Septoplasty - Anatomy And Physiology

Septoplasty - Anatomy And Physiology

• The nasal septum is the wall dividing the nasal cavity into halves.
• The septum usually lies directly in the centre of the nose.
• It separates the left and right sides of the nose into passageways of equal size and rests on a bony ridge called the maxillary crest
• It is made up of a central supporting skeleton covered on each side by mucous membrane.

• The front portion of this natural partition is a firm structure made mostly of cartilage and is covered by skin that has plenty of blood vessels
• A "deviated septum" occurs when the septum is severely shifted away from the midline.
• There are three pairs of sinuses (called maxillary, frontal & ethamoid) that open into the nasal passage. These sinuses secrete mucus fluid that usually drains into the nose. However a deviated septum, along with the swollen soft tissue structures hanging next to the septum (turbinates) may cause a blockage of the normal breathing passageway, and it could lead to inflammation of sinuses that is known as sinusitis.