European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyNasal packing and transseptal suturing techniques: surgical and anaesthetic perspectives.
The objective of this study is to compare the nasal packing and the transseptal suturing techniques regarding the extubation difficulty evaluation scores, follow-up times in post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), pain scores, and postoperative complications. Two hundred patients who underwent septoplasty from January 2009 to October 2009 were randomly assigned either to have nasal packs (n: 100) or transeptal sutures (n: 100). In the transseptal suture group, extubation was easier and PACU follow-up times were shorter, when compared to the nasal packing group (p < 0.001). ⋯ There was no significant difference in terms of major bleeding, hematoma, infection or perforation. Foreign body sensation was the main cause of postoperative discomfort in the transseptal suture group. Transseptal suturing might be a significantly comfortable, cost-effective and reliable alternative to nasal packing.