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Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Endoscopic Septoplasty with Limited Two-line Resection: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Septal Deviation
Published on: June 20, 2018
Does pediatric septoplasty compromise midfacial growth? A systematic review
Christian Calvo-Henríquez1,2, J Carlos Neves3, Diego Arancibia-Tagle3
1Young-Otolaryngologists of the International Federations of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (YO-IFOS) Study Group, Paris, France. christian.ezequiel.calvo.henriquez@sergas.es.
Insights
Pediatric septoplasty (surgical correction of deviated septum) does not appear to significantly impact midfacial growth. Available evidence suggests no major disturbances, though minor nasal anomalies were occasionally reported.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Craniofacial Growth
Background:
- Septal deviation frequently impairs nasal breathing in children.
- Septoplasty is a common surgical intervention for septal deviation.
- Concerns exist regarding septoplasty's impact on pediatric nasal and facial growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the scientific evidence on whether pediatric septoplasty or rhinoseptoplasty negatively affects facial growth.
- To determine if existing literature supports detrimental effects on midfacial development post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of the literature.
- Searched databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Trip Database.
- Assessed midfacial growth as the primary outcome following pediatric septoplasty.
Main Results:
- Eight studies met the inclusion criteria for the review.
- No significant disturbances in midfacial growth were identified in the reviewed literature.
- Minor nasal anomalies were reported in four of the included studies.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence suggests pediatric septoplasty does not adversely affect midfacial growth.
- The overall quality of evidence (Level C) limits strong recommendations.
- Further high-quality research may be needed to definitively confirm these findings.
Objective:
Septal deviation is an important cause of impaired nasal breathing among pediatric patients. A widespread solution to septal deviation is septoplasty. However, there are certain controversies surrounding the effect of this technique on pediatric patients and its influence on the growth centers of the nose. The objective of this review is to study if there is a strong and valid evidence in the literature that supports a detrimental effect of pediatric septo- and rhinoseptoplasty in facial growth DATA SOURCES: Pubmed (Medline), the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Trip Database.
Review Methods:
The outcome assessed was the midfacial growth after pediatric septoplasty.
Results:
Eight publications met the inclusion criteria. None found major disturbances in facial growth. Only minor nasal anomalies were reported by 4 authors.
Conclusion:
Septoplasty in pediatric patients does not seem to affect midfacial growth according to available evidence. However, due to their design, the degree of recommendation of these studies was not superior to level C.

