Ear, Nose & Throat Treatment Submucosal Resection of the Nose for Treatment of Deviated Septum By Kristin Hayes, RN facebook twitter Kristin Hayes, RN, is a registered nurse specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders for both adults and children. Learn about our editorial process Kristin Hayes, RN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Susan Olender, MD on August 05, 2016 Susan Olender, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine. She is an assistant professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, where she is also on staff in the Division of Infectious Disease. Learn about our Medical Review Board Susan Olender, MD Updated on January 22, 2020 Print lyosha_nazarenko / Getty Images More in Ear, Nose & Throat Treatment Diagnosis Coping ENT Disorders Pediatric ENT Disorders Submucosal resection (SMR) of the nose is a surgical procedure used to treat a deviated septum. This procedure is also called a septoplasty. According to some sources, septoplasty differs from submucosal resection in that during an SMR large portions of tissue are removed while a septoplasty is a "tissue sparing" procedure. However, both surgeries are used to correct a deviated septum and are quite similar. Issues Associated With a Deviated Septum The septum is the wall made of mostly of cartilage and some bone that divides the nose in half. Approximately 80 percent of people have a septum that is not exactly centered but this isn't usually a problem. A deviated septum can cause problems with breathing through the nose or cause problems with the way the sinuses drain. A deviated septum can also lead to other problems such as frequent nosebleeds, frequent sinus infections, facial pain, or postnasal drip. Symptoms may get worse if you have a cold. Many individuals are born with a deviated septum but this condition can also be caused by trauma to the face. Septal deviation actually may start out as a mild condition that gets worse with time. Indications for Submucosal Resection Submucosal resection is not always used to treat a deviated septum but may be used if you are having chronic sinus infections that have not responded to other treatments. It is sometimes used if you have a septal deviation that is causing chronic nosebleeds, or if the deviation is causing difficulty breathing. A submucosal resection of the nose may also be done if you are having nasal sinus surgery and your deviated septum is making it difficult for your doctor to access other parts of your nose or sinuses. Sometimes a submucosal resection is done as part of a cleft palate repair. The Procedure A submucosal resection of the nose can usually be performed on a same-day surgery basis. It can be done using a local or general anesthetic. The surgery itself is on average an hour to an hour and a half long. During the surgery, some portions of the septum may be either entirely removed or just readjusted. This procedure is not usually performed on individuals under the age of 18 since the septum is still growing. The procedure is performed entirely through the nostrils and does not change the external appearance of the nose (you look the same after surgery as you did before with no visible incision or bruising). Risks Risks of a submucosal resection of the nose may include, bleeding, infection, and complications from anesthesia. You may have some bleeding from the nose for about 24 hours after surgery. You may also have a stuffy nose for a few days after this surgery due to swelling. A cool-mist humidifier may be helpful for this and prevent crusting around the nostrils. Some doctors use packing to control bleeding and to hold the septum in place but this has not been proven effective. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Deviated septum. Harvard Health Publishing. 2019. Teixeira J, Certal V, Chang ET, Camacho M. Nasal Septal Deviations: A Systematic Review of Classification Systems. Plast Surg Int. 2016;2016:7089123. doi:10.1155/2016/7089123 Deviated septum. Drugs.com [internet]. Updated 14 Mar 2019. Fettman N, Sanford T, Sindwani R. Surgical management of the deviated septum: techniques in septoplasty. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2009;42(2):241-52, viii. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2009.01.005 Chand G, Shafiq M, Khan A. The comparative study of submucosal resection of nasal septum under local and general anaesthesia. J Pak Med Assoc. 2012;62(10):1020-2. Deviated nasal septum. Texas Sinus Institute [internet]. 2009. Low WK, Willatt DJ. Submucous resection for deviated nasal septum: a critical appraisal. Singapore Med J. 1992;33(6):617-9. Additional Reading Aetna. Clinical Policy Bulletin: Septoplasty and Rhinoplasty. American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. Deviated Septum. Medscape. Septoplasty.