Nasal Septum Perforation Repair: Simplicity and low Morbidity Using the Temporalis Fascia and Silicone Films

Aim: We present a new, simple, and effective method for the closure of nasal septal perforations based on prolonged isolation of the surgical site. Nasal septal perforation usually results after rhinological surgical operations, primarily to correct septum deviation. When symptomatic, conservative and surgical treatments are required. Current techniques more often attempt direct mucosal closure by mobilizing local nasal mucosal flaps with or without interposed grafts. The reported success rates are sufficiently high approaching ≥ 90%. Method: Our current practice includes the insertion of a temporalis fascia graft between the septal mucosal flaps to cover the perforation, avoiding any effort to achieve mucosal closure. Instead of using sophisticated techniques and multiple synthetic grafts, we propose that the entire septum remains protected after perforation repair for 6 weeks between two thin silicone sheets which permit surgical site inspection and mucosal regrowth. We present our experience with 10 consecutive patients, two of whom had fairly large defects. Results: All cases, except one, had a successful outcome with complete closure of the defect after one year's follow up. No serious complications were reported and the silicone sheets were well tolerated by the patients. Conclusion: Our method is simple and consequently fast, resulting in high success rates, low morbidity, and high tolerance from the patients.