If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering from a deviated septum, this blog post should interest you.
There’s a new polymer-based, resorbable plate that can be implanted into the nose as part of nasal surgery to repair deviated septums. According to the research, this is creating much better results. A study by Miriam Boenisch, MD, PhD, of Medicent Linz in Linz, Austria, and Gilbert J. Nolst Trenité, MD, PhD, of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, 82% of the 396 patient who received the implants reported “remarkably improved nasal flow.” The study was reported in the January issue of the Archives of Facial and Plastic Surgery.
There were no reports of complications during the procedure and, according to the researchers, postop crusting, which is common following septum surgery, were gone within two weeks. Of the 396 patients, only 19 had some septal thickening, but even that was gone over a period of two months. “To date, we have encountered no short- or long-term complications as a consequence of the use of polydioxanone plate,” the researchers wrote, adding that cosmetic results have been good as well, with up to 10 years of follow-up.
“The fundamental surgical goal, straightening of the nasal septum, was achieved in about 87% of patients. From the patients’ viewpoint, the success rate for improvement of nasal breathing was even higher and was supported by rhinomanometry results,” according to the report.
This new material is water-soluble and, therefore, completely reabsorbed by the patient’s body over a period of a few weeks.
Mentor, makers of breast implants, is distributing this material now here in the US. I’m very excited about the potential for this here at my Naples plastic surgery office.
To your health & beauty,
Dr. Kent Hasen
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