title: Objective usefulness of thin silastic septal splints after septal surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silastic splints have been used as effective tools for septal support, avoiding adhesion, and mucosal healing after septal surgery. Furthermore, although many surgeons insert septal splints, no well-designed trials exist to support their use. A randomized double-blinded controlled trial was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 40 subjects who had undergone septoplasty only without sinus surgery or turbinoplasty. A silastic septal splint was inserted in one side of the nasal cavity at the end of each septoplasty, with the other side serving as a control. The splint side and control side were randomly selected. Nasal discomfort score (10-point scale) and mucosal status (grades 1-4) were surveyed in a blinded setting on postoperative days 7 and 14.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty of 83 subjects fulfilled the enrollment criteria. On the 7th postoperative day there was no significant difference in nasal discomfort between the splint and control sides (6.2 ± 1.28 and 5.7 ± 1.27, respectively; p = 0.116), but the mucosal status was better on the splint side than on the control side (1.5 ± 0.51 and 2.5 ± 0.85; p < 0.001). At 14 days postoperatively, the symptom score (2.7 ± 1.06 versus 3.8 ± 1.25; p < 0.001) and mucosal status (1.5 ± 0.55 versus 1.9 ± 0.68; p = 0.013) were significantly better on the splint side compared with the control side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insertion of a silastic septal splint after septal surgery should be accepted as a routine procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea. ent.jyg@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yong Gi
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ji Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Young-Gyu
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Eun
authors.forename: Myung-Gu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013165:Splints / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon