title: Routine nasal packing follwoing nasal surgery-Is it necessary?
abstract: The practice of routine nasal packing after nasal surgery is usually customary and not evidence based. Post operative complications, while uncoumon, are sometimes pack related. A retrospective analysis of 110 patients who underwent a variety of nasal operations was performed to determine the incidence of complications when nasal packs were not routinely inserted 9 cases (8.2%) [6 out of these were revision surgeries] needed nasal packing for haemostasis at the end of surgery. 4 cases (3.6%) required to be packed in the immediate post operative period. One patient who required nasal packing developed a unilateral adhesion. No patient developed septal hematoma. The need for routine nasal packing is not supported. Packing should be indicated where there continuous bleeding at.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, Tyrone County Hospital, BT 79 0AP Omagh, UK.
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Basha
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kaluskar
keywords: Adhesions; Nasal Packing; complications; septal Haematoma