Extracorporeal Septoplasty-A Well Proven Technique for Treatment of Crooked Noses

Crooked noses (noses with complex septal and pyramidal deviations) are an important challenge for both plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists. Extracorporeal septoplasty, described by Gubisch constitutes an effective solution to this problem. The article describes a series of 7 cases (5 males and 2 females) in which this method was used during open rhinoseptoplasty. The technique we used is described in detail. All the patients showed improvement of the nose appearance and good nasal air flow. Hypertrophy of the right inferior turbinate complicated one case, but was resolved with electro cauterization. Although the learning curve is slow and it claims the surgeon's imagination, the method is sometimes the only solution in complex cases of septal deviation. Our short series demonstrates that good indication and careful dissection are prerequisites for success in difficult cases.