Experimental nasal septoplasty; influence on nasomaxillary development. A roentgen cephalometric study in growing...

The fear of destroying an anticipated growth centre has, with time, induced the postponement of nasal septal operations until adult age. Underdevelopment of the nose and middle face is otherwise believed to be the long-term result. In order to test this hypothesis, subepichondrial surgery was performed in growing domestic cats. The technique resembled modern corrective interventions for septum deviations in humans. Based on cephalometry, i.e. measurements on lateral skull radiograms, no significant influence could be found regarding ultimate nasal or mid-facial dimensions. The findings tentatively intimate that septal surgery might be carried out at a much earlier age than hitherto assumed.