KBB-Forum 2016 , Cilt 15, Sayı 1

USE OF ELECTROCAUTERIZATION REDUCES THE RISK OF SEPTAL HEMATOMA AFTER SEPTOPLASTY WITHOUT PACKING

Taylan GÜN1, MD; Murat KARAMAN2, MD; Osman Fatih BOZTEPE3, MD
1Bahçeşehir University, KBB, Ankara, Turkey
2Medipol University, KBB, İstanbul, Turkey
3Antalya Medical Park Hastenesi, KBB, Antalya, Turkey Objectives: To decrease the rate of postoperative complications following septoplasty with quilting sutures.

Methods: Our study population was the patients aged 18 years and older who had undergone septoplasty at our institution from November 2014 through August 2015. Patients were randomized 1:1 into two groups, the cautery group consisted 30 males and 8 females with a mean age of 31.25±3.12 years, and the no-cautery group consisted of 28 males and 10 females with a mean age of 30.22±2.34 years. In the cautery group, electrocauterization was performed before the suturing process to the bleeding sites.

Results: Only two out of 38 patients was suffered postoperative complications in the cautery group. In the no-cautery group, 11 patients experienced postoperative complications postoperatively. The difference was statistically significant among the two groups (p=0.023).

Conclusion: In this study, by using electrocautery, we succeeded to decrease the complication rate of quilting sutures septoplasty and we believe that this technique will make quilting sutures more preferable than septoplasty with packing for the surgeons. Keywords : Septoplasty; Quilting sutures; Packing; Septal hematoma