title: Caudal septoplasty: efficacy of a surgical technique-preliminary report.
abstract: Although not being the most frequent nasal septal deviations, those of the caudal septum account for many complaints. The correction of such defects has always been the subject of much controversy, and several different operative techniques have been described.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of a surgical technique for correcting caudal septal deviations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study with preliminary reports of 10 patients who answered a standardized, specific questionnaire (the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, or NOSE), underwent acoustic rhinometry and had their noses photographed. Caudal deviations were then corrected through a surgical technique whereby the entire deviated portion is removed and a straight cartilage segment is placed between the medial crura of the alar cartilages, through a retrograde approach, to support the nasal tip. Sixty days after all patients were reassessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As for the NOSE questionnaire, mean pre-operative and post-operative scores were 82.39 and 7.39 respectively (p<0.001). Pre-operative acoustic rhinometry showed mean minimum cross-sectional area (MCA) values of 0.352 and 0.431 cm2, whereas mean post-operative values were 0.657 and 0.711 cm2(p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results prove, both subjectively (patient satisfaction as measured with a standardized questionnaire) and objectively (acoustic rhinometry findings), that the proposed technique for correction of caudal septal deviation is safe and effective.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, UNIFESP-EPM.
authors.forename: Leonardo Bomediano Sousa
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Pedro Wey de
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Tatiana de Aguiar
authors.initials: Tde A
authors.lastname: Vidigal
authors.forename: Vinicius de Magalhães
authors.initials: Vde M
authors.lastname: Suguri
authors.forename: Rodrigo de Paula
authors.initials: Rde P
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Luis Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gregório
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055171:Nasal Cartilages / Q000601:surgery*; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D023842:Rhinometry, Acoustic; D012225:Rhinoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome