Negative pressure drainage vs. nasal packing after septoplasty: a randomized clinical trial

Negative pressure drainage is a commonly used method in surgery, but studies applying negative pressure drainage in septoplasty are relatively few.

A randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare negative pressure drainage and nasal packing after septoplasty. Patients with nasal septal deviation underwent septoplasty from November 2023 to March 2024 were enrolled. Symptom scores and quality of life scores were assessed on postoperative day 1, day 5, and at 1 month to evaluate postoperative comfort.

A total of 95 patients completed the study, the median (IQR) age was 29 (21, 43) years, and 73 (77%) identified as male. 48 (51%) patients were randomized to nasal packing group and 47 (49%) to negative pressure group. On postoperative day 1, the negative pressure group showed significantly lower symptom scores for nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, olfactory dysfunction, headache, eye discomfort, ear fullness, and better quality of life compared to the packing group. On postoperative day 5, the negative pressure group showed significantly lower scores for olfactory dysfunction and ear fullness compared to the packing group. There was no significant difference in effective rate and postoperative complications rate between negative pressure group and packing group. The cost-effectiveness ratio for the negative pressure group was significantly lower than the packing group.

Negative pressure drainage after septoplasty significantly improves postoperative comfort in the first days after surgery, without affecting surgical efficacy or safety, and helps reduce medical costs.