Cross-septal returned flap: modified endoscopic technique for bilateral closure of septal perforation

Abstract

Endoscopic approaches for septal perforation closure have achieved a certain popularity. Many of the flaps described provide unilateral closure of the perforation. Thus, complete restoration of the normal multilayer septal anatomy is still challenging, particularly in children. This article presents a modified technique for endoscopic bilateral surgical repair of nasal septal perforations. A novel cross-septal returned flap was performed in nine patients with nasal septal perforations. The mean size of the perforation was 17.7mm in the sagittal axis and 16.9mm in the vertical axis. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 12 months (range 12–31 months). There was only one case of residual septal perforation during the follow-up period, but with a significant decrease in the severity of symptoms. The results of the surgical technique presented show its high efficacy. We believe that the best indication for this technique is non-epithelized perforation edges that cannot be used as a reliable bridge for the preparation of any cross-over flaps. Use of the cross-septal returned flap allows the complete bilateral repair of nasal septal perforations to be achieved.