Management of intraoperative nasal septal tears and perforations.

An organized technique for managing intraoperative septal tears was developed based on 98 patients who endured septal tears. Small nonopposing perforations are allowed to heal spontaneously. Opposing tears, with sizes varying from less than 1 cm to greater than 2 cm, are repaired first on one side of the mucoperichondrium with the reinsertion of a straight piece of septal cartilage; the other side of the mucoperichondrium is then repaired.