Quilting suture versus silastic intranasal septal splint in septoplasty

Abstract EN

Objectives: This study aims to compare the efficacy of quilting trans-septal suturing with intranasal silastic splint in septoplasty at reducing postoperative complications and pain.

Methods: A total of 100 patients who had elective septoplasty were equally divided into two groups by simple randomization, in group A trans-septal quilting suturing was done and in group B intranasal silastic splint insertion and fixation.

Both groups were compared postoperatively on pain scores, adhesions, crust formation, and the incidence of vestibulitis, septal hematoma, and septal perforation.

Results: postoperative pain scores were significant over the three observation time periods (1st day,1st week and 2nd week) for the whole study group with P values <0.05, also postoperative pain scores among the quilting suture group was significantly lower than for the silastic group (P value=0.009).

Adhesion occurred in 6% of patients in group A and 2% in group B, neither of which was statistically significant.

Also, the rates of crust formation and development of vestibulitis did not differ significantly between groups.

Further, no septal hematoma or septal perforation were observed in either group.

Conclusion: Trans-septal quilting suture can be safely applied in septoplasty instead of using nasal silastic splints, without increasing the rate of postoperative complications and yielding lower postoperative pain scores.