Nasal septal deviation: effective intervention and long term follow-up.

Nasal septal deviation (DNS) occurs more frequently during childhood although it occurs at any age due to trauma. Recently, it has been increasingly recognized that nasal septal deviation is seen also at birth and a number of explanations for this occurrence is forwarded. Awareness of such occurrence and its recognition at birth both by pediatricians and obstetricians is essential for early interventional management of this condition in close collaboration with the otorhinolaryngologists. Closed surgical intervention of this defect carried out early after it was detected at birth benefitted the afflicted in terms of nasal airway improvement and its maintenance resulting in normalization of its anatomy and physiology in long term follow-up. Septal deviation detected at birth if left alone without interventional procedure continues to persist. It is furthermore accompanied by statistically valied symptoms like upper respiratory infections, cough, earache, ear discharge, fever, mouth breathing and at times feeding difficulty during infancy and childhood. Long term follow-up of children who underwent closed surgical correction of DNS at birth, revealed no untoward effects such as nasofacial disproportion or retardation of facial growth. Early interventional management of DNS detected at birth therefore appears to be a safe procedure. It can even be performed by neonatologists or an obstetrician. Such an intervention procedure early in life can prevent septoplasty surgery at a latter date besides preventing a number of nasal airway-related conditions.