In the postoperative period, patients were assessed for pain, nasal obstruction, bleeding, crusting and nasal synechiae.Results: Patients in whom nasal splint were used, were found to have less postoperative nasal packing related morbidities when compared to conventional nasal packing, which was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion:An emerging alternative to conventional nasal ribbon gauze packing includes nasal splinting with silicone plates.Our findings conclude that silicone splint utilization represents a straight forward and secure approach to reduce postoperative complications of septoplasty.